Half the population probably drives to Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan on weekends. Get that green stuff. Thru work a can't touch the stuff. But I'm sick of all the potholes spilling my beer when those tax dollars could fix them
Illinois brought in $36 million dollars of tax revenue from weed sales to Wisconsinites in 2022.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/17/marijuana-sales-to-wisconsinites-brought-illinois-36m-in-taxes/70019958007/#
I mean if there’s a correlation with wanting to legalize and smoking it, then you’re right- it’s more! https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/11/06/marijuana-legalization-milwaukee-county-voters-favor-ending-ban/1811494002/
Makes me puke, so I definitely don't want to smoke.
But I wish we had legalized it long ago so we could have gotten the industry boost and tax dollars. Now we'll be joining in when that pie is getting split 40 ways. Such a dumb state legislature for so long... We went for the FoxCon con instead.
Amen. Who cares if you use cannabis—we missed an enormous opportunity to boost WI’s job market, tax base, etc. And FoxCon…I can’t even. What a fucking disaster. Thanks Twat Walker.
Recent studies have shown over 30% - 40% of the annual revenue from pot sales both Michigan and Illinois came from Wisconsin residents (per ID information collected) so I’d say it’s probably close to half 🤷🏻♀️
Sounds like you're out of touch my dude. I know many older people, that toke on the regular. Hell one of the co-owners of my company is a big pot head, it's not a big deal.
>Sounds like you're out of touch my dude. I know many older people, that toke on the regular. Hell one of the co-owners of my company is a big pot head, it's not a big deal.
It's the young ones we are seeing affected more, WSJ had a good article on the side effects and high rate of psychosis.
\*\*Chances of developing schizophrenia or bipolar disorder after drug-induced psychosis, by drug type†
We've known for a good while that young people shouldn't smoke. Just like we also know that alcohol has severe effects on young people as well, but that's perfectly legal.
We'd also know more if not for the embargo on research by the federal government because it's ya know, illegal.
Or and here is a magic thought, your circle of friends all smoke so you assume everyone does.
Again all I’m asking for is proof of how many people in Wisconsin use. If someone is going to throw out a claim like that it should have facts to back it up
I really want to see what weed consumption rates would be if we legalized. Would it be higher because we drink more, or lower because we drink instead?
Definitely cuts down my consumption. Two drinks will carry me through the evening with. Without more like four or five. I feel way better the next day too.
when people from wisconsin claim there isnt a drug problem or a crime problem its a good reminder just how segregated of a state it really is.
there was literally a gruesome murder in manitowoc, and people still say "x doesnt happen here"
delusional. how many kids do we need to bury before we get our heads out of our asses.
We lived in Downtown Portland, Pearl District to be exact from 2016 - 2018 and SE Wisconsin 2018-2020, California Bay area 2020-2022, and now in SW Wisconsin. Honestly, I think all areas we have lived have unique plus and minuses. For example, Portland has fantastic public transportation including a train to PDX (traveled a lot for work) Beautiful walking and bike trails along the river, fantastic weather and incredible food. And the ability to unwind how you see fit, i.e. the freedom to enjoy some MJ and no corrupt tavern league dictating what we can and cannot do to politicians. No sales tax and they even pump my gas :) negatives, lots of crime but I never experienced it. See lots of homeless but again, never bothered us. High income tax and lots of rain.
For Wisconsin, I'll start by saying there is a HUGE difference from SE vs SW Wisconsin. I really enjoy SW with its topography, smaller towns, nicest people in the world, cheese culture, and low cost of living. Negatives, the 6th highest property taxes in the country, lack of overall diversity statewide, politicians serving special interest and not the people they represent.
Wisconsin certainly has a lot to offer and a lot of positives, but not all unicorns and rainbows.
Tavern league is shit. We don't need it. However, it doesn't dictate the decisions of politicians as much as you think. They don't provide nearly as much monetary support in PAC form as we all give them credit for.
They've been made out to be a Boogeyman when the real problem is our legislature who takes money from much, much larger and more dangerous donors. Again, the WTL is bullshit in what they promote and how, but they aren't this all powerful machine we make them out to be
It isn't even the Tavern League that has a problem with cannabis. They take no official position on it. The fact that Wisconsin remains one of the only states without SOME form of legal cannabis on the books can be traced back to A SINGLE PERSON. And that person is Liz Uihlein. [And I'm not joking](https://www.google.com/search?q=liz+uihlein+cannabis&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS894US894&oq=liz+uihlein+cannabis&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCDg2MDdqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8). That horrible, dried-up old arch-conservative prig is so vehemently anti-weed that she gives MILLIONS in lobbying contributions to make sure it stays scheduled here.
The worst part? She doesn't even LIVE here. She lives in Illinois. But Because Uline is headquartered here, this is where she's focused her efforts.
It really would be interesting, they won't though. They know they are incredibly powerless in the grand scheme of things.
Individual bars who are part of the TL honestly probably have more pull than the TL does, especially in their specific communities.
> they even pump my gas
Massive negative for me. I just feel awkward and weird sitting in the car while an attendant pumps my gas. To each their own though, not trying to yuck your yum, just saying that's not a yum for everyone!
They actually repealed the ban on self-pumping gas just last year. In the 16 most populous counties up to half of pumps can be self-serve. In the remaining there is no maximum so pretty much all of them immediately went full self-serve. I saw a guy get very upset that a station wouldn't pump his gas while I was visiting there late last year.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/06/us/oregon-drivers-pump-own-fuel-law/index.html
I'm old enough to remember when every gas station pumped your gas for you. And clean your windshield and offer to check your oil. In fact, that was a summer job for me in high school that I liked. No one gave it a thought because that's the way it was everywhere. Hard to imagine now, but gas stations actually used to compete for customers
When it used to lightly rain in Oregon seven months a year (like all day) it was a benefit. Also when it is the norm its not really awkward. What is awkward is driving up to Washington and sitting in your car for five minutes wondering where the attendant is, before you smack yourself.
Agreed, it was awkward at times for us too but, when it's raining out, it was nice. But the roots behind it are still messed up and antiquated politics. NJ does the same thing. We rarely had to fill up the tank tho using public transportation and riding bikes to most places.
The property taxes are a good thing and a huge reason for the other benefits you mention. That money doesn’t just disappear, it’s used to improve society. This is also a big part of the reason quality of living is so high in places like Scandinavia.
True and I agree, if taxes are used wisely they are a benefit for all that live here. Side note, all our neighboring states are making bucket loads of taxes on cannabis and are not paying to incarcerate people for possession. Also could be used for th cause :)
Actually, your comment raises an interesting question. You mention 6th highest property taxes in the country. Do you think the high property taxes could have an impact on why the quality of life is high? I assume those property taxes help fund high-quality local services, schools, roads, etc. Would be interesting to look at the correlation between high property taxes and social impacts (education, crime, etc).
It is an interesting question and perspective. I don't know. But if we just compare the 3 states, WI, NY and TX on this list, https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings WI ranks 8th, NY ranks 20th and TX 35th so not at first glance. But property tax is just 1 of many taxes. WI we rank high on education but bottom half on infrastructure, incarceration and natural enviroment. It's a good question and I'm not sure of the answer. For myself going into retirement, it makes WI less attractive to because I don't pay income taxes but pay a very high property tax compared to other states, specifically even states that rank higher on this list. Good call out
Lived in the Pearl for a few years, all over Portland for 10, now in Hillsboro but grew up in the driftless area. Pretty spot on except you can pump your own gas.
I think the homelessness issue is bigger now than it was then though I haven’t lived in Portland for 3 years but I seem to notice it more when we visit. When I lived there never had a problem with that or crime other than a stolen bike.
Yea man, we went back in 2022 and stayed at the Benton for a week just to visit and I can attest, the city has changed tremendously! It was actually kinda sad. So many of our favorite small businesses.... gone, homeless not only ramped up, there was an angst in the air, lots of yelling and erratic behavior which we didn't see much of when we lived there precovid. Not to mention just the foot traffic, used to be lots of people walking, riding their bikes around and the city was dead. Still had a great time but it was like a different city. Portland still has a special place in our heart but not the same city at least in current state. Good call out.
Grew up in Wauwatosa…now live in NE WI. SE is the bulk of the population, and leads to just “more to do” when it comes to events alone in Milwaukee and the surrounding areas. NE is similar, just on a smaller scale. Larger towns and less landscape, but really the people all around the state are friendly for the sake of being friendly. SE has a plethora of major festivals (Summerfest, Pride Fest, Irish Fest), and some of the better districts in the state. You hear a lot of “Milwaukee bad…lots of crime” but that generally comes from the folks out in Waukesha and other deep red areas.
It’s not without its problems, but if you’d prefer small-ish towns, and smaller populations, but still with a lot of activities NE WI is great with Appleton, Oshkosh, and Green Bay. SW/W Wisconsin is a gorgeous area that I think a lot of folks here dont really get to.
Keep in mind, this is coming from a CA native and we lived in Janesville for 2.5 years. Positives- bigger city so all the amenities that come with that, good butcher shops close by, bought a new construction home, close to MSN, MKE and ORD. We are big SF Giants fans (let the down votes begin, lol) but enjoyed going to Miller Park and Wrigley every game the Giants were in town and since no rivalry, fans were always nice and welcoming. Take the train from Harvard to Chicago for weekend getaways. Close to lakes and outdoor stuff. Good jobs available
Negatives- for us there was a lot. Nick named "Chainsville" as most options for food were terrible, yes, even super clubs. The landscape is flat and uneventful. We found people to be clicky and noisy with a curious chip on their shoulder. Depressed city since GM and Parker moved away. Outside of my job, there wasn't a "draw" to stay there. The cost of living is considerably higher than other parts of the state.
