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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 81.4
Shorewood Hills, WI
2,067 residents
Income $129,688
Educated Peers 92.2%
Young Demographic 39 yrs
#2
Score 76.2
Maple Bluff, WI
1,319 residents
Income $180,972
Educated Peers 83.7%
Young Demographic 45 yrs
#3
Score 74.8
River Hills, WI
1,639 residents
Income $198,750
Educated Peers 76.6%
Young Demographic 49 yrs
#4
Score 71.9
Whitefish Bay, WI
14,750 residents
Income $154,255
Educated Peers 81.5%
Young Demographic 40 yrs
#5
Score 69.5
Fox Point, WI
6,746 residents
Income $140,818
Educated Peers 73.8%
Young Demographic 44 yrs
#6
Score 69.4
Merton, WI
3,495 residents
Income $168,661
Educated Peers 60.9%
Young Demographic 40 yrs
#7
Score 68.3
Elm Grove, WI
6,428 residents
Income $133,304
Educated Peers 67.0%
Young Demographic 45 yrs
#8
Score 67.2
Cottage Grove, WI
7,906 residents
Income $132,717
Educated Peers 54.5%
Young Demographic 40 yrs
#9
Score 66.6
North Prairie, WI
2,514 residents
Income $148,780
Educated Peers 46.3%
Young Demographic 41 yrs
#10
Score 65.7
Mequon, WI
25,259 residents
Income $147,391
Educated Peers 69.5%
Young Demographic 47 yrs
#11
Score 65.4
Bayside, WI
4,398 residents
Income $144,500
Educated Peers 71.1%
Young Demographic 45 yrs
#12
Score 65.3
Kohler, WI
2,136 residents
Income $135,688
Educated Peers 71.0%
Young Demographic 42 yrs

Full Ranking, Wisconsin

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

1 Shorewood Hills WI 81.4
2 Maple Bluff WI 76.2
3 River Hills WI 74.8
4 Whitefish Bay WI 71.9
5 Fox Point WI 69.5
6 Merton WI 69.4
7 Elm Grove WI 68.3
8 Cottage Grove WI 67.2
9 North Prairie WI 66.6
10 Mequon WI 65.7
11 Bayside WI 65.4
12 Kohler WI 65.3
13 Nashotah WI 65.1
14 Waunakee WI 65
15 Wind Point WI 64
16 Verona WI 63.5
17 Sherwood WI 61.7
18 Brookfield WI 61.6
19 Shorewood WI 61.4
20 Wales WI 61.4
21 Madison WI 61.1
22 Summit WI 60.9
23 North Hudson WI 60.9
24 Dane WI 60.5
25 Richfield WI 60.3
26 Hobart WI 60.3
27 Wrightstown WI 60
28 Oregon WI 59.7
29 Cross Plains WI 59.5
30 Kronenwetter WI 59.4
31 Union Grove WI 59.1
32 Okauchee Lake WI 59.1
33 Fitchburg WI 58.9
34 DeForest WI 58.6
35 Barneveld WI 58.2
36 Deerfield WI 58.2
37 Middleton WI 58.1
38 Sussex WI 58.1
39 St. Peter WI 58
40 Harrison WI 57.9
41 Thiensville WI 57.8
42 Greenville WI 57.8
43 Ixonia WI 57.8
44 Big Bend WI 57.6
45 Waukesha WI 57.6
46 Germantown WI 57.6
47 Delafield WI 57.6
48 Sun Prairie WI 57.4
49 Wauwatosa WI 57.2
50 Mount Horeb WI 56.6

Shorewood Hills, WI tops the list with a composite score of 81.4 out of 100, followed by Maple Bluff and River Hills. 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 →