Waunakee makes Wisconsin’s top 10 on 2 lists
Waunakee is ranked on 36 lists against the 371 Wisconsin towns with 2,500+ residents. It makes the top 10 on 2 and the top quarter on 14.
A podium finish, and more
Each list ranks every WI town with 2,500+ residents. Tap one to see the whole list with Waunakee marked.
More kids than 96% of Wisconsin
Not better or worse, just Waunakee’s character, from the lists where neither end is the “good” one. The most distinctive come first.
1 spot from the top 10 for college degrees
Lists where Waunakee sits just outside a milestone, and what it would take to get in.
Waunakee lands in the top half on 19 of 22 lists
Each dot is Waunakee’s spot on one list: the left end is #1 in WI, the right end is last. Areas where Waunakee does best come first.
Waunakee out-ranks 0 of its 1 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.
Where Waunakee 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.
Safety
Safest#1 Geneva · 2.6
#3 Health
Healthiest#1 Whitefish Bay · 98 / 100
#15
Lowest obesity#1 Mequon · 28%
#31
Fewest smokers#1 Whitefish Bay · 7%
#18
Most active#1 Whitefish Bay · 14%
#11
Fewest uninsured#1 Whitefish Bay · 4%
#9
Lowest depression#1 Brookfield · 19%
#178
Closest to a top hospital#1 Waukesha · 0.2 mi
#167 People
Most educated#1 Whitefish Bay · 81.9%
#11
Youngest#1 Whitewater · 22.1
#115
R
Oldest#1 Rome · 64.5
#254
R
Most residents 65+#1 Rome · 48.1%
#311
Most kids#1 Arcadia · 37.7%
#17 
Housing
Vacation-home towns#1 Stephenson · 55.7%
#117
Most new homes#1 DeForest · 26.3 per 1,000
#41
Fastest-rising home prices#1 Algoma · +89.8%
#330
Housing hasn't kept up#1 Whitefish Bay · 31.3 per home
#26 Outdoors
Most conserved land#1 Brockway · 65.5%
#134
Most trails#1 Williams Bay · 3.5 mi / sq mi
#145
Most walkable#1 Whitefish Bay · 158 / sq mi
#41 Getting around
Shortest commute#1 Hayward · 12.3 min
#173 Cost of living
Most affordable#1 Antigo · 1.4 yrs
#361
Cheapest rent#1 Bass Lake · $404/mo
#274
Lowest property tax#1 Stanley · $1,492/yr
#365
Rent easiest to afford#1 New Richmond · 20.8%
The number on the right is Waunakee’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.