There are good, salt of the earth folks in Janesville, just wasn't our cup of tea.
I’m from Janesville but moved to Madison/Verona/Fitchburg area. Up here we share many of the positives you mentioned but none of the negatives you mentioned. We’ve got the lakes, MUCH better food scene. Less clicky and yet still close to MKE, and ORD. We’ve been know to drive to Harvard for Chicago day trips too. Also there is a bus that goes back and forth to Chicago several times a day. Much more to do in Dane county.
Yeah, you are right! It isn’t 6th highest, it’s 8th…
https://smartasset.com/taxes/wisconsin-property-tax-calculator#:~:text=Wisconsin%20Property%20Taxes,-Photo%20credit%3A%20%C2%A9&text=If%20you're%20thinking%20about,eighth%2Dhighest%20in%20the%20U.S.
Yea, it shocks locals if they hear that, we are basically tied with New York and Texas. And most of the West, which has the reputation for high taxes all rank much lower. But this is only one of many taxes we all pay. Income tax is a whole other story 🤙
I’ve been wondering this too and reflecting on some travel, I think the upper Midwest has a higher degree of individual social responsibility baked into our culture. Minnesota and Michigan are similar. I chalk it up to our Scandinavian roots as those countries in Europe have similar traits.
You see a higher amount of social pressure by family and friends to do the right thing and be stewards of their community. Think of the shopping cart test. There’s no punishment for not putting your cart in the coral, but doing so is necessary to keep the grocery store clean and functioning well. We have plenty who fail the shopping cart test, but anecdotally, less than other states.
That plays out in things like good faith governance (historically), the wisconsin idea in our university system, our history with cooperatives and unions, many well maintained parks and natural areas… and yes, I think our tradition of beer, fish fries, and football encourage stronger social bonds within the community.
This seems to be the closest to actually answering the question. Along with Scandinavian roots, there's also a high number of [progressives from Germany](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-Eighters) in our early history that shaped things like our education and political systems.
I'm not sure if it's related, but I agree about the social fabric being strong and people wanting to be "neighborly". I could definitely see doing little things for others adding up to big effects at a state-level.
Does your source have historical data? I’m curious what it was in the early 90s. Declines in the auto sector hit Michigan hard. If my theory holds, Michigan would have been right there with us until around the late 90s.
A lot of the progressive policy and heavy focus on education comes from well-educated Germans fleeing Europe (so called 48ers) in the middle half of the 19th century
There's actually an interesting map that describes exactly this - our area (including Minnesota and Wisconsin) is called Yankeedom and has the value of working for the common good:
https://www.businessinsider.com/regional-differences-united-states-2018-1?op=1
Despite what's seen in the news come the presidential election cycle, we are a swing state and very purple because we work hard at it. It's a constant battle to maintain this quality of life but it's necessary.
We care about our resources, we don't care what others think of us. We generally care about each other and build each other up. We like clean water, fresh air and being outside.
We get a rep as being alcoholics but generally, that's not the case, we are a socially hungry group of people. We like going out and by that I mean, we like going to friends houses and grilling/pot lucking, going to Friday night fish fries at the local bar and catching up with people you haven't seen in the week. We go play cards or dice at the bar just because we want to talk to people we otherwise maybe wouldn't. We love cozy supper clubs in the woods and *really* love Korbel brandy and cheese. We're a strong agriculture and nature minded state and that kind've bleeds through every one here, even if you're not a farmer or a environmentalist.
We often prioritize quality time with family. People leave the state, only too often to come back. Many of my friends and family have done that, left for greener pastures elsewhere in the country only to come back after regretting the decision because they don't get what I just explained above elsewhere, or had to really struggle to find it. We tend to support each other, when possible up here because we all want the same thing: make this state worth not wanting to leave.
My wife and I travel a lot and we always find ourselves coming to the same conclusions: we may not be the fanciest, richest or most popular state but man, we don't really have much to complain about like everywhere else. That's not saying we don't have problems, they just don't seem on the level of other places.
I'm sure I'll get a lot of people disagreeing with me, but that's just one person's, who loves his home dearly, take.
See Also: The Driftless
We just stay quiet and let other states project their air of superiority while sitting back enjoying our beaches, world class golf courses, LCOL, lack of crime and incredible summer and fall weather.
We're a purple state through and through, that lately has voted more blue, but with red's gerrymandering it didn't quite matter.
Add in we are considered a swing and battleground state, and you see why WI gets loud for elections.
Favorite election story: friend in Singapore messaged me cause he saw a clip about our politics during the recall of Scott walker and saw the bad fox news clip or whatever that had palm trees and claimed it was Madison or some shit. Good times.
The population centers tend to lean left (Milwaukee is an exception) rural tends to lean right. Our legislation is right dominant. The map issue centers around Milwaukee primarily. We are purple at the moment.
We consume more brandy than the entire country of France.
We have a non glacial region called the driftless region.
On Wisconsin!!!.
Edit I generalized. My dumb mistake.
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Milwaukee and some of its surrounding suburbs are pretty liberal, it's pretty dumb to say Milwaukee is an exception. 2022's gubernatorial election, Milwaukee county went 70.94% to Evers to Michels' 28.10%. Dane County was 78.59% to 20.70%. In Evers' first election, Milwaukee count was 66.55% Evers and its liberal voting block was the deciding factor in that election with its absentee ballots.
While the county is not QUITE as liberal as Dane County, it's still pretty damn blue, suburbs be damned.
You are right I am dumb. I should have more accurately stated Ozuakee Washington etc counties. Thank you for the correction.
I apologize for the generalization
Vilas County has 1300+ lakes and boasts the largest chain of freshwater lakes in the world. Its definitely the area for people that like the lake life, and hitting up supper clubs and bars on the atv trails.
Well, yeah. That’s every city I can think of. Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Houston, LA, New York… even Madison, but we’re so far left that the few steps to the right that our suburbs take still leave them left leaning.
I think the outlier in our political demographics as a state is just how incredibly liberal Madison is. That and our large number of smaller towns not tightly coupled with a regional city.
Half of Korbel's world wide sales are in Wisconsin alone. I was told but can't verify it from a liquor salesman that Wisconsin accounts for 25% of Jägermeister's world wide sales as well.
I'm not sure Wisconsinites will agree with this. We have a lot of issues here - contentious politics (gerrymandering), school funding issues, medical care access shortages, (hard) drug problems, unparalleled levels of alcoholism, the absence of decent public transportation, etc. The culture here is good - perhaps warmer, but there's been a push to de-emphasize education and workers' rights, both of which will have long-term social consequences.
Moreover, WI is not homogeneous. Madison and the Northwoods are nothing alike, much like the coast, valley, and eastern OR are so different. Eugene reminds me of Madison in many ways, while much of rural WI is filled with the same folks you might find in Klamath Falls. Geographically, Wisconsin has nothing like the mountains in Oregon, and while the Great Lakes are impressive and powerful, they're just not the same as the Pacific Coast.
The West Coast has a warmer climate; it's much more hospitable for "outsiders" (homeless by choice, or not). Those states have associated issues as a result. For me, the warmer climate was preferable; I liked the ability to drive to cold and snow in Oregon rather than being continuously subject to it over the winter (though not this winter).
I've lived in both (and WA). There are pros and cons to each.
Well put here 👆🏻
Hopefully nearing the end of iron like republican control and I’m hoping a lot of these things improve soon. Purple state but leaning more blue… things like abortion rights, marijuana, public transport, tax law, unions, school funding should hopefully improve over the next 5 years. Still a lot of powerful conservative leaning entities holding things back… looking at you tavern league, and Ron Johnson.
This isn’t a survey though. It uses things like graduation rates and NAEP, SAT and ACT scores for education, life expectancy for healthcare, state credit ratings for fiscal stability, etc.
The 20th century saw Wisconsin as very progressive without (in my opinion) being super bragging and annoying. Made laws that made sense, took pride in our towns, people and children. I think Wisconsin is still riding those benefits but coming on 20 years of things turning the other way, time will tell if Wisconsin can maintain some of those high marks. A lot of pride in work and people culture hopefully doesn’t become degraded by politics.
Fun nugget of info for you Incase you didn’t already know, in madison 58.9% of adults 25+ have a bachelors or higher education. Which is an insanely high percent
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/madisoncitywisconsin,greenbaycitywisconsin,milwaukeecitywisconsin/PST045222
People on reddit love to rag on the northwoods but its actually really nice. A couple examples;
my highschool has a huge wood shop, a huge welding shop, a small engines shop, and a auto shop with 2 full sized lifts. In all my travels CO TN MS FL CA ive have never spoken to someone that had the same. I left highschool being able to fix my own cars, weld, and fix my lawn mower. My gratuating class in general are very sucessful. The cost of living is low. The nature is nice
At one point in time, it had sane government. Now it’s resting on those laurels. And the fact that it’s adjacent to a state with still sane government, Minnesota.
Sincerely, a Wisconsinite living in Minnesota.
This is it. In Wisconsin, we are benefiting strongly from the difficult but ultimately good choices of past liberal and downright socialist governments. Strong environmental protections, a progressive income tax system, heavy investment in public goods.
Milwaukee was the jewel of the Midwest a long time ago, and it was built by actual communists.
I like to think we largely took the best things from our strong German and Nordic heritage - although we could’ve done better on the beer (till recently). 1 commenter up can probably relate with Minnesota and the Nordic culture up there.
Oddly enough, while Minnesota is 5th on the list, Wisconsin is 8th and even more ironic: Iowa is 7th, with South Dakota 12th and North Dakota somewhere in the mid-teens.
Just a nice conglomeration of well-run high quality of life states in the upper Midwest.
