[TRlaura]

Originally Posted by Kieran Keating

Similarities:

B, Madison has always been nice, kind of a hipster haven, and the smaller cities such as Kenosha, Appleton, Lax, and Green Bay have always done well economically and are very livable. Michigan's cities are not only some of the worst in the Midwest but also the worst in the country. Detroit, Flint, Lansing, Saginaw, Pontiac, and Muskegon are bastions for crime and deep poverty. .

Lax? Where would that be?

[hooligan]

Originally Posted by ram2

Wisconsin has a real NFL team.

[Republic of Michigan]

Originally Posted by TRlaura

Lax? Where would that be?

La Crosse. It's kind of like Battle Creek in size.

[TRlaura]

Originally Posted by Republic of Michigan

La Crosse. It's kind of like Battle Creek in size.

Thanks. I live in Wisconsin and am familiar with La Crosse but have never seen it abbreviated to Lax. I first thought of the airport.

[Frozen Sky]

If you're looking to move to the city move to WI where you have nicer cities, if you're wanting to move to the country and have a job that isn't dependent on location, such as running an online store or digital design, then northern MI or the UP where you have lots of beaches and more forest and scenery.

[michigan83]

This is an interesting thread. But I have also seen many inaccurate statements. The worst being “Michigan has better roads.”

[reverberation]

Michigan has more people (#10th most populous State vs. 20th). Michigan has a more powerful economy (#14th largest State GDP vs. 21st). Michigan has more forested areas (#19 vs. #28), Michigan has a LOT more natural beauty, and it's far more varied. Michigan is a bit warmer. Michigan has what is usually ranked in the top 3 most educated cities in the nation (Ann Arbor), and has what is regularly ranked as one of the best - often the best - public university on earth. In terms of large cities, the Detroit metro area is much larger, has far more people, has better Arts, has historically been far more innovative and advanced on a global scale, and is more culturally diverse than Wisconsin's equivalent (Milwaukee). Has a weird love-hate relationship with cities (depending on the MI denizen you talk to), due to Detroit falling from being the Silicon Valley of the world back in its heyday, down to what it is today.

Wisconsin has a bit less snow. WI has RADICALLY cheaper auto insurance (Michigan is the most expensive in the US, and every MI politician has failed miserably to fix this). Madison - Wisconsin's version of Ann Arbor - is larger in population than Ann Arbor and is also the State Capitol. Milwaukee, while also rough (just behind Flint, MI for crime ratings) is safer than Detroit (Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): Milwaukee 13.5 vs Detroit's 19.5). Also, as a State, Wisconsin has less violent crime: #30 vs. #13. Though this might bother some MN and WI people, WI is kind of like a less educated Minnesota, with a good deal more of that quaint Midwestern small town middle America thing going on than Michigan (UP excepting).

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by Misty108

How would you describe the differences (socially and culturally)?

From my perspective as someone from northern Illinois who has spent a significant amount of time in both Michigan and Wisconsin, and who strongly prefers Michigan, I believe that Michigan and Wisconsin (Illinois too, for that matter) are very similar socially and culturally. However, I see Michigan as more cosmopolitan and more high-profile than Wisconsin. Michigan has a larger population and Detroit is a major global city—Milwaukee is not—it's strong connection with Chicagoland notwithstanding. I think that filters down to the personality of Michiganders and overall feel of the state. Wisconsinites, while not rubes, seem to be more middle and working class in outlook than Michiganders who come from a greater variety of backgrounds.

[ram2]

Originally Posted by reverberation

Milwaukee, while also rough (just behind Flint, MI for crime ratings) is safer than Detroit (Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents): Milwaukee 13.5 vs Detroit's 19.5).

Milwaukee is still a livable city, unlike Detroit.

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by ram2

Milwaukee is still a livable city, unlike Detroit.

There are about 670k people living in Detroit, more than 2/3 of who live above the federal poverty level. There are 590k people living in Milwaukee, which also has a declining population, and about 1 in 5 of them live at or below the federal poverty level. In other words, both cities have significant problems with crime, despair, and decay. However, the majority of the population in both cities have acceptable living standards. Granted, I think Milwaukee is a more stable and put together city. However, Detroit has stable and revitalized areas as well. I'm not sure how COVID-19 is going to impact those revitalization efforts longer term. Even so, that is an issue that every major city in the Western world is grappling with.