When you say you’re from Wisconsin, it means something. We stay true to who we are, know what matters and do whatever it takes to get what we need to done. That’s how we’ve created such a diverse and interesting place to fulfill our souls and grow, and how we’re doing well across all aspects of life, career and business.
Discover all the areas in which Wisconsin excels below.
State for Food Processing
Business Facilities, 2022
State for Manufacturing Output (% of GDP)
Business Facilities, 2022
Best Manufacturing Hubs (Midsized MSAs)
Wausau and Oshkosh
Business Facilities, 2022
Best City for Veterans
Madison offers military veterans an affordable, friendly city with excellent quality of life.
WalletHub, 2021
Best High School Graduation Rate
93% of students graduated high school in 2020. The average graduation rate across the nation was 88.6%.
U.S. News, 2022.
for Cost of Doing Business in Wisconsin
Wisconsin has improved 6 points year over year in cost of doing business.
CNBC, 2022
Best Small City for Business
Appleton was ranked #1 best small city for business.
Chamber of Commerce, 2022
Best State for Long-Term Fiscal Stability
Wisconsin’s strong fiscal stability is important for ensuring the success of government-sponsored programs and projects and the quality of life for residents.
U.S. News, 2022
Labor Force Participation Rate
Wisconsin continues to outpace the nation with a rate 4.3 percentage points higher than the national rate.
WI Department of Workforce Development, 2022
Fortune 500 Companies Call Wisconsin Home
Northwestern Mutual, ManpowerGroup, Kohl’s, Fiserv, American Family Insurance, WEC Energy Group, OshKosh B’gosh, Rockwell Automation.
Chief Executive, 2022
Best State for Business Regulatory Environments
Our regulatory environment supports business development in Wisconsin.
Forbes, 2019
Manufacturing State
Wisconsin has 9,731 manufacturers employing 590,394 people.
Industry Select, 2022
Highest R&D Funding for a University
UW-Madison offers research opportunities in areas such as data science, biotechnology, genomic science and space science.
Best Colleges, 2022
Best City for Young Entrepreneurs (Milwaukee)
Milwaukee’s community of young entrepreneurs is among the largest in the country.
Entrepreneur, 2020
for Ease of Starting a Business
We support entrepreneurs, startups and small business owners at every stage.
Thumbtack Small Business Friendliness Survey, 2022
Most Educated Cities (Madison)
Madison’s population offers a large proportion of highly educated workers putting their degrees to work.
WalletHub, 2022
Tech Talent Leader (Madison)
Madison ranked high for its large tech talent pool for places where the labor pool is less than 100K.
Business Facilities, 2022
Employed in Aerospace Manufacturing Sector
A large number of Wisconsinites work for companies that directly support the aerospace manufacturing industry.
Infogroup, 2019
Companies Tied to Wisconsin’s Aerospace Sector
Companies identified through proprietary and public database sources and OEM qualified supplier lists.
2019
Best City to Launch Your Career (Milwaukee)
Milwaukee ranks well for affordable rent, good starting salaries and available opportunities.
LinkedIn, 2020
Best City for Gen Z to Live Well on a Budget (Madison)
Madison’s low cost of living and attractive amenities make it a top choice for Gen Z.
GOBankingRates, 2022
Best State to Find a Job
Wisconsin scored high for job-market strength, opportunity and a healthy economy.
WalletHub, 2022
Best City for STEM Jobs (Madison)
Madison scores high across professional opportunities, STEM-friendliness and quality of life.
WalletHub, 2022
Best State for Opportunity
Ranking high for affordability, economic opportunity and equality, Wisconsin offers opportunities for upward mobility to its residents.
U.S. News, 2022
Least Stressed State
Wisconsinites enjoy less stress in their day-to-day than other state populations.
WalletHub, 2022
Most Livable Small Cities (Oshkosh & Eau Claire)
Oshkosh and Eau Claire both scored well for their entertainment options, number of healthcare facilities and the low price of housing.
Smart Asset, 2022
Best Place to Live in America (Green Bay)
Green Bay’s perfect mix of big-city amenities and small-town life earned it the 3rd spot.
U.S. News, 2022
Most Caring City in the Country (Madison)
Madison’s residents scored high in caring for the community and vulnerable populations.
WalletHub, 2021
Best State for Education
Wisconsin values the education experience for its students.