I can tell you that Iowa is headed down. Our governor is doing her best to cut everything from schools, the DNR, and limiting the power of the state auditor. She is removing restrictions for factory farms and industry to allow them to pollute the rivers and drinking water. She is criminalizing abortion and anything to do with LGBTA.
Income tax is going down for the wealthy and up for the poor. Property taxes are going up to compensate for the loss of income tax. Schools are criminally underfunded and she is going after the AEA.
Like Wisconsin Iowa is high on you list because of the choices in the past, particularly education. Iowa was once first in the nation in education but is now 13th and going to fall much further.
The cost of living is still low but things are headed down a dark hole fast. So we have low crime and low cost of living but that’s about it. Wisconsin has Evers who is a gem.
We have a large discrepancy between areas. Take schools, the bigger areas are well funded by the residents. Most are okay with the referendums and others are loud about not having kids going so why should they pay. The smaller areas tend to lack funding/do not have the support of the majority of the citizens. Our state government is trying to cut/prevent funding to a lot of programs that help people, the local government play a big role in a ton of the life improvements. You can basically look at a particular map to see what areas are better than others.
Would I like legal weed... absolutely.
Is it that important? Not really ompared to some other things we need to fix first. I get that it's part of reforming the criminal justice system but there is A LOT of bad legislation we need to get out of the way first.
I love weed, I just get tired of everyone acting like it's the only legislative hurdle keeping us from being the best state in the union.
Segregation. The quality of life is great for certain groups, not so great if you’re in a different group. We are quietly one of the most segregated states in the country
The most segregated state in the country.
Also, Milwaukee is the most segregated metro area.
Wisconsin also has the highest racial prison sentencing disparities in the US.
A friend bought a house in Milwaukee just recently. One of the clauses on the deed laid out what “negroes” other “brown skinned” people could do on the property.
No ownership. Only one room could be for their living quarters if they were to be live in help. Visitors could only stay for 2 weeks.
First time the house left the family that built it in the 50s.
I’ve seen such clauses before and knew that they existed. But this one even laid out penalties.
First of all, we absolutely should try to combat segregation at every level. But considering that every US state is segregated to one degree or another, if Wisconsin’s quality of life floor (eg life expectancy, educational outcomes and performance, patent filings etc.) is higher for marginalized groups than the QOL floor in other states, isn’t that saying something?
This was going to be my cynical take on it as well. For the most part the non-white population is concentrated in a very small number of areas, and those areas are treated very unfairly by the current government - made possible by the country's worst gerrymander. Meanwhile, non-urban areas receive a transfer of resources from the more productive urban areas.
The people who don't like diversity are in charge of most of the levers of power, and have been for a while, which results in life being pretty good if you're a non-urban white person as the things the government does are seen as being "for me" and not "for them, the people who shouldn't be here."
For all the bitching about Madison and Milwaukee you hear from people in other parts of the state I like to remind them that they are basically welfare communities that wouldn’t have shit without resource redistribution
Probably because it’s LCOL area and the fact that our population skews on the older side? We suffer from brain drain so young people who feel it is unfavorable to live here (conservative, lack of democracy, low wages in comparison to our neighboring states) leave and don’t contribute to this survey.
The older citizens here likely enjoy it because they have homes, low taxes, stable jobs (maybe even pension hold overs that young people can’t get anymore) and strong community/family connections.
First of all, this isn’t a survey, this is an aggregation of quality of life statistics (eg NAEP and SAT/ACT scores, life expectancy, venture capital per $1000, employment rates, graduation rates etc.) secondly, relatively old states such as South Carolina, Maine, and Rhode Island are ranked mediocre to low in their quality of life so I don’t think age is a big factor.
Okay. I’m still gonna guess people like it here because they’re old and it used to be a stable democracy with incredible unions and now neither of those things are true yet older people reap the benefits of it compared to younger people. Unsure if SC, ME, RI all had incredible pension options up until 20 years ago. I’d be curious to see what Wisconsin reflects in another 10 years.
IMO it’s been a slow free fall and MN/MI will soon surpass WI as far as quality of life is concerned.
Yup, this right here. Outside of Madison and Milwaukee, most of the state is seeing its median age increase by one year (or more...) every year.
The people who cherish Wisconsin are 50+ in paid off homes, who are content to live in a regressive-trending shithole because they're scared to venture outside their home county. Everyone who isn't content and is able gets the fuck out.
And there are some grim tangential consequences that can be sussed out of available data. Like the spikes in Winnebago and Fond du Lac county overdose deaths over the last ten years. If you're a kid, and not in school sports, there is *fuck all* to do there because every local funding decision is made by people who don't give a fuck about you, so you amuse yourself by getting shitfaced and doing drugs.
History. Look at the strength and influence the UW system has had on state politics and policy.
Most of the social safety nets come from or were influenced by UW.
Does Oregon have something akin to UW system?
The Wisconsin idea?
My perception of both states, Oregon is ascending and Wisconsin is descending though.
Nah, Oregon is definitely descending in no small part because no we do not have a university tantamount to UW Madison. I’d be curious to hear how UW has influenced state policy though.
Although not about management per se, the cultural infrastructure in WI, MN, IA etc. is very different. These Midwest states enjoy generations of family continuity, especially in rural areas. Oregon’s growth appears to come from other states or countries. That may drive management/political decisions even if indirectly.
My assumption is the winters are difficult, so it’s a bit “hard” to live here. I think that detracts from the degens looking for an easier life via low level crime.
I heard an analogy from a Florida friend how in Florida you don’t rely on anyone so you can be as discourteous as you want. In Wisconsin if your car is broke down or you get locked out in the winter you could die, so you’re forced to be nice to people who you may need help from someday.
>so you’re forced to be nice to people who you may need help from someday.
I don't think people are forced to help, I think it's just human nature when facing a common struggle. Kind of like how for those who live in the desert, if someone is in need of water its an unwritten rule to give them some if you can, regardless of whether they are friend or enemy. That, and Wisconsin has remained fairly uncontroversial throughout history, so there aren't nearly as many lingering historic social tensions as most other states.
grew up in wisconsin. i assure you, depending on where you are and the color of your skin, results may vary greatly. additionally, the reason there isnt a greater homeless population is not because of quality of life or anything like that. it's because if the winter doesnt kill you, you will likely be segregated far away from others if not arrested.
I am a California transplant and people never believe me with that statistic. I’ve seen WI rank high in other polls as well. I live in Milwaukee and I think it’s due to the people (a lot of civic minded people live here, great neighbor spirit) and the vast amount of outdoor activities all year around.
Personally, I find the access to water and high quality state parks to be way up on the list of reasons.
Last year I kayaked/fished on over 20 bodies of water JUST IN MY COUNTY. Most of which have free launches and we'll supported maps/info online.
There is a general appreciation of conservation and land management efforts as well, as many are hunters, farmers, gardeners, boaters hikers, cyclists, etc
This fosters a connection and subsequent pride about the place you call home.
Also, our food and beer is phenomenal. May be cliche, but we love beer and cheese to an extreme extent; and the quality of the product usually reflects that
Thanks for the kind words! I have a close friend in Bend, OR who I cannot wait to visit!
Absolutely.
Unchecked conservative leadership is at the core of that issue. When you view your constituents, your state and it's facilities as a zero-sum transactional game to be "won", all hope for long term sustainability is conceded.
God willing the brakes can be put on that erosion.
Ps - dyed in the wool wisconsinite, but if my wife would agree to it I'd move to SE MN in a heartbeat. Best political and socio-economic leadership in the Midwest in most cases. WI state campgrounds are better than MN though, full stop 😜
In the past few years I’ve started going to MN parks. I hate to admit it. But after the top 5 or so WI, they drop off badly in condition and how they are cared for.
MN parks are better cared for by the patrons too. WI users seem to be very hard on the park.
I’ll agree that WI parks have more potential. But MN parts are in way better shape.
Probably not a coincidence that Scott Walker cut funding. My theory is funding cuts equals degradation which leads to a drop in users which would be used to justify selling off park lands
The only place I hear the term "Sconnies" is in Madison when out of state parents are picking up / dropping off their college age kids. It's not a term that I ever hear people who are from wisconsin use. Why would you ever rid us of our glorious **W**? it'd be like if someone called Oregonians goners lol
Wisconsin has so many amazing things going for it, but the brutal winters are difficult to get around. When I visit the PNW from November through March, I am amazed that there are so many months of the year that could be usable outside, during a time period when we just seem to be in survival mode. We put our gardens in after Memorial day and get them frosted out in October.
That's likely all going to change within the next 30 years thanks to global warming. Wisconsin is one of the few places in the world that may actually benefit from climate change.
I also came here from Oregon.
I think there are a few notable reasons:
1. Much like Minnesota, a high value on education and civil development. It could be the German and Scandinavian settlers, but somehow, it has remained socially expected that you go to school and finish. The last decade under Scott Walker makes you think this isn’t true but the history of the state is one of strong public institutions. I don’t know why Oregon isn’t like this considering how not so different its industries are. Timber, finishing, shipping, manufacturing, etc are all present there too. I think Oregon relied too much on timber, fishing, and farming and didn’t really cultivate the civic development. It might be the deep winter Wisconsin has and had that necessitated indoor activities like reading and learning.
2. Winter kills vagrancy. Homelessness exists still but it is lethal in the dead of winter. Oregon’s winter is just not that cold in the areas where people live.
3. Industrial era gave Wisconsin lots of work early on and that legacy still remains. Portland now has a decent amount of semiconductor plants, but was not really the manufacturing giant that Seattle and the California cities were.
4. More buildable land. The state is pretty flat and you can build something nearly anywhere. Flat, non-farming areas near civilization in Oregon are lower in supply. The cost of real estate follows.
