This southern Wisconsin city is one of the best places to raise a family, study finds

Wisconsin's capital city was again featured on a list of the best places to call home.

Madison ranked fifth in a new study released on March 5 by the home improvement brand and television show "This Old House" ranking the "Best Cities for Families" in 2025.

To determine the list, the study ranked 149 of the largest U.S. cities on 13 metrics, including school district ratings, crime rates, number of parks, medical and childcare options and available activities for kids.

Madison ranked highly for its ample parks and childcare options, numerous family-friendly activities and lower rents compared to the national average. Milwaukee also finished 88th on the list, putting it in the top two-thirds of This Old House's list.

Here's what to know.

Why is Madison a good place to raise a family?

Madison "offers a host of family-friendly activities and affordability that make it a great choice for families," This Old House writer Stephanie Minasian-Koncewicz wrote. The city has the greatest proportion of parks of any in the study with 0.87 parks per 1,000 residents.

Madison is also the most walkable city among the study's top five and the second most walkable among the top 10. Madison has 0.41 kids' activities per 1,000 youth residents, 2.45 childcare providers per 1,000 residents under 14 and 5.09 primary care providers per 1,000 residents. This Old House also found that Madison's cost of living is about 5% below the national average.

The study rated the city's school district 6 out of 10, and Madison's crime rate of 27.66 per 1,000 residents "remains manageable for a city of its size."

Is Milwaukee a good place to raise a family?

Milwaukee ranked 88th out of 149 cities in This Old House's study. Wisconsin's largest city has 4.47 primary care providers per 1,000 residents and 3.41 childcare providers per 1,000 residents under 14.

The city has 0.15 parks per 1,000 residents and 0.17 activities for kids per 1,000 youth residents. The study also found that Milwaukee's cost of living is over 5% less than the national average.

According to the study, Milwaukee has a crime rate of 51.06 per 1,000 residents, and the study ranked the city's school district a 2 out of 10.

What are the best cities to raise a family?

These are the top 10 "Best Cities for Families" in This Old House's 2025 study:

1. Scottsdale, Arizona
2. Overland Park, Kansas
3. Aurora, Illinois
4. Boise, Idaho
5. Madison, Wisconsin
6. Gilbert, Arizona
7. Brownsville, Texas
8. Chandler, Arizona
9. Arlington, Virginia
10. Cary, North Carolina

Click here to view This Old House's full rankings and methodology.