U.S. News, 2022
Top-Ranked Research Universities
UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee are ranked R1 by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, two of only 146 universities in the U.S. to receive this designation.
American Council on Education, 2022
Best Hospitals
University of Wisconsin Hospitals were listed on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospital” rankings in 2020, placing 17 out of more than 45,000 hospitals analyzed.
U.S. News, 2020
Best State for Overall Health Care Quality
Wisconsin scored high across Medicare quality, hospital quality, nursing home quality and preventable hospital admissions.
U.S. News, 2020
Best Places to Live for Families
Green Bay is ranked 3rd and Madison is ranked 7th in the nation for Best Places to Live for Families.
U.S. News, 2022
Best State for Quality Public Schools
Wisconsin helps set students up for success through its top-ranked public school systems.
WalletHub, 2022
City for Child Opportunity
Madison ranks high again and again as a family-friendly city.
DiversityDataKids.com, 2020
Best College Football Town
Madison’s beautiful setting and great food and bar scene helped it take the top spot.
Sports Illustrated, 2019
in manufacturing employment as a percentage of workforce
Business Facilities magazine, July/August 2022
We Push the Boundaries of Theoretical and Applied Science
In Wisconsin, we prepare talent for the future. At more than $1 billion annually, our flagship University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks #8 in the U.S. for research spending; the University of Wisconsin System awards more than 36,000 degrees annually.
The First State to Develop a Technical College System
We have more than one hundred years’ experience training our workforce to fulfill ever-changing industry demands. So if you’re looking for some of the most highly skilled and job-ready employees in the world, simply look to Wisconsin.
Home to One of the Most Comprehensive Freshwater Education Programs
The School of Freshwater Sciences is the largest Great Lakes academic research institution and one of North America’s only graduate schools dedicated specifically to freshwater.
Lower Risk of Natural Disasters Equal Greater Rewards for Business
Natural disasters upset access to resources, supply chains and employees. Wisconsin’s remarkably low risk for every imaginable type of disaster helps assure business continuity.
Wisconsin Excels at Transportation Options
Our central North American location provides easy, one-day access to major U.S. markets with 12,000 miles of interstates and highways, eight commercial airports, thirteen railroad lines, two Great Lakes and the Mississippi River.
Top Rated by Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s
Wisconsin’s top ratings affirm the state’s stable and business-friendly environment.
of the world’s fresh water is along Wisconsin’s borders
The Great Lakes are one of the world’s largest surface freshwater ecosystems.
EPA, 2022
in the U.S. for medical imaging manufacturing
Lightcast 2022 Q4 Dataset
engineering degrees and certificates awarded in 2021
Lightcast 2022.4 Dataset using U.S. NCES IPEDS data
largest food companies in the world have operations in Wisconsin
Wisconsin 2022 Agricultural Statistics, DATCP
U.S. producer of cheese, cranberries, ginseng, snap beans for processing, and corn for silage
Wisconsin 2022 Agricultural Statistics, DATCP
Quadrillion Gallons of Groundwater
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
water technology companies
Analysis by The Water Council, developed under the supervision of Dr. Sammis B. White, emeritus professor of urban planning, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Farms in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics (Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, 2022)
Economic Impact of Agriculture
Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics (Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, 2021)
food and beverage companies
Lightcast Q4 2022 Dataset
jobs in the energy, power, and controls sector
Lightcast Q4 2022 Dataset
companies in the energy, power, and controls sector
Data Axle, 2023
biohealth industry jobs
Wisconsin Biohealth Industry Landscape and Economic Impact Report, prepared for BioForward Wisconsin by TEConomy Partners LLC, October 2022
biohealth industry companies
Wisconsin Biohealth Industry Landscape and Economic Impact Report, prepared for BioForward Wisconsin by TEConomy Partners LLC, October 2022
Economic Impact of Biohealth Industry
“Wisconsin Biohealth Industry Landscape and Economic Impact Report,” prepared by TEConomy Partners LLC for BioForward, 2020
In Research Spending at More than $1 Billion Annually
Our flagship University of Wisconsin-Madison ranks #8 in the U.S. for research spending.
National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey, 2019
manufacturing jobs
Lightcast 2022 Q4 Dataset
manufacturing companies
Lightcast 2022 Q4 Dataset
Highest Manufacturing Employment Concentration in the U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2019 Annual
Most Livable State Capitals
Madison ranked #1 of all 50 capital cities in the U.S.