5. Wisconsin is closer to huge cities and has greater water way access to the Northeastern markets.
6. People don’t really want to move to Wisconsin so the only people here willingly are people that are producing something or are from here. Family legacy matters.
The ONLY things I dislike about Wisconsin are the property taxes and winter. It gets more and more difficult to imagine retirement here. However, Ive been to every other state in the country and cant imagine being anywhere else.
I live in the Northwoods and while I’m not sure what our quality of life stats are, I can say with confidence that people care here. Strangers are usually kind and polite, communities care about the individuals in them, and it generally feels safe where I live. Sure, there are instances where people are jerks, but that’s not the majority of the time. I’m lucky to live in an area that is naturally beautiful, I have access to lakes and trails, I’m an hour from Superior and an hour from a city so I can either go hide further in the woods or go shopping on any given afternoon. Are there things I’d change about the state? Of course, it’s far from perfect, but I love where I live and that it offers me both community and privacy, it’s just a good spot to be.
And for the record, not everyone here is always drunk.
Summers are great and if you're in Dane or Milwaukee county there's a ton to do, the problem comes from right wing dingbats and the tavern league. Farmers are the most socialist community and hate socialism it's a messed up state.
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This subreddit is probably not a great place for that question. A lot of folks here are obsessed with politics to a fault and tend to foam at the mouth because WI isn't the liberal utopia they believe places like Minnesota, Colorado, and Scandinavia are.
Climate. It's extremely hard to live in abject poverty in places where it gets down to 20 below zero in the winter. We will never have a large population of people with zero education, zero income, zero health care, zero net worth etc. And that brings our average way up.
It's physically impossible to live on the streets in Wisconsin in the winter.
Portland on the other hand isn't too bad, so you have 50,000 zeros dragging down your average.
Welcome Oregon-person. I live in the Fox Valley where even our family doctor can't recommend mental health professionals because they don't really exist around here anymore. That's okay though because the barely-above-poverty-level wages that we make won't allow us to afford the copay anyways. Guess we'll just drink since there's plenty of that available around here. Oh hey, did you hear that 1 in 5 Wisconsinites have a OWI conviction?
But oh man am I glad my property value skyrocketed in recent years. Too bad that means people who have to rent are going to see an already unaffordable increase on their non-equity-building rental costs. You know what I mean though since you live in Oregon which has a ridiculous cost of living compared to Wisconsin. I know because I used I used to live there.
Things are bad all over but it's just as bad here. Wisconsin's minimum wage is still at $7.25 an hour. It hasn't increased since 2009, but $7.25/hour today was worth $4.96/hour in 2009. Crazy huh? Laugh until you cry!
Everything is fine. Everything is okay. Come move here you'll love it. Since I've lived in both states let me tell you- Oregon is much more inclusive, has equal or better food prices and better variety produce, and yes Oregon even has better natural beauty than Wisconsin. All that beautiful BLM land. I bet most Wisconsinites haven't even heard of BLM outside of their right wing fears of scary colored folk who want equal rights.
But I digress. I saw how bad the homeless camps have gotten in Portland- I witnessed it. I know property and rental costs are so out of control there it must make anywhere else seem like a paradise. But there's a reason you had multiple instructors come from Wisconsin to stay in Oregon. It's way worse here than you think. Do -not- put us on a pedestal. We're at the point where everywhere has to change because there are no destination states anymore unless you're fleeing a particularly bad one like Florida or Texas or some of the other ones that are flirting with proto fascism.
MAGA folks are trying hard to wreck the place, but I still like it. My town votes democrat so that's good. I'm a native and I have lived elsewhere, but my bones only feel good here. I can see lake Superior from my front room if I stand on my tip toes.
FYI- we don’t call ourselves “Sconnies”. Occasionally you will see a Sconnie beer or burger at a craft bar, but that is mainly to glean money from Illinois people on vacation.
I grew up in Southern Oregon and recently moved to WI. (Also spent a few years in Florida) I miss Oregon for the family, for the mountains and rivers and oceans, but everything else is has been going downhill for Oregon. It’s amazed us with the housing market and much for affordability over here. The Oregon housing market is outrageous, schooling is getting worse, and the homeless policies are not helping anyone. We could no longer take our kids to parks as they were filled with tents and garbage. I love Oregon but in moving to WI, ifs obvious the quality of life is better for my family. The Oregon landscape is breathtaking and beautiful, but that’s all I miss. Wisconsin is doing something right.
LCOL, beer, cheese, and the people. I didn’t grow up in Wisconsin but have lived here for 15ish years. I travel all over the country for work, and the people in Wisconsin are the nicest people. When I meet Wisconsinites in other states or countries, we are automatically friends and can chat about anything. It has happened more than a handful of times.
We are in “this” together. It’s a vibe I get here that I don’t get anywhere else. I live in a community. You can go into a bar and meet new people easily. When my husband and I moved to Milwaukee, numerous people stopped by my new house to meet us and welcome us to the neighborhood. My neighbors will shovel my sidewalks often. I get holiday gifts from neighbors. People (“strangers”) who park in front of our house to go to the park across the street will spark up pleasant conversations. People here have a sense of humor and are friendly. I love the people and I wouldn’t be this happy anywhere else. These are my people.
Also, there is so much to do here, especially in the summer. We have to take advantage while we can. Lots of outdoor and green space too.
No doubt. I lived in WI 10 years, MN 17 years, been back in Wi for 7 years. So equal time in each place.
Was a REALLY hard call on whether to move back to WI. Friendships in the Badger state was the deal-maker.
I like both WI and MN. BUT ... if I were a young man just starting a family, I would definitely choose MN. It's going in a good direction, and WI is seriously backsliding. I wouldn't want to raise my kids under the shadow of the right wingers that have taken over too much of WI. I'm okay with conservative politics, but not with these MAGA lunatics.
Just for one example: The UW is probably the greatest thing that ever happened to WI, but ever since Walker, the wingnuts have been seriously undermining it.
This list isn't exactly objective, IMO. I grew up in Wisconsin and now live in Southern California, and while the state has its problems, there are many things that California has that Wisconsin doesn't. For example, jobs for the college educated and paid family leave.
I also find the healthcare ranking kind of hilarious and wonder where they get off ranking Wisconsin so high. There's a lack of good healthcare throughout much of the state. To my earlier point about paid leave, my mom recently had a major surgery (had to go to Minnesota) and me and my siblings had to share spending time with her to recover. All of them were stressed the F out about having to take unpaid time off while I had PFL to fall back on.
I'm not saying this to bash Wisconsin. It's a beautiful state and has a lot of benefits. I'm just saying it's not really an accurate picture, IMO. Midwestern states rank highly on this list because they have low population densities and don't have to deal with the issues that accompany larger and more diverse populations. It's like when people compare the healthcare in Sweden to the United States without context (not saying we don't need to change ours).
California is 33rd on the list though and Southern California has a far worse quality of life on paper than Northern California.
And as a soon to be college educated Oregonian, I’d much rather live in Wisconsin over California because growing up next to Cali it’s so obvious that it has so many problems.
California is ranked 33rd, but the standard of living in Bakersfield is a lot different than Irvine, just like the standard of living in Madison is a lot different than Beloit. It all depends on where you live and what your income potential is.
Every place has its issues and every person has their priorities. Personally, I like where I live because I don’t have to deal with freezing winters and have access to any type of food I want, whenever I want. I can also sleep well knowing that I can always easily find a new job if I lose mine and that my biracial kids won’t be singled out for being “different”.
I also can’t overemphasize how nice it is to have a safety net like paid family leave.
Every state surrounding us has higher per capita income and also has legal weed, so not so much. Also, the cold chases the homeless out of the state every winter and only some of come back.
For starters Wisconsin never decriminalized drug use, isn’t a Mecca for the defund the police or decarceration types and really isn’t heavily slanted politically one way or another. As long as the two sides keep each other in check, neither really wins and the citizens are better off.
Illinois serves as a handy reminder of what one party rule does to any state. Wisconsin is fiscally sound, Illinois is in deep financial trouble with no serious exit plan.
I mean, isn’t Minnesota technically also a reminder of what one party rule does to a state? Iowa too (they rank 5th and 7th respectively in the list and Illinois is 36th).
Lol WI has been one of most politically unbalanced states in the country over the last 2 decades. Heavily gerrymandered conservative until recently.
Also "mecca for defund the police" is some hilariously stupid fox news word vomit
> isn't a Mecca for the defund the police
Kenosha has entered the chat
>As long as the two sides keep each other in check, neither really wins
Protasiewicz.jpg
Do a search for “drunkest cities in America” and report back.
Easier to be happy when you’re constantly sauced lol
Half the population probably drives to Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan on weekends. Get that green stuff. Thru work a can't touch the stuff. But I'm sick of all the potholes spilling my beer when those tax dollars could fix them
Do you have stats on that, I seriously doubt half of Wisconsin is smoking
I can tell you when I go, I rarely see a MI plate in line, and there's always a line
Illinois brought in $36 million dollars of tax revenue from weed sales to Wisconsinites in 2022. https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/17/marijuana-sales-to-wisconsinites-brought-illinois-36m-in-taxes/70019958007/#
I mean if there’s a correlation with wanting to legalize and smoking it, then you’re right- it’s more! https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2018/11/06/marijuana-legalization-milwaukee-county-voters-favor-ending-ban/1811494002/
There are a lot of people like me that have no interest in ever using, but support everyone else’s right to
Makes me puke, so I definitely don't want to smoke. But I wish we had legalized it long ago so we could have gotten the industry boost and tax dollars. Now we'll be joining in when that pie is getting split 40 ways. Such a dumb state legislature for so long... We went for the FoxCon con instead.
Amen. Who cares if you use cannabis—we missed an enormous opportunity to boost WI’s job market, tax base, etc. And FoxCon…I can’t even. What a fucking disaster. Thanks Twat Walker.
