Rome makes Wisconsin’s top 10 on 2 lists
Rome is ranked on 38 lists against the 371 Wisconsin towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 2 and the top quarter on 9.
Older than 100% of Wisconsin
Not better or worse, just Rome’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
The lists Rome does best on
Each list ranks every WI town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Rome marked.
2 spots from the top 3 for new homes
Lists where Rome sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Rome lands in the top half on 10 of 24 lists
Each dot is Rome’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in WI, the right end is last. Areas where Rome does best come first.
Rome out-ranks 0 of its 2 ranked neighbors
Head to head on the lists where both towns are ranked: a point for each list where one town places higher. Tap a town for its own rankings.
Every WI list, and where Rome lands
41 lists from Census, school, health, library, crime, climate and land data. Tap any list to see every town on it.
Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Stephenson · 55.7%
#3
Most new homes#1 DeForest · 26.3 per 1,000
#5
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Algoma · +89.8%
#2
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Whitefish Bay · 31.3 per home
#116 
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Brockway · 65.5%
#20
Most trails#1 Williams Bay · 3.5 mi / sq mi
#46
Most walkable#1 Whitefish Bay · 158 / sq mi
#263 Safety
Safest#1 Geneva · 2.6
#29 
Health
Healthiest#1 Whitefish Bay · 98 / 100
#321
Lowest obesity#1 Mequon · 28%
#244
Fewest smokers#1 Whitefish Bay · 7%
#300
Most active#1 Whitefish Bay · 14%
#291
Fewest uninsured#1 Whitefish Bay · 4%
#217
Lowest depression#1 Brookfield · 19%
#29
Closest to a top hospital#1 Waukesha · 0.2 mi
#353 People
Most educated#1 Whitefish Bay · 81.9%
#135
Youngest#1 Whitewater · 22.1
#371
R
Oldest#1 Rome · 64.5
#1
R
Most residents 65+#1 Rome · 48.1%
#1
Most kids#1 Arcadia · 37.7%
#371 Libraries
Most-used libraries#1 Monona · 11.6 per resident
#7
Most library borrowing#1 Whitefish Bay · 24.8 per resident
#20
Best libraries for kids#1 Monona · 45.8 per child
#17 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Antigo · 1.4 yrs
#191
Cheapest rent#1 Bass Lake · $404/mo
#306
Lowest property tax#1 Stanley · $1,492/yr
#215
Rent easiest to afford#1 New Richmond · 20.8%
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Hayward · 12.3 min
#371 
The number on the right is Rome’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.