Madison Reporter

The Livability rankings have been declared, and Madison has climbed to the top as the best place to live in America. 

Last year, Madison had already taken the bronze medal, after which it topped the list this year out of 1,000 cities. The Madison Chamber of Commerce President Zach Brandon said, "With the nation's most sector-diverse economy, locally built companies exporting global solutions, an intentionality toward being a more just place, a wide variety of food and cultural attractions and countless opportunities to drive positive change, this is truly the community where you can make a career, make a life and make a difference."

"ICYMI: Yesterday, @livability declared #Madison the Best Place to Live in America," tweeted Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway.

For the last eight years, Livability has conducted surveys and analyzed data about American small and mid-size cities, releasing a list of the top 100. This year, Madison was ranked No. 1. No other Wisconsin cities made the top 100. Livability looks at factors including outdoor recreation opportunities, affordability, safety and community engagement.

Livability highlighted Madison's natural beauty, including lakes Mendota and Monona, the abundance of biking and hiking trails, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, the Dane Co. Farmers' Market, Camp Trippalinedee and The Boneyard (a dog-friendly beer garden).

This year, Livability changed some of their survey questions to adjust for the lifestyle changes affecting many Americans since the onset of the pandemic. According to Livability, more than 42% of the U.S. population has either moved or considered moving since March of 2020. Accordingly, this year Livability asked survey respondents questions such as, "If a remote job allowed you to work anywhere, what factors would you consider most important when deciding where to relocate?"