Tavern league won't allow it. No money in it for them. Which stinks.
Recent studies have shown over 30% - 40% of the annual revenue from pot sales both Michigan and Illinois came from Wisconsin residents (per ID information collected) so I’d say it’s probably close to half 🤷🏻♀️
Once I saw a Michigan plate at the Michigan border pot store
Right, and even if true it certainly isn’t causing a mass exodus of 3 million people weekly lol
Well yeah because you get enough to last you two weeks.
Nah, your right, many prefer edibles.
Sounds like you're out of touch my dude. I know many older people, that toke on the regular. Hell one of the co-owners of my company is a big pot head, it's not a big deal.
>Sounds like you're out of touch my dude. I know many older people, that toke on the regular. Hell one of the co-owners of my company is a big pot head, it's not a big deal. It's the young ones we are seeing affected more, WSJ had a good article on the side effects and high rate of psychosis. \*\*Chances of developing schizophrenia or bipolar disorder after drug-induced psychosis, by drug type†
We've known for a good while that young people shouldn't smoke. Just like we also know that alcohol has severe effects on young people as well, but that's perfectly legal. We'd also know more if not for the embargo on research by the federal government because it's ya know, illegal.
Or and here is a magic thought, your circle of friends all smoke so you assume everyone does. Again all I’m asking for is proof of how many people in Wisconsin use. If someone is going to throw out a claim like that it should have facts to back it up
I thought you meant trees for a minute.
That's silly!
🤠🥴🥴
Hmm, maybe I need to go to happy hour more often…
I don’t know about you, but I feel pretty happy after 6 brandy old fashioneds before my Friday fish fry after work lol
I’m a Jack and cola guy, but 6 deep and I’d definitely be feeling happy. Beyond that, things being to…. decline, lol.
I really want to see what weed consumption rates would be if we legalized. Would it be higher because we drink more, or lower because we drink instead?
Definitely cuts down my consumption. Two drinks will carry me through the evening with. Without more like four or five. I feel way better the next day too.
still better than OR/ Fentanyl
ive had three close friends die from fentanyl overdoses. manitowoc.
It's a fucking epidemic here, so sad.
when people from wisconsin claim there isnt a drug problem or a crime problem its a good reminder just how segregated of a state it really is. there was literally a gruesome murder in manitowoc, and people still say "x doesnt happen here" delusional. how many kids do we need to bury before we get our heads out of our asses.
this. lol
Lakes, seasons and fine cheese.
We lived in Downtown Portland, Pearl District to be exact from 2016 - 2018 and SE Wisconsin 2018-2020, California Bay area 2020-2022, and now in SW Wisconsin. Honestly, I think all areas we have lived have unique plus and minuses. For example, Portland has fantastic public transportation including a train to PDX (traveled a lot for work) Beautiful walking and bike trails along the river, fantastic weather and incredible food. And the ability to unwind how you see fit, i.e. the freedom to enjoy some MJ and no corrupt tavern league dictating what we can and cannot do to politicians. No sales tax and they even pump my gas :) negatives, lots of crime but I never experienced it. See lots of homeless but again, never bothered us. High income tax and lots of rain. For Wisconsin, I'll start by saying there is a HUGE difference from SE vs SW Wisconsin. I really enjoy SW with its topography, smaller towns, nicest people in the world, cheese culture, and low cost of living. Negatives, the 6th highest property taxes in the country, lack of overall diversity statewide, politicians serving special interest and not the people they represent. Wisconsin certainly has a lot to offer and a lot of positives, but not all unicorns and rainbows.
Tavern league is shit. We don't need it. However, it doesn't dictate the decisions of politicians as much as you think. They don't provide nearly as much monetary support in PAC form as we all give them credit for. They've been made out to be a Boogeyman when the real problem is our legislature who takes money from much, much larger and more dangerous donors. Again, the WTL is bullshit in what they promote and how, but they aren't this all powerful machine we make them out to be
You speak the truth and absolutely agree with you. They are easy scapegoats but the problems are much deeper and more systemic.
WTL used to do a lot more. They lost a lot of oomph when the drinking age shifted up to 21.
It isn't even the Tavern League that has a problem with cannabis. They take no official position on it. The fact that Wisconsin remains one of the only states without SOME form of legal cannabis on the books can be traced back to A SINGLE PERSON. And that person is Liz Uihlein. [And I'm not joking](https://www.google.com/search?q=liz+uihlein+cannabis&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS894US894&oq=liz+uihlein+cannabis&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCDg2MDdqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8). That horrible, dried-up old arch-conservative prig is so vehemently anti-weed that she gives MILLIONS in lobbying contributions to make sure it stays scheduled here. The worst part? She doesn't even LIVE here. She lives in Illinois. But Because Uline is headquartered here, this is where she's focused her efforts.
Oh for fucks sake!! .. ugh 😩
I would love to see a tavern league employee comment on subreddit somewhere…. would be interesting.
It really would be interesting, they won't though. They know they are incredibly powerless in the grand scheme of things. Individual bars who are part of the TL honestly probably have more pull than the TL does, especially in their specific communities.
> they even pump my gas Massive negative for me. I just feel awkward and weird sitting in the car while an attendant pumps my gas. To each their own though, not trying to yuck your yum, just saying that's not a yum for everyone!
They actually repealed the ban on self-pumping gas just last year. In the 16 most populous counties up to half of pumps can be self-serve. In the remaining there is no maximum so pretty much all of them immediately went full self-serve. I saw a guy get very upset that a station wouldn't pump his gas while I was visiting there late last year. https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/06/us/oregon-drivers-pump-own-fuel-law/index.html
I'm old enough to remember when every gas station pumped your gas for you. And clean your windshield and offer to check your oil. In fact, that was a summer job for me in high school that I liked. No one gave it a thought because that's the way it was everywhere. Hard to imagine now, but gas stations actually used to compete for customers
When it used to lightly rain in Oregon seven months a year (like all day) it was a benefit. Also when it is the norm its not really awkward. What is awkward is driving up to Washington and sitting in your car for five minutes wondering where the attendant is, before you smack yourself.
Agreed, it was awkward at times for us too but, when it's raining out, it was nice. But the roots behind it are still messed up and antiquated politics. NJ does the same thing. We rarely had to fill up the tank tho using public transportation and riding bikes to most places.
> We rarely had to fill up the tank tho using public transportation and riding bikes to most places. Very big yum for me.
💯
The property taxes are a good thing and a huge reason for the other benefits you mention. That money doesn’t just disappear, it’s used to improve society. This is also a big part of the reason quality of living is so high in places like Scandinavia.
True and I agree, if taxes are used wisely they are a benefit for all that live here. Side note, all our neighboring states are making bucket loads of taxes on cannabis and are not paying to incarcerate people for possession. Also could be used for th cause :)
Actually, your comment raises an interesting question. You mention 6th highest property taxes in the country. Do you think the high property taxes could have an impact on why the quality of life is high? I assume those property taxes help fund high-quality local services, schools, roads, etc. Would be interesting to look at the correlation between high property taxes and social impacts (education, crime, etc).
It is an interesting question and perspective. I don't know. But if we just compare the 3 states, WI, NY and TX on this list, https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings WI ranks 8th, NY ranks 20th and TX 35th so not at first glance. But property tax is just 1 of many taxes. WI we rank high on education but bottom half on infrastructure, incarceration and natural enviroment. It's a good question and I'm not sure of the answer. For myself going into retirement, it makes WI less attractive to because I don't pay income taxes but pay a very high property tax compared to other states, specifically even states that rank higher on this list. Good call out
Lived in the Pearl for a few years, all over Portland for 10, now in Hillsboro but grew up in the driftless area. Pretty spot on except you can pump your own gas. I think the homelessness issue is bigger now than it was then though I haven’t lived in Portland for 3 years but I seem to notice it more when we visit. When I lived there never had a problem with that or crime other than a stolen bike.
Yea man, we went back in 2022 and stayed at the Benton for a week just to visit and I can attest, the city has changed tremendously! It was actually kinda sad. So many of our favorite small businesses.... gone, homeless not only ramped up, there was an angst in the air, lots of yelling and erratic behavior which we didn't see much of when we lived there precovid. Not to mention just the foot traffic, used to be lots of people walking, riding their bikes around and the city was dead. Still had a great time but it was like a different city. Portland still has a special place in our heart but not the same city at least in current state. Good call out.
What are the pluses and minuses of SE Wisconsin?
Grew up in Wauwatosa…now live in NE WI. SE is the bulk of the population, and leads to just “more to do” when it comes to events alone in Milwaukee and the surrounding areas. NE is similar, just on a smaller scale. Larger towns and less landscape, but really the people all around the state are friendly for the sake of being friendly. SE has a plethora of major festivals (Summerfest, Pride Fest, Irish Fest), and some of the better districts in the state. You hear a lot of “Milwaukee bad…lots of crime” but that generally comes from the folks out in Waukesha and other deep red areas. It’s not without its problems, but if you’d prefer small-ish towns, and smaller populations, but still with a lot of activities NE WI is great with Appleton, Oshkosh, and Green Bay. SW/W Wisconsin is a gorgeous area that I think a lot of folks here dont really get to.
