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Hello, I am currently located in SW Idaho, remotely employed and considering moving elsewhere to try something new while I decide where I want to buy a first home. I visited Wisconsin for the first time last year during Spring turkey season and was immediately struck by how friendly and neighborly everybody was even in the suburbs (briefly spent some time in Sun Prarie)
I would greatly appreciate if anyone could help me decide:
1. if Wisconsin in general is a good fit for me
2. which part of the state best fits my stated needs and preferences
Deal Breakers:
- I am not interested living anywhere near significant violent and property crime, which for me includes anywhere "civil unrest" has been practiced in the past decade
- I work from my home office so reliable internet connection is mandatory
- I have heard alcohol abuse can be a major issue in this state; would want to avoid any area where this sort of thing would present a disproportionate safety risk (DUI's, etc)
Climate:
- I suspect anywhere in Wisconsin is going to be colder than anything I have experienced in Idaho, especially because I live in one of the warmer parts of ID; I would like to get clarification on the seasonal nuances of the different parts of the state ("lake effect" and snow volume, Northwoods vs Southern, dryer vs more humid, etc)
- That being said, I like the cold winters in SW Idaho; I hate the hot Summers here, so Summer humidity is probably my biggest concern with WI climate
- I can probably learn to live with ticks; how bad are mosquitoes and other flying pests, and is there any way to mitigate against them (besides copious peremethrin)?
Social:
- I am single in my late 20's and dating access is important, so abundance of interested, fit, single women in my age range is the primary demographic preference I have
- secondary preference would be a bias towards the smaller-end, relatively suburban and rural populations that meet the first requirement; I am not inclined towards "urban-ness" and big cities
- I have some acquaintance who live full time in the state and others who own property in a different part of the state; otherwise, I would prefer to live somewhere where I can build a social circle or find places to fit in socially with relative ease
Hobbies:
- Archery: ideally it would be nice to have access to an indoor range
- Fishing, Hunting, Camping: I understand some sacrifices would have to be made moving from Idaho but otherwise the more diversity the better; I have heard the DNR's Northern units are more opportune for black bear hunting but of course would also be interested in deer, turkey and whatever else is available throughout the state; potentially open to the Great Lakes areas but as long as I had access to walleye and other midwest staple fish, all would be well with me (in an ideal world, also trout)
Politics/ Culture:
- the biggest draw of this move would be the neighborliness I experienced while in the area
- I would strongly prefer to avoid anywhere where partisan political hostilities/ activism are part of everyday life
- that being said, looking to avoid areas characterized as "progressive", with bias towards areas that are independent, mixed or right-leaning
- I would be bringing some guns with me, so acceptance of that type of culture is important
Misc preferences:
- an international airport within a 3 hour drive would be mandatory, with 1.5-2 hours strongly preferable
Misc questions:
- How common is it to own a home in the Southern part of the state and a cabin/ recreational property in the North?
- I have never lived East of the Rockies, what else do I need to know?
I spent half of my life in Wisconsin but I left 30 years ago. Many people live in the southern part of the state and have cabins up north. Northern Wisconsin is more rural and is much colder with more snow. Lake Michigan is such a great asset and one of my favorite part of the state. The major airports in the area are in Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. If you’re in northern Wisconsin then obviously you would use the Minneapolis airport. For the southern part of the state you would use the other two.
The only city I can think of that is very liberal is Madison so you probably wouldn’t like it. Depending on what size city you’re looking for Kenosha has 100k population and is between Milwaukee and Chicago. It’s nice to be in a smaller city and yet driving distance to all the amenities of big cities. The amount of bugs varies depending on how wet the spring is. The more rain the more bugs.
You have quite the list there. I don’t actually think there is anyplace in the world, let alone Wisconsin, that would match 100% of your requirements. Something’s going to have to give for sure if you have your heart set on living here.
If it has to be Wisconsin, living in a smaller suburb and planning trips for hunting might be the best compromise. I sure wouldn’t recommend settling down in a rural area. There aren’t a lot of people in rural areas, period. That’s why they are rural. I think you can pretty much rule out rural areas if you are looking to build a social circle, get reliable internet, or locate an abundance of any single women whatsoever, much less those who are interested, fit and in your age range.
I don’t think Kenosha would be a good fit for someone who doesn’t want racial unrest. When I visited my sister there this past October, she drove me around some downtown areas that still look like war zones. https://www.npr.org/2020/09/02/90860...t-in-the-count
I wish you the best, and I hope this helps, but I can’t help thinking that although you would be welcome here, Wisconsin would probably not be the most felicitous fit for you.
You have quite the list there. I don’t actually think there is anyplace in the world, let alone Wisconsin, that would match 100% of your requirements. Something’s going to have to give for sure if you have your heart set on living here.
If it has to be Wisconsin, living in a smaller suburb and planning trips for hunting might be the best compromise. I sure wouldn’t recommend settling down in a rural area. There aren’t a lot of people in rural areas, period. That’s why they are rural. I think you can pretty much rule out rural areas if you are looking to build a social circle, get reliable internet, or locate an abundance of any single women whatsoever, much less those who are interested, fit and in your age range.
I don’t think Kenosha would be a good fit for someone who doesn’t want racial unrest. When I visited my sister there this past October, she drove me around some downtown areas that still look like war zones. https://www.npr.org/2020/09/02/90860...t-in-the-count
I wish you the best, and I hope this helps, but I can’t help thinking that although you would be welcome here, Wisconsin would probably not be the most felicitous fit for you.
