Best Cities for Young Professionals in Wisconsin

High incomes, educated peers, transit access and an under-35 demographic.

Retirees Remote Workers Families Young Professionals Affordability All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Wisconsin

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Income · 20% Educated Peers · 15% Young Demographic · 15% Jobs · 15% Transit · 10% Safety · 10% Broadband · 15%

Top 12 Young Professionals Cities in Wisconsin

Ranked by composite score across 7 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 81.3
Shorewood Hills, WI
2,067 residents
Income $129,688
Educated Peers 92.2%
Young Demographic 39 yrs
#2
Score 75.1
River Hills, WI
1,639 residents
Income $198,750
Educated Peers 76.6%
Young Demographic 49 yrs
#3
Score 72.3
Whitefish Bay, WI
14,750 residents
Income $154,255
Educated Peers 81.5%
Young Demographic 40 yrs
#4
Score 69.9
Fox Point, WI
6,746 residents
Income $140,818
Educated Peers 73.8%
Young Demographic 44 yrs
#5
Score 68.8
Elm Grove, WI
6,428 residents
Income $133,304
Educated Peers 67.0%
Young Demographic 45 yrs
#6
Score 67.3
North Prairie, WI
2,514 residents
Income $148,780
Educated Peers 46.3%
Young Demographic 41 yrs
#7
Score 67.1
Cottage Grove, WI
7,906 residents
Income $132,717
Educated Peers 54.5%
Young Demographic 40 yrs
#8
Score 66.2
Maple Bluff, WI
1,319 residents
Income $180,972
Educated Peers 83.7%
Young Demographic 45 yrs
#9
Score 65.8
Mequon, WI
25,259 residents
Income $147,391
Educated Peers 69.5%
Young Demographic 47 yrs
#10
Score 65.8
Kohler, WI
2,136 residents
Income $135,688
Educated Peers 71.0%
Young Demographic 42 yrs
#11
Score 65.7
Bayside, WI
4,398 residents
Income $144,500
Educated Peers 71.1%
Young Demographic 45 yrs
#12
Score 65.4
Waunakee, WI
14,927 residents
Income $128,750
Educated Peers 62.0%
Young Demographic 40 yrs

Full Ranking, Wisconsin

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Shorewood Hills WI 81.3
2 River Hills WI 75.1
3 Whitefish Bay WI 72.3
4 Fox Point WI 69.9
5 Elm Grove WI 68.8
6 North Prairie WI 67.3
7 Cottage Grove WI 67.1
8 Maple Bluff WI 66.2
9 Mequon WI 65.8
10 Kohler WI 65.8
11 Bayside WI 65.7
12 Waunakee WI 65.4
13 Verona WI 64.7
14 Shorewood WI 63
15 Summit WI 62.4
16 Madison WI 62.1
17 Brookfield WI 61.9
18 Wrightstown WI 61.4
19 North Hudson WI 61
20 Cross Plains WI 60.4
21 Oregon WI 60.4
22 Fitchburg WI 60.3
23 Kronenwetter WI 60.1
24 DeForest WI 59.3
25 Middleton WI 58.6
26 Germantown WI 58.2
27 Thiensville WI 58
28 Delafield WI 57.9
29 Johnson Creek WI 57.7
30 Mount Horeb WI 57.7
31 Sun Prairie WI 57.6
32 Lake Mills WI 57.5
33 Big Bend WI 57.5
34 Wauwatosa WI 57.3
35 Oconomowoc WI 57.1
36 Grafton WI 56.7
37 Oak Creek WI 56.3
38 Cedarburg WI 56.3
39 Lodi WI 55.9
40 Hudson WI 55.8
41 River Falls WI 55.8
42 Edgerton WI 55.6
43 Plover WI 55.6
44 McFarland WI 55.5
45 Hales Corners WI 55.4
46 Roberts WI 55.1
47 Monona WI 55.1
48 Greendale WI 54.7
49 Holmen WI 54.6
50 Saukville WI 54.5

Shorewood Hills, WI tops the list with a composite score of 81.3 out of 100, followed by River Hills and Whitefish Bay. WI dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for young professionals.

Rankings combine 7 independent metrics: Income, Educated Peers, Young Demographic, Jobs, Transit, Safety, Broadband. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to young professionals, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Cities for Retirees
Low crime, warm climate, affordable cost of living and strong healthcare access.
Best Cities for Remote Workers
Strong broadband, affordable rent, low traffic and existing remote-work culture.
Best Cities for Families
Strong schools, low crime, affordable homes and family-friendly commutes.
Most Affordable Cities
The lowest cost of living across home prices, rent, services and rent burden.

Related Single-Metric Rankings

Highest Income → Most Educated → Youngest Cities →