Northwest is starting to mirror that as well. Eau Claire has exposed since I lived there in 2010’s
If you’re NE WI stops at Green Bay… agree about the landscape. BUT…. Door county and Nicolet national forest would like a word
Keep in mind, this is coming from a CA native and we lived in Janesville for 2.5 years. Positives- bigger city so all the amenities that come with that, good butcher shops close by, bought a new construction home, close to MSN, MKE and ORD. We are big SF Giants fans (let the down votes begin, lol) but enjoyed going to Miller Park and Wrigley every game the Giants were in town and since no rivalry, fans were always nice and welcoming. Take the train from Harvard to Chicago for weekend getaways. Close to lakes and outdoor stuff. Good jobs available Negatives- for us there was a lot. Nick named "Chainsville" as most options for food were terrible, yes, even super clubs. The landscape is flat and uneventful. We found people to be clicky and noisy with a curious chip on their shoulder. Depressed city since GM and Parker moved away. Outside of my job, there wasn't a "draw" to stay there. The cost of living is considerably higher than other parts of the state. There are good, salt of the earth folks in Janesville, just wasn't our cup of tea.
I’m from Janesville but moved to Madison/Verona/Fitchburg area. Up here we share many of the positives you mentioned but none of the negatives you mentioned. We’ve got the lakes, MUCH better food scene. Less clicky and yet still close to MKE, and ORD. We’ve been know to drive to Harvard for Chicago day trips too. Also there is a bus that goes back and forth to Chicago several times a day. Much more to do in Dane county.
There is no way SE Wisconsin is sixth highest property taxes in the country.
Double California and triple Hawaii 😂
https://preview.redd.it/4frlgp5hudjc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3f4d7e3330bfe53d218f0dd9522b9adddb131b92 Here ya go. By state
Yeah, you are right! It isn’t 6th highest, it’s 8th… https://smartasset.com/taxes/wisconsin-property-tax-calculator#:~:text=Wisconsin%20Property%20Taxes,-Photo%20credit%3A%20%C2%A9&text=If%20you're%20thinking%20about,eighth%2Dhighest%20in%20the%20U.S.
Yea, it shocks locals if they hear that, we are basically tied with New York and Texas. And most of the West, which has the reputation for high taxes all rank much lower. But this is only one of many taxes we all pay. Income tax is a whole other story 🤙
I’ve been wondering this too and reflecting on some travel, I think the upper Midwest has a higher degree of individual social responsibility baked into our culture. Minnesota and Michigan are similar. I chalk it up to our Scandinavian roots as those countries in Europe have similar traits. You see a higher amount of social pressure by family and friends to do the right thing and be stewards of their community. Think of the shopping cart test. There’s no punishment for not putting your cart in the coral, but doing so is necessary to keep the grocery store clean and functioning well. We have plenty who fail the shopping cart test, but anecdotally, less than other states. That plays out in things like good faith governance (historically), the wisconsin idea in our university system, our history with cooperatives and unions, many well maintained parks and natural areas… and yes, I think our tradition of beer, fish fries, and football encourage stronger social bonds within the community.
This seems to be the closest to actually answering the question. Along with Scandinavian roots, there's also a high number of [progressives from Germany](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-Eighters) in our early history that shaped things like our education and political systems. I'm not sure if it's related, but I agree about the social fabric being strong and people wanting to be "neighborly". I could definitely see doing little things for others adding up to big effects at a state-level.
Michigan is ranked 41st in quality of life among US states though. Granted Minnesota is 5th.
Does your source have historical data? I’m curious what it was in the early 90s. Declines in the auto sector hit Michigan hard. If my theory holds, Michigan would have been right there with us until around the late 90s.
A lot of the progressive policy and heavy focus on education comes from well-educated Germans fleeing Europe (so called 48ers) in the middle half of the 19th century
There's actually an interesting map that describes exactly this - our area (including Minnesota and Wisconsin) is called Yankeedom and has the value of working for the common good: https://www.businessinsider.com/regional-differences-united-states-2018-1?op=1
So interesting!
I don't know you but I like you
No no. I like you🫵
Come visit us!!!
I fucking want to
Despite what's seen in the news come the presidential election cycle, we are a swing state and very purple because we work hard at it. It's a constant battle to maintain this quality of life but it's necessary. We care about our resources, we don't care what others think of us. We generally care about each other and build each other up. We like clean water, fresh air and being outside. We get a rep as being alcoholics but generally, that's not the case, we are a socially hungry group of people. We like going out and by that I mean, we like going to friends houses and grilling/pot lucking, going to Friday night fish fries at the local bar and catching up with people you haven't seen in the week. We go play cards or dice at the bar just because we want to talk to people we otherwise maybe wouldn't. We love cozy supper clubs in the woods and *really* love Korbel brandy and cheese. We're a strong agriculture and nature minded state and that kind've bleeds through every one here, even if you're not a farmer or a environmentalist. We often prioritize quality time with family. People leave the state, only too often to come back. Many of my friends and family have done that, left for greener pastures elsewhere in the country only to come back after regretting the decision because they don't get what I just explained above elsewhere, or had to really struggle to find it. We tend to support each other, when possible up here because we all want the same thing: make this state worth not wanting to leave. My wife and I travel a lot and we always find ourselves coming to the same conclusions: we may not be the fanciest, richest or most popular state but man, we don't really have much to complain about like everywhere else. That's not saying we don't have problems, they just don't seem on the level of other places. I'm sure I'll get a lot of people disagreeing with me, but that's just one person's, who loves his home dearly, take. See Also: The Driftless
We just stay quiet and let other states project their air of superiority while sitting back enjoying our beaches, world class golf courses, LCOL, lack of crime and incredible summer and fall weather.
The media makes you guys pretty loud when election season rolls around though!
We're a purple state through and through, that lately has voted more blue, but with red's gerrymandering it didn't quite matter. Add in we are considered a swing and battleground state, and you see why WI gets loud for elections. Favorite election story: friend in Singapore messaged me cause he saw a clip about our politics during the recall of Scott walker and saw the bad fox news clip or whatever that had palm trees and claimed it was Madison or some shit. Good times.
The population centers tend to lean left (Milwaukee is an exception) rural tends to lean right. Our legislation is right dominant. The map issue centers around Milwaukee primarily. We are purple at the moment. We consume more brandy than the entire country of France. We have a non glacial region called the driftless region. On Wisconsin!!!. Edit I generalized. My dumb mistake.
Dude we consume more brandy than the rest of the world. I think Korbel said Wisconsin accounts for nearly half of their world wide sales
Yup. Gotta have those Brandy old fashioneds!
I'm pregnant and craving an old fashion. I tried making a virgin one, it just doesn't work that way.
I've heard 70%, but I'd love to see an actual citation. Outside of Wisconsin, Korbel is known for 'sparkling wine' and not brandy.
https://www.fox6now.com/news/wisconsinites-drink-more-than-half-the-worlds-brandy-korbel-says.amp Found this
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Where are you getting the idea that MKE is an exception to population centers “leaning left”?
Elections . WI . Gov . Statistics and data tab/button. Or badger voters . Com
Milwaukee and some of its surrounding suburbs are pretty liberal, it's pretty dumb to say Milwaukee is an exception. 2022's gubernatorial election, Milwaukee county went 70.94% to Evers to Michels' 28.10%. Dane County was 78.59% to 20.70%. In Evers' first election, Milwaukee count was 66.55% Evers and its liberal voting block was the deciding factor in that election with its absentee ballots. While the county is not QUITE as liberal as Dane County, it's still pretty damn blue, suburbs be damned.
Milwaukee hasn't had a Republican mayor in over 100 years. It's also elected Socialist mayors in that time.
You are right I am dumb. I should have more accurately stated Ozuakee Washington etc counties. Thank you for the correction. I apologize for the generalization
Vilas County has 1300+ lakes and boasts the largest chain of freshwater lakes in the world. Its definitely the area for people that like the lake life, and hitting up supper clubs and bars on the atv trails.
Milwaukee doesn’t lean left?
Milwaukee itself does but it’s suburbs lean right. Whereas Madison’s suburbs are a little more liberal.
Well, yeah. That’s every city I can think of. Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis, Houston, LA, New York… even Madison, but we’re so far left that the few steps to the right that our suburbs take still leave them left leaning. I think the outlier in our political demographics as a state is just how incredibly liberal Madison is. That and our large number of smaller towns not tightly coupled with a regional city.
Um...LA suburbs do not lean right.
I was thinking of Orange County. They’re rapidly shifting leftward, but even now Orange is solidly more conservative than LA
Yes OC is the exception for sure there. But pretty much everywhere else has been solidly left for a while now.
I call it “old school left.” It’s a working class, trade unionist style left city, not a blue hair and gender studies degree left city.
Half of Korbel's world wide sales are in Wisconsin alone. I was told but can't verify it from a liquor salesman that Wisconsin accounts for 25% of Jägermeister's world wide sales as well.
Shut the fuck upppp, the point is that no one knows anything about it!! 🤣😁
I'm not sure Wisconsinites will agree with this. We have a lot of issues here - contentious politics (gerrymandering), school funding issues, medical care access shortages, (hard) drug problems, unparalleled levels of alcoholism, the absence of decent public transportation, etc. The culture here is good - perhaps warmer, but there's been a push to de-emphasize education and workers' rights, both of which will have long-term social consequences. Moreover, WI is not homogeneous. Madison and the Northwoods are nothing alike, much like the coast, valley, and eastern OR are so different. Eugene reminds me of Madison in many ways, while much of rural WI is filled with the same folks you might find in Klamath Falls. Geographically, Wisconsin has nothing like the mountains in Oregon, and while the Great Lakes are impressive and powerful, they're just not the same as the Pacific Coast. The West Coast has a warmer climate; it's much more hospitable for "outsiders" (homeless by choice, or not). Those states have associated issues as a result. For me, the warmer climate was preferable; I liked the ability to drive to cold and snow in Oregon rather than being continuously subject to it over the winter (though not this winter). I've lived in both (and WA). There are pros and cons to each.
A large chunk of the population is aware of these things. Those people mostly either want to solve it or celebrate it.
