WIWisconsin rankings

Towns with the most-used public libraries in Wisconsin

Ranked by library visits per resident in a year, at the public library that serves the town. 30 towns with 2,500+ residents.

IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024

1 Monona 11.6 per resident Monona Public Library

2 Whitefish Bay 10.9 per resident Whitefish Bay Public Library

3 Shorewood 10.1 per resident Shorewood Public Library

#TownVisits per residentLibraryVisits a year

Monona8,527 people 11.6 per resident Monona Public Library 121,541

Whitefish Bay14,665 people 10.9 per resident Whitefish Bay Public Library 161,348

Shorewood13,627 people 10.1 per resident Shorewood Public Library 138,190

Greendale14,594 people 9.2 per resident Greendale Public Library 134,575

Brown Deer12,564 people 8.5 per resident Brown Deer Public Library 110,166

Elm Grove6,459 people 8.0 per resident Elm Grove Public Library 53,281

7 RomeAdams County · 3,184 people 7.6 per resident Lester Public Library of Rome 24,440

Hales Corners7,689 people 7.5 per resident Hales Corners Public Library 58,085

Cudahy17,853 people 7.2 per resident Cudahy Family Library 128,991

Wauwatosa48,529 people 6.8 per resident Wauwatosa Public Library 338,734

St. Francis9,004 people 6.8 per resident St. Francis Public Library 61,049

Brookfield41,273 people 4.9 per resident Brookfield Public Library 218,755

13 Muskego25,406 people 4.9 per resident Muskego Public Library 131,634

West Allis59,612 people 4.8 per resident West Allis Public Library 305,378

New Berlin40,270 people 4.8 per resident New Berlin Public Library 195,421

Madison278,001 people 4.5 per resident Madison Public Library 1,371,269

La Crosse51,356 people 4.5 per resident La Crosse Public Library 233,476

Franklin35,886 people 4.5 per resident Franklin Public Library 165,171

Fitchburg32,619 people 4.3 per resident Fitchburg Public Library 155,740

Oak Creek37,325 people 4.2 per resident Oak Creek Public Library 162,561

Menomonee Falls39,539 people 4.1 per resident Menomonee Falls Public Library 168,607

Waupun11,174 people 3.9 per resident Waupun Public Library 54,815

Waukesha71,233 people 3.4 per resident Waukesha Public Library 306,624

Greenfield37,345 people 3.4 per resident Greenfield Public Library 129,282

Oshkosh66,729 people 2.9 per resident Oshkosh Public Library 236,877

Menasha18,273 people 2.9 per resident Elisha D. Smith Public Library 65,643

Janesville66,030 people 2.8 per resident Hedberg Public Library 224,384

South Milwaukee20,442 people 2.8 per resident South Milwaukee Public Library 56,994

Whitewater15,807 people 2.6 per resident Irvin L. Young Memorial Library 43,909

Milwaukee566,973 people 2.0 per resident Milwaukee Public Library 1,157,773

How this ranking works

We rank every town by library visits per resident in a year, at the public library that serves the town. The highest figure ranks #1. Each library reports its own yearly numbers to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (fiscal year 2024), and each town’s Library page shows how it compares with libraries of a similar size nationwide.

A town is ranked only when its library system serves that town alone, and the library’s own count of the people it serves is within 20% of the town’s population. Towns served by a county or regional system, or sharing a library with a neighbor, can’t be credited with the numbers, so they aren’t ranked. Libraries that didn’t respond to the survey aren’t ranked either. Vacation towns can rank high because summer residents and visitors use the library too.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Libraries: IMLS Public Libraries Survey. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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