5 Wisconsin Areas Make List Of Best Midwest Small Towns To Live In

Living in a big city is great, but there is nothing quite like that small-town feel with friendly neighbors, mom and pop shops and much more.

There are plenty of small towns across the U.S., but some of the best are right here in the Midwest. Luckily, Stacker set out to find the top 25 best Midwest small towns to live in.

"The Midwest is also home to a number of idyllic towns and villages that make up for what they lack in size with an abundance of charm and history."

Stacker used Niche's 2021 Best Places to Live study to narrow down the results. Niche's list calculated the best areas to live by examining "things like cost, safety, weather quality, access to healthy living, and several other factors."

When putting the list together, Stacker selected towns that have 5,000 residents or less and five Wisconsin areas made the list.

• No. 7: Kohler
• No. 11: River Hills
• No. 15: Thiensville
• No. 16: Shorewood Hills
• No. 24: Nashotah

Here is what the report had to say about Kohler:

• Population: 2,146
• Median household income: $87,455
• Owners: 93%
• Renters: 7%

"Kohler, Wisconsin, was founded in the early 20th century as a company town for the Kohler Company. Kohler is still the largest employer in the town and abides by the standards set by its founder to create and maintain a hybrid garden-industrial town with charm and character."

Here is what the report had to say about River Hills:

• Population: 1,449
• Median household income: $161,719
• Owners: 97%
• Renters: 3%

"River Hills, Wisconsin, has a rich history as a summer and vacation home destination for wealthy Midwesterners. The town was once the site of a country club that held fox hunts and polo matches well into the 1960s. Today, the community is the only one in Milwaukee County that is zoned to be 100% residential."

Here is what the report had to say about Thiensville:

• Population: 3,157
• Median household income: $73,007
• Owners: 67%
• Renters: 33%

"Thiensville, Wisconsin, has historic areas with well-preserved homes dating back to the 1890s and early 1900s. A creek flows through the village's downtown area, contributing to its peaceful, bucolic atmosphere."

Here is what the report had to say about Shorewood Hills:

• Population: 2,277
• Median household income: $123,200
• Owners: 65%
• Renters: 35%

"Despite its small size, Shorewood Hills, Wisconsin, has several architecturally and historically significant points of interest. Among them a meeting house designed by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and bear-shaped mounds believed to have been built by the Mound Builders between A.D. 500 and 1500."

Here is what the report had to say about Nashotah:

• Population: 1,219
• Median household income: $100,625
• Owners: 94%
• Renters: 6%

"The name Nashotah comes from a Native American term meaning "Two lakes." And indeed, the town borders two beautiful lakes and is situated in Wisconsin's Lake Country. The town has a rich history as a railroad and stagecoach stop, and the state's oldest restaurant, the Red Circle Inn, was established in Nashotah in 1848."

Click here to see the best small towns in the Midwest.