How Jefferson compares across Wisconsin
Jefferson is ranked on 37 lists against the 371 Wisconsin towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 0 and the top quarter on 1.
Longer growing season than 93% of Wisconsin
Not better or worse, just Jefferson’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Jefferson lands in the top half on 7 of 23 lists
Each dot is Jefferson’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in WI, the right end is last. Areas where Jefferson does best come first.
Where Jefferson lands in every WI ranking
41 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Health
Healthiest#1 Whitefish Bay · 98 / 100
#270
Lowest obesity#1 Mequon · 28%
#313
Fewest smokers#1 Whitefish Bay · 7%
#181
Most active#1 Whitefish Bay · 14%
#268
Fewest uninsured#1 Whitefish Bay · 4%
#290
Lowest depression#1 Brookfield · 19%
#78
Closest to a top hospital#1 Waukesha · 0.2 mi
#112 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Stephenson · 55.7%
#132
Most new homes#1 DeForest · 26.3 per 1,000
#101
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Algoma · +89.8%
#36
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Whitefish Bay · 31.3 per home
Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Antigo · 1.4 yrs
#102
Cheapest rent#1 Bass Lake · $404/mo
#174
Lowest property tax#1 Stanley · $1,492/yr
#224
Rent easiest to afford#1 New Richmond · 20.8%
#65 Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Brockway · 65.5%
#221
Most trails#1 Williams Bay · 3.5 mi / sq mi
#182
Most walkable#1 Whitefish Bay · 158 / sq mi
#123 
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Hayward · 12.3 min
#269 
Safety
Safest#1 Geneva · 2.6
#131 People
Most educated#1 Whitefish Bay · 81.9%
#308
Youngest#1 Whitewater · 22.1
#180
R
Oldest#1 Rome · 64.5
#193
R
Most residents 65+#1 Rome · 48.1%
#283
Most kids#1 Arcadia · 37.7%
#247 
The number on the right is Jefferson’s spot. All of Wisconsin’s rankings, with the map → · National lists and other states: all rankings.
Do the numbers ring true?
The lists count what can be counted. Neighbors know the rest.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
- 2,500+ residents. Census estimates for smaller towns carry margins of error too wide to rank fairly, so they sit out every WI list.
- One town, one row. A city that is both a city and a town in Census data, or a village inside a town, is counted once.
- Ties share a rank. Towns on one weather station, one school district or one CDC estimate share a figure, so they share a spot (T).
- No “worst” lists. Lists rank toward the good end, and share cards are made only for the top half. Age, snow and the like are character, not grades.
U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, 2010 and 2020 censuses, Building Permits Survey), U.S. Department of Education, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, CDC PLACES, Medicare Care Compare, IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FHFA House Price Index, NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. Each list explains its own method.