Smart Asset, 2021
City To Live in U.S. (Madison)
Madison was ranked in the top 10 cities to live based on walkability, park access, diversity, housing costs and more.
Curbed.com, 2020
For Work-Life Balance
Madison ranked #1 city for work-life balance.
SmartAsset.com, 2020
Car-Free Medium Metro
Madison tied for #1 best medium-sized metro, and 8th best overall U.S. city to live car free.
Citylab.com, 2019
UW-Madison Ranked #8 in National Research Ranking
National Science Foundation, 2019
ACT Scores
Wisconsin tied for 3rd highest ACT scores “among 17 states where the majority of high school students take the ACT.”
StarTribune.com, 2019
Madison is #25 and Milwaukee #44 in the “Tech Talent Scorecard Ranking”
Our state has large populations of highly skilled workers leading global innovation.
CBRE Scoring Tech Talent in North America, 2019
Best Untapped Cities for Startups (Madison)
Madison scored well for access to talent, cost of doing business and venture capital activity.
Fundera, 2020
Technical College Campuses
There are 500+ technical degree programs to choose from in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Technical College System, 2019; Wisconsin Technical Colleges, 2019
Employed By Wisconsin Manufacturing Companies
Manufacturing accounts for 19% of Wisconsin’s GDP.
Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW, 2018; Bureau of Economic Analysis GDP, 2018
City Where Women Are Finding Great Success
Women here have an unemployment rate of just 1.60%, and almost 30% have a bachelor’s degree
SmartAsset, 2019
Best Places for Millennials to Move
Oshkosh, Sheboygan and Wausau cracked the top 10, with La Crosse/Onalaska, Appleton, Green Bay and Eau Claire close behind.
Reviews.org, 2019
States with Fully Funded Pension Plans
Wisconsin is proud to have a strong public pension system—one of the best funded in the country—which demonstrates our state’s commitment to its financial responsibilities.
Urban Milwaukee, 2021
Best State for Millennials
With career opportunities and lower cost of living, Wisconsin is catching the attention of younger generations.
WalletHub, 2022
Best Place to Live is In Wisconsin
Madison provides residents with affordable housing, great schools, excellent health care and a wide range of recreational activities and entertainment options.
Livability, 2022
State and Local Taxes
Both state and local taxes are at their lowest point in the past 50 years.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2021
Best Place to Raise a Family
Madison is ranked 9th in the nation for Best Places to Raise a Family.
WalletHub, 2022
for Manufacturing and Agriculture
A powerful corporate income tax credit is included in the state budget to encourage and strengthen manufacturing and agriculture in Wisconsin.
Technical Degree Programs
Wisconsin’s technical college system serves 1 out of every 8 adults.
U.S. Dept. of Education
Metro for Attracting Millennial Talent (Madison)
We’re bringing fresh minds to our state so they can bring fresh solutions to the world.
Business Facilities’ 2019 Metro Rankings Report
Best Critical Access Hospitals
Wisconsin’s “Critical Access Hospitals” (those in rural areas) were ranked 2nd Best in the Nation. They’ve been in the top 10 since 2015.
Health Resources & Services Administration, 2022
Greater Manufacturing Employment Concentration Than National Average
Our growing manufacturing industry has created opportunities for talented people in Wisconsin.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018
Music Festival in the World
Milwaukee’s Summerfest includes 9 days of fun, 800 bands and 800,000+ annual attendees.
Summerfest.com
Of Hiking Trails
Wisconsin is a hiker’s paradise, including the 1,200-mile long Ice Age trail.
Wisconsin DNR, 2021
Average Commute to Work
That’s 5 minutes shorter than the national average.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2022
in Paper Manufacturing Employment Concentration
Careers in conservation, sustainable practices and research are waiting to be filled with talented individuals.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018
Papermaking State in the U.S.
In Wisconsin, we’re maintaining the health of our forests and the economy.
American Forest & Paper Association, 2018
in International Forest Product Exports
Our forest products industry is focused on using our economical resource responsibly.
U.S. Census trade dataset via WISERTrade, 2018
International partnerships
Wisconsin’s global water hub has relationships with partner organizations in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, and the UK.
The Water Council
in Job Market Strength
Wisconsin is ripe with opportunities for passionate people to make an impact.
WalletHub, 2021
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