May Be Moving to Madison, WI - - Need Advice

HI C. you are sooo lucky. I am a native Wisconsinite, went to the UW in Madison and would move back in a heart beat. It is a very friendly town and what others have said about it being progressive, "green", and political is correct. If you are into the outdoors, there is a ton to do. However, they also just built a new arts district and they are attracting quite a few shows and exhibits. I personally like the West side, but the east side near Sun Prairie has really expanded in recent years. Some friends on mine are selling their 3 bedroom house in the West side if you are interested. I think that the cost of living is slightly less than Chicago, but the salaries are similar. Win Win. Lots of people live in Middleton, which is right next to Madison and it was just voted number one city to live in Money Magazine. Have fun and please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

I lived in the country just Northwest of Madison for 3 1/2 years. Madison is a nice town. It has been named as a good city to raise a family a few years back. Just like Chicago you have some nicer area...take your time finding a place in a nice area ...you will have alot for your family to enjoy up there! Madison has some great events throughout the year...try looking up the events happening in Madison. It would be a nice way to get the feel of the city! Just stay true to the blue and orange!

Hi C.,

My brother and sister-in-law just moved to Madison WI after a good 12 years in Chicago. So far, they love it -- lots of parks, outdoor activities, and the lakes are beautiful. The cost of living is mouth-wateringly reasonable, especially when you're used to Chicago prices for housing. The housing market is excellent for buyers and horrible for sellers. There was a ton of inventory on the market when they were shopping for a house last spring. They got a nice 2500 sq. foot single family home for less than $400k. It's a pretty progressive place, so the city has been running extensive recycling programs since the 1970s. The farmer's market is awesome, with a lot of artisanal cheese producers. The biggest downside has been the ethnic food scene. It's hard to get good Chinese, Indian, sushi, etc. up there. All in all, it seems like a good place to raise a family.

Hope this helps.
D.

I too am a Chicago native, but I went to to school at UW-Madison and I loved it there! It is very similar to Chicago, only less crime and more political. It would be a great place to raise a family. We have really thought about moving there ourselves. It is the capital , but it is also a college town. I think both blend very well together. There is always something going on and it is a very "green" city. I would say the cost of living is probably a little less or equal to Chicago. It is only 2-3 hours away from Chicago so you would still be able to see your family.

Hi,

We relocated to WI (New Berlin) in Dec. 2005 from Chicago. It was a very bad experience for us because within a month of moving there for a new job for my hubby, he got fired and then we were stuck in WI with a beautiful affordable house, but no jobs... So by April 2006 we were back in Chicago. Let me tell you, you don't know how great a city Chicago is, till you move away from it.

Now that we are back here, we bought a house, my husband found a great job, and I don't want to go through this experience ever again.

We lost a lot of money in the process. So you need to be 100% sure before you leave your job and house to try a new life in a different state.

PS.: The income tax in WI is way higher than in IL. Check it out. :-)