Lancaster ranks #33 in Wisconsin for cheap rent
Lancaster is ranked on 35 lists against the 371 Wisconsin towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 0 and the top quarter on 5.
Wetter than 100% of Wisconsin
Not better or worse, just Lancaster’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
The lists Lancaster does best on
Each list ranks every WI town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Lancaster marked.
Lancaster lands in the top half on 12 of 22 lists
Each dot is Lancaster’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in WI, the right end is last. Areas where Lancaster does best come first.
Every WI list, and where Lancaster lands
41 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Antigo · 1.4 yrs
#74
Cheapest rent#1 Bass Lake · $404/mo
#33
Lowest property tax#1 Stanley · $1,492/yr
#36
Rent easiest to afford#1 New Richmond · 20.8%
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Brockway · 65.5%
#124
Most trails#1 Williams Bay · 3.5 mi / sq mi
#39
Most walkable#1 Whitefish Bay · 158 / sq mi
#94 Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Hayward · 12.3 min
#77 Health
Healthiest#1 Whitefish Bay · 98 / 100
#245
Lowest obesity#1 Mequon · 28%
#244
Fewest smokers#1 Whitefish Bay · 7%
#181
Most active#1 Whitefish Bay · 14%
#268
Fewest uninsured#1 Whitefish Bay · 4%
#115
Lowest depression#1 Brookfield · 19%
#178
Closest to a top hospital#1 Waukesha · 0.2 mi
#363 People
Most educated#1 Whitefish Bay · 81.9%
#169
Youngest#1 Whitewater · 22.1
#248
R
Oldest#1 Rome · 64.5
#123
R
Most residents 65+#1 Rome · 48.1%
#72
Most kids#1 Arcadia · 37.7%
#331 
Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Stephenson · 55.7%
#314
Most new homes#1 DeForest · 26.3 per 1,000
#240
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Algoma · +89.8%
#307
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Whitefish Bay · 31.3 per home
Safety
Safest#1 Geneva · 2.6
#152 
The number on the right is Lancaster’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.