Tainter ranks #49 in Wisconsin for growth
Tainter is ranked on 31 lists against the 371 Wisconsin towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 0 and the top quarter on 1.
Colder winters than 92% of Wisconsin
Not better or worse, just Tainter’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
Tainter lands in the top half on 8 of 18 lists
Each dot is Tainter’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in WI, the right end is last. Areas where Tainter does best come first.
The lists Tainter does best on
Each list ranks every WI town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Tainter marked.
Where Tainter 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.
People
Most educated#1 Whitefish Bay · 81.9%
#105
Youngest#1 Whitewater · 22.1
#98
R
Oldest#1 Rome · 64.5
#275
R
Most residents 65+#1 Rome · 48.1%
#130
Most kids#1 Arcadia · 37.7%
#46 
Health
Healthiest#1 Whitefish Bay · 98 / 100
#230
Lowest obesity#1 Mequon · 28%
#244
Fewest smokers#1 Whitefish Bay · 7%
#181
Most active#1 Whitefish Bay · 14%
#195
Fewest uninsured#1 Whitefish Bay · 4%
#115
Lowest depression#1 Brookfield · 19%
#178
Closest to a top hospital#1 Waukesha · 0.2 mi
#335 
Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Brockway · 65.5%
#205
Most trails#1 Williams Bay · 3.5 mi / sq mi
#123
Most walkable#1 Whitefish Bay · 158 / sq mi
#347 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Antigo · 1.4 yrs
#198
Cheapest rent#1 Bass Lake · $404/mo
#206
Lowest property tax#1 Stanley · $1,492/yr
#204
Rent easiest to afford#1 New Richmond · 20.8%
Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Hayward · 12.3 min
#216 Climate
Snowiest#1 Minocqua · 99 in
#236
Least snow#1 Williams Bay · 32 in
#134
Mildest winters#1 Racine · 16.5°
#334
Hottest summers#1 Brodhead · 83.8°
#191
Coolest summers#1 Superior · 75.9°
#188
Longest growing season#1 Cudahy · 192 days
#340
Wettest#1 Monroe · 39 in
#247 Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Stephenson · 55.7%
#45
Most new homes#1 DeForest · 26.3 per 1,000
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Algoma · +89.8%
#64
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Whitefish Bay · 31.3 per home
Libraries
Most-used libraries#1 Monona · 11.6 per resident
Most library borrowing#1 Whitefish Bay · 24.8 per resident
Best libraries for kids#1 Monona · 45.8 per child
Safety
Safest#1 Geneva · 2.6
The number on the right is Tainter’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.