I grew up in Kenosha and moved 30 years ago but go back frequently to visit family and friends. That civil unrest was one incident in all these years. Back in the 60’s when Milwaukee had a bunch of civil unrest Kenosha had none. It’s a nice smaller town with a great location right on Lake Michigan.
Any place in the state will be no more than a 3 hr drive from one of O'Hare/ Milw / Minneapolis.
Crime-- compared to my old home town Chicago, there is none. Madison TV apparently thinks "shots fired" (nobody is ever hit) is a newsworthy item.
Drinking- an over-rated problem. As my father used to say-- "Nothing good ever happens after midnight."
Social scene- the one pitfall to your plans. WI is hemorrhaging young people, limiting your chances. For us rural types, waving to neighbors as we drive past each other on the two lane is the extent of our social interaction.
Living east of The Rockies-- we have trees and water and no California Moonbeams.
I spent half of my life in Wisconsin but I left 30 years ago. Many people live in the southern part of the state and have cabins up north. Northern Wisconsin is more rural and is much colder with more snow. Lake Michigan is such a great asset and one of my favorite part of the state. The major airports in the area are in Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. If you’re in northern Wisconsin then obviously you would use the Minneapolis airport. For the southern part of the state you would use the other two.
The only city I can think of that is very liberal is Madison so you probably wouldn’t like it. Depending on what size city you’re looking for Kenosha has 100k population and is between Milwaukee and Chicago. It’s nice to be in a smaller city and yet driving distance to all the amenities of big cities. The amount of bugs varies depending on how wet the spring is. The more rain the more bugs.
Thank you for input. Genrally, airports are the only big-city amenity I am interested in, thank you for listing them. As far as the "wetness of spring" is concerned, do you mean how this measurement varies across regions within the state, or how it varies from year to year? I suspect both, but which is more significant?
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What does this mean? Can you be more specific?
Hmm this might be subjective and difficult to convey. My time in the area was brief but compared to what I am used to, people here were exceedingly friendly, open to conversation and did not appear to display any animosity/ suspicion towards outsiders. In general I've heard the midwest and southeastern states have friendlier/ more hospitable cultures (at least outside the largest cities/ transplant-heavy areas). I am not well traveled but I have been to enough new/ unfamiliar places out West to recognize the tone of being a stranger in the part of Wisconsin I was in was very different from what I am used to.
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I don’t actually think there is anyplace in the world, let alone Wisconsin, that would match 100% of your requirements.
That's how it is for everyone I think unfortunately.
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If it has to be Wisconsin, living in a smaller suburb and planning trips for hunting might be the best compromise.
I don't think it has to be Wisconsin, but as you noted no place is going to be perfect. I apologize if my wording was confusing, I think what you said in the quote here is what I am looking for, or even a medium-sized suburb. I just meant all else being equal, of all the cities/ towns/ regions that satisfied my highest-priority requirements, I'd prefer the smallest of those. Assuming what you say about Kenosha is true, I agree with your assessment.
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WI may well be the best state in the union for hunting/fishing/camping.
Maybe East of the Rockies (what with black bear not being over-the-counter). Muskie and walleye would be exciting. The liberal limits on whitetail seem nice. Turkey hunting was fun.
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Any place in the state will be no more than a 3 hr drive from one of O'Hare/ Milw / Minneapolis.
Great!
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Crime-- compared to my old home town Chicago, there is none. Madison TV apparently thinks "shots fired" (nobody is ever hit) is a newsworthy item.
Unfortunately I'm comparing to Ada County, Idaho which I think is a much higher bar.
Are there any sizeable suburbs in the driftless region or is it pretty remote?
OP, yes I was talking about how precipitation varies both by region and year. For instance we went in 2018 and rented a Airbnb in an old farmhouse on 10 wooded acres. We envisioned hiking with our big dog, using the kayak on their pond, cooking outside with friends, etc. Instead unknown to us they had a very rainy spring so when we arrived the end of June the mosquitoes were swarming during the day and we literally ran from our car to the door.
We couldn’t use any of the amenities and even the big dog was getting bit and didn’t want to be outside . It wasn’t as bad in town but still had to use citrella candles to sit outside during the day when usually you only need them at night. This was unusual but it does happen occasionally.
Hmm this might be subjective and difficult to convey. My time in the area was brief but compared to what I am used to, people here were exceedingly friendly, open to conversation and did not appear to display any animosity/ suspicion towards outsiders. In general I've heard the midwest and southeastern states have friendlier/ more hospitable cultures (at least outside the largest cities/ transplant-heavy areas). I am not well traveled but I have been to enough new/ unfamiliar places out West to recognize the tone of being a stranger in the part of Wisconsin I was in was very different from what I am used to.
I've lived for a while in both Idaho and Wisconsin. People are people. The following are concrete reasons you might prefer Wisconsin: cheaper real estate (but you should rent first), more green / less arid (unless you like the desert), experiencing a new region. If those aren't persuasive, I wouldn't make the move.
Side note: if your airport criteria could be relaxed, you might look into Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
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Are there any sizeable suburbs in the driftless region or is it pretty remote?
La Crosse, WI
Dubuque, IA
Rochester, MN (on the edge...)
You can look up the populations. None are large, but these are the only cities large enough to have suburbs. The driftless is pretty but remote (by Midwest standards, not West) and I don't think it makes much sense for you.
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(what with black bear not being over-the-counter). Muskie and walleye would be exciting. The liberal limits on whitetail seem nice. Turkey hunting was fun.