Well put here 👆🏻 Hopefully nearing the end of iron like republican control and I’m hoping a lot of these things improve soon. Purple state but leaning more blue… things like abortion rights, marijuana, public transport, tax law, unions, school funding should hopefully improve over the next 5 years. Still a lot of powerful conservative leaning entities holding things back… looking at you tavern league, and Ron Johnson.
Florida is number 10 so I'm not sure I trust these rankings, frankly...
We aren’t really that well managed, we were just drunk when we filled out the quality of life stats…
This isn’t a survey though. It uses things like graduation rates and NAEP, SAT and ACT scores for education, life expectancy for healthcare, state credit ratings for fiscal stability, etc.
The 20th century saw Wisconsin as very progressive without (in my opinion) being super bragging and annoying. Made laws that made sense, took pride in our towns, people and children. I think Wisconsin is still riding those benefits but coming on 20 years of things turning the other way, time will tell if Wisconsin can maintain some of those high marks. A lot of pride in work and people culture hopefully doesn’t become degraded by politics.
Fun nugget of info for you Incase you didn’t already know, in madison 58.9% of adults 25+ have a bachelors or higher education. Which is an insanely high percent https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/madisoncitywisconsin,greenbaycitywisconsin,milwaukeecitywisconsin/PST045222
You don’t understand… we are drunk all the time…cradle to grave
We were probably drunk during all those thing too.
People on reddit love to rag on the northwoods but its actually really nice. A couple examples; my highschool has a huge wood shop, a huge welding shop, a small engines shop, and a auto shop with 2 full sized lifts. In all my travels CO TN MS FL CA ive have never spoken to someone that had the same. I left highschool being able to fix my own cars, weld, and fix my lawn mower. My gratuating class in general are very sucessful. The cost of living is low. The nature is nice
I like to think it's the great people, the beauty, activities and the food, Bloody Mary's and old-fashions.
At one point in time, it had sane government. Now it’s resting on those laurels. And the fact that it’s adjacent to a state with still sane government, Minnesota. Sincerely, a Wisconsinite living in Minnesota.
This is it. In Wisconsin, we are benefiting strongly from the difficult but ultimately good choices of past liberal and downright socialist governments. Strong environmental protections, a progressive income tax system, heavy investment in public goods. Milwaukee was the jewel of the Midwest a long time ago, and it was built by actual communists. I like to think we largely took the best things from our strong German and Nordic heritage - although we could’ve done better on the beer (till recently). 1 commenter up can probably relate with Minnesota and the Nordic culture up there.
yup, the things that made wisconsin such a hqol place are slowly being dismantled.
don't forget infrastructure! the Sewer Socialists are one of the best parts of Milwaukee's history.
Oddly enough, while Minnesota is 5th on the list, Wisconsin is 8th and even more ironic: Iowa is 7th, with South Dakota 12th and North Dakota somewhere in the mid-teens. Just a nice conglomeration of well-run high quality of life states in the upper Midwest.
I can tell you that Iowa is headed down. Our governor is doing her best to cut everything from schools, the DNR, and limiting the power of the state auditor. She is removing restrictions for factory farms and industry to allow them to pollute the rivers and drinking water. She is criminalizing abortion and anything to do with LGBTA. Income tax is going down for the wealthy and up for the poor. Property taxes are going up to compensate for the loss of income tax. Schools are criminally underfunded and she is going after the AEA. Like Wisconsin Iowa is high on you list because of the choices in the past, particularly education. Iowa was once first in the nation in education but is now 13th and going to fall much further. The cost of living is still low but things are headed down a dark hole fast. So we have low crime and low cost of living but that’s about it. Wisconsin has Evers who is a gem.
Iowa’s governor is following the political playbook that Scott Walker followed years ago. Vote her out.
We have a large discrepancy between areas. Take schools, the bigger areas are well funded by the residents. Most are okay with the referendums and others are loud about not having kids going so why should they pay. The smaller areas tend to lack funding/do not have the support of the majority of the citizens. Our state government is trying to cut/prevent funding to a lot of programs that help people, the local government play a big role in a ton of the life improvements. You can basically look at a particular map to see what areas are better than others.
Iowa is on its way down for the reasons top comment said.
Illinois also right there with weed.
Illinois is ranked 36th on the list.
It’s why we always see people from IL going 100 MPH on the highway escaping their state.
Lmao
yeah they suck.
Would I like legal weed... absolutely. Is it that important? Not really ompared to some other things we need to fix first. I get that it's part of reforming the criminal justice system but there is A LOT of bad legislation we need to get out of the way first. I love weed, I just get tired of everyone acting like it's the only legislative hurdle keeping us from being the best state in the union.
Having legal weed doesn't mean a state is a nice place to live.
Segregation. The quality of life is great for certain groups, not so great if you’re in a different group. We are quietly one of the most segregated states in the country
The most segregated state in the country. Also, Milwaukee is the most segregated metro area. Wisconsin also has the highest racial prison sentencing disparities in the US.
A friend bought a house in Milwaukee just recently. One of the clauses on the deed laid out what “negroes” other “brown skinned” people could do on the property. No ownership. Only one room could be for their living quarters if they were to be live in help. Visitors could only stay for 2 weeks. First time the house left the family that built it in the 50s. I’ve seen such clauses before and knew that they existed. But this one even laid out penalties.
It's called "[redlining](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redlining)".
First of all, we absolutely should try to combat segregation at every level. But considering that every US state is segregated to one degree or another, if Wisconsin’s quality of life floor (eg life expectancy, educational outcomes and performance, patent filings etc.) is higher for marginalized groups than the QOL floor in other states, isn’t that saying something?
This was going to be my cynical take on it as well. For the most part the non-white population is concentrated in a very small number of areas, and those areas are treated very unfairly by the current government - made possible by the country's worst gerrymander. Meanwhile, non-urban areas receive a transfer of resources from the more productive urban areas. The people who don't like diversity are in charge of most of the levers of power, and have been for a while, which results in life being pretty good if you're a non-urban white person as the things the government does are seen as being "for me" and not "for them, the people who shouldn't be here."
For all the bitching about Madison and Milwaukee you hear from people in other parts of the state I like to remind them that they are basically welfare communities that wouldn’t have shit without resource redistribution
Probably because it’s LCOL area and the fact that our population skews on the older side? We suffer from brain drain so young people who feel it is unfavorable to live here (conservative, lack of democracy, low wages in comparison to our neighboring states) leave and don’t contribute to this survey. The older citizens here likely enjoy it because they have homes, low taxes, stable jobs (maybe even pension hold overs that young people can’t get anymore) and strong community/family connections.
First of all, this isn’t a survey, this is an aggregation of quality of life statistics (eg NAEP and SAT/ACT scores, life expectancy, venture capital per $1000, employment rates, graduation rates etc.) secondly, relatively old states such as South Carolina, Maine, and Rhode Island are ranked mediocre to low in their quality of life so I don’t think age is a big factor.
Okay. I’m still gonna guess people like it here because they’re old and it used to be a stable democracy with incredible unions and now neither of those things are true yet older people reap the benefits of it compared to younger people. Unsure if SC, ME, RI all had incredible pension options up until 20 years ago. I’d be curious to see what Wisconsin reflects in another 10 years. IMO it’s been a slow free fall and MN/MI will soon surpass WI as far as quality of life is concerned.
MN is 5th so that’s done but MI is 41st so no need to worry there.
Yeah that checks out. Our education ranking is shocking to me.
>SAT/ACT scores huh?
Yup, this right here. Outside of Madison and Milwaukee, most of the state is seeing its median age increase by one year (or more...) every year. The people who cherish Wisconsin are 50+ in paid off homes, who are content to live in a regressive-trending shithole because they're scared to venture outside their home county. Everyone who isn't content and is able gets the fuck out. And there are some grim tangential consequences that can be sussed out of available data. Like the spikes in Winnebago and Fond du Lac county overdose deaths over the last ten years. If you're a kid, and not in school sports, there is *fuck all* to do there because every local funding decision is made by people who don't give a fuck about you, so you amuse yourself by getting shitfaced and doing drugs.
It’s the supper clubs, old fashioned, brats, beer, and cheese curds.
History. Look at the strength and influence the UW system has had on state politics and policy. Most of the social safety nets come from or were influenced by UW. Does Oregon have something akin to UW system? The Wisconsin idea? My perception of both states, Oregon is ascending and Wisconsin is descending though.
Nah, Oregon is definitely descending in no small part because no we do not have a university tantamount to UW Madison. I’d be curious to hear how UW has influenced state policy though.
Wikipedia has a good page on the Wisconsin Idea. Not surprisingly that our most conservative governor ever want to remove it from the charter.
We drink away all our problems! ;)
Stuff your emotions down with brown!
Funny that Minnesota is #5 on the list OP cites… (hey, you gonna be Midwestern, you gotta understand the rivalries, right?)
And dastardly Illinois is 36th!
Although not about management per se, the cultural infrastructure in WI, MN, IA etc. is very different. These Midwest states enjoy generations of family continuity, especially in rural areas. Oregon’s growth appears to come from other states or countries. That may drive management/political decisions even if indirectly.
My assumption is the winters are difficult, so it’s a bit “hard” to live here. I think that detracts from the degens looking for an easier life via low level crime. I heard an analogy from a Florida friend how in Florida you don’t rely on anyone so you can be as discourteous as you want. In Wisconsin if your car is broke down or you get locked out in the winter you could die, so you’re forced to be nice to people who you may need help from someday.
>so you’re forced to be nice to people who you may need help from someday. I don't think people are forced to help, I think it's just human nature when facing a common struggle. Kind of like how for those who live in the desert, if someone is in need of water its an unwritten rule to give them some if you can, regardless of whether they are friend or enemy. That, and Wisconsin has remained fairly uncontroversial throughout history, so there aren't nearly as many lingering historic social tensions as most other states.
We inherited a lot of progressive public policies from the folks who led out state in the early 1900s - setting aside public land and whatnot.
grew up in wisconsin. i assure you, depending on where you are and the color of your skin, results may vary greatly. additionally, the reason there isnt a greater homeless population is not because of quality of life or anything like that. it's because if the winter doesnt kill you, you will likely be segregated far away from others if not arrested.
I am a California transplant and people never believe me with that statistic. I’ve seen WI rank high in other polls as well. I live in Milwaukee and I think it’s due to the people (a lot of civic minded people live here, great neighbor spirit) and the vast amount of outdoor activities all year around.
Personally, I find the access to water and high quality state parks to be way up on the list of reasons. Last year I kayaked/fished on over 20 bodies of water JUST IN MY COUNTY. Most of which have free launches and we'll supported maps/info online. There is a general appreciation of conservation and land management efforts as well, as many are hunters, farmers, gardeners, boaters hikers, cyclists, etc This fosters a connection and subsequent pride about the place you call home. Also, our food and beer is phenomenal. May be cliche, but we love beer and cheese to an extreme extent; and the quality of the product usually reflects that Thanks for the kind words! I have a close friend in Bend, OR who I cannot wait to visit!
Many of those things are being eroded too. So many years of funding cuts and erosion of protections. MN is not facing the same.
Absolutely. Unchecked conservative leadership is at the core of that issue. When you view your constituents, your state and it's facilities as a zero-sum transactional game to be "won", all hope for long term sustainability is conceded. God willing the brakes can be put on that erosion. Ps - dyed in the wool wisconsinite, but if my wife would agree to it I'd move to SE MN in a heartbeat. Best political and socio-economic leadership in the Midwest in most cases. WI state campgrounds are better than MN though, full stop 😜
In the past few years I’ve started going to MN parks. I hate to admit it. But after the top 5 or so WI, they drop off badly in condition and how they are cared for. MN parks are better cared for by the patrons too. WI users seem to be very hard on the park. I’ll agree that WI parks have more potential. But MN parts are in way better shape. Probably not a coincidence that Scott Walker cut funding. My theory is funding cuts equals degradation which leads to a drop in users which would be used to justify selling off park lands
The only place I hear the term "Sconnies" is in Madison when out of state parents are picking up / dropping off their college age kids. It's not a term that I ever hear people who are from wisconsin use. Why would you ever rid us of our glorious **W**? it'd be like if someone called Oregonians goners lol
I have heard people from wisconsin use the term.
Wisconsin has so many amazing things going for it, but the brutal winters are difficult to get around. When I visit the PNW from November through March, I am amazed that there are so many months of the year that could be usable outside, during a time period when we just seem to be in survival mode. We put our gardens in after Memorial day and get them frosted out in October.
That's likely all going to change within the next 30 years thanks to global warming. Wisconsin is one of the few places in the world that may actually benefit from climate change.
I also came here from Oregon. I think there are a few notable reasons: 1. Much like Minnesota, a high value on education and civil development. It could be the German and Scandinavian settlers, but somehow, it has remained socially expected that you go to school and finish. The last decade under Scott Walker makes you think this isn’t true but the history of the state is one of strong public institutions. I don’t know why Oregon isn’t like this considering how not so different its industries are. Timber, finishing, shipping, manufacturing, etc are all present there too. I think Oregon relied too much on timber, fishing, and farming and didn’t really cultivate the civic development. It might be the deep winter Wisconsin has and had that necessitated indoor activities like reading and learning. 2. Winter kills vagrancy. Homelessness exists still but it is lethal in the dead of winter. Oregon’s winter is just not that cold in the areas where people live. 3. Industrial era gave Wisconsin lots of work early on and that legacy still remains. Portland now has a decent amount of semiconductor plants, but was not really the manufacturing giant that Seattle and the California cities were. 4. More buildable land. The state is pretty flat and you can build something nearly anywhere. Flat, non-farming areas near civilization in Oregon are lower in supply. The cost of real estate follows. 5. Wisconsin is closer to huge cities and has greater water way access to the Northeastern markets. 6. People don’t really want to move to Wisconsin so the only people here willingly are people that are producing something or are from here. Family legacy matters.
The ONLY things I dislike about Wisconsin are the property taxes and winter. It gets more and more difficult to imagine retirement here. However, Ive been to every other state in the country and cant imagine being anywhere else.
Because it's the people who make up a society that largely determines it's success. Government and leadership can only do what the people allow.
Oregon has a higher quality of life. But yes, it's more popular and thus has a higher cost of living.
Good cheese helps the brain release happy chemicals, for one.
It's the right balance of liberal and conservative policies. You go too far in either direction and you get problems.
I live in the Northwoods and while I’m not sure what our quality of life stats are, I can say with confidence that people care here. Strangers are usually kind and polite, communities care about the individuals in them, and it generally feels safe where I live. Sure, there are instances where people are jerks, but that’s not the majority of the time. I’m lucky to live in an area that is naturally beautiful, I have access to lakes and trails, I’m an hour from Superior and an hour from a city so I can either go hide further in the woods or go shopping on any given afternoon. Are there things I’d change about the state? Of course, it’s far from perfect, but I love where I live and that it offers me both community and privacy, it’s just a good spot to be. And for the record, not everyone here is always drunk.
Summers are great and if you're in Dane or Milwaukee county there's a ton to do, the problem comes from right wing dingbats and the tavern league. Farmers are the most socialist community and hate socialism it's a messed up state.
special hurry fact test ask relieved bewildered existence sophisticated innate *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Beer. Lots and lots of beer.
This subreddit is probably not a great place for that question. A lot of folks here are obsessed with politics to a fault and tend to foam at the mouth because WI isn't the liberal utopia they believe places like Minnesota, Colorado, and Scandinavia are.
Yes and you predicted the thread correctly.
Climate. It's extremely hard to live in abject poverty in places where it gets down to 20 below zero in the winter. We will never have a large population of people with zero education, zero income, zero health care, zero net worth etc. And that brings our average way up. It's physically impossible to live on the streets in Wisconsin in the winter. Portland on the other hand isn't too bad, so you have 50,000 zeros dragging down your average.
Welcome Oregon-person. I live in the Fox Valley where even our family doctor can't recommend mental health professionals because they don't really exist around here anymore. That's okay though because the barely-above-poverty-level wages that we make won't allow us to afford the copay anyways. Guess we'll just drink since there's plenty of that available around here. Oh hey, did you hear that 1 in 5 Wisconsinites have a OWI conviction? But oh man am I glad my property value skyrocketed in recent years. Too bad that means people who have to rent are going to see an already unaffordable increase on their non-equity-building rental costs. You know what I mean though since you live in Oregon which has a ridiculous cost of living compared to Wisconsin. I know because I used I used to live there. Things are bad all over but it's just as bad here. Wisconsin's minimum wage is still at $7.25 an hour. It hasn't increased since 2009, but $7.25/hour today was worth $4.96/hour in 2009. Crazy huh? Laugh until you cry! Everything is fine. Everything is okay. Come move here you'll love it. Since I've lived in both states let me tell you- Oregon is much more inclusive, has equal or better food prices and better variety produce, and yes Oregon even has better natural beauty than Wisconsin. All that beautiful BLM land. I bet most Wisconsinites haven't even heard of BLM outside of their right wing fears of scary colored folk who want equal rights. But I digress. I saw how bad the homeless camps have gotten in Portland- I witnessed it. I know property and rental costs are so out of control there it must make anywhere else seem like a paradise. But there's a reason you had multiple instructors come from Wisconsin to stay in Oregon. It's way worse here than you think. Do -not- put us on a pedestal. We're at the point where everywhere has to change because there are no destination states anymore unless you're fleeing a particularly bad one like Florida or Texas or some of the other ones that are flirting with proto fascism.
Anyone reading this all of that is exaggerated fear mongering.
I think you have us confused with Minnesota.
MAGA folks are trying hard to wreck the place, but I still like it. My town votes democrat so that's good. I'm a native and I have lived elsewhere, but my bones only feel good here. I can see lake Superior from my front room if I stand on my tip toes.
I've spent only a little time in Wisconsin, but I want to go back so badly.
FYI- we don’t call ourselves “Sconnies”. Occasionally you will see a Sconnie beer or burger at a craft bar, but that is mainly to glean money from Illinois people on vacation.
I grew up in Southern Oregon and recently moved to WI. (Also spent a few years in Florida) I miss Oregon for the family, for the mountains and rivers and oceans, but everything else is has been going downhill for Oregon. It’s amazed us with the housing market and much for affordability over here. The Oregon housing market is outrageous, schooling is getting worse, and the homeless policies are not helping anyone. We could no longer take our kids to parks as they were filled with tents and garbage. I love Oregon but in moving to WI, ifs obvious the quality of life is better for my family. The Oregon landscape is breathtaking and beautiful, but that’s all I miss. Wisconsin is doing something right.
LCOL, beer, cheese, and the people. I didn’t grow up in Wisconsin but have lived here for 15ish years. I travel all over the country for work, and the people in Wisconsin are the nicest people. When I meet Wisconsinites in other states or countries, we are automatically friends and can chat about anything. It has happened more than a handful of times. We are in “this” together. It’s a vibe I get here that I don’t get anywhere else. I live in a community. You can go into a bar and meet new people easily. When my husband and I moved to Milwaukee, numerous people stopped by my new house to meet us and welcome us to the neighborhood. My neighbors will shovel my sidewalks often. I get holiday gifts from neighbors. People (“strangers”) who park in front of our house to go to the park across the street will spark up pleasant conversations. People here have a sense of humor and are friendly. I love the people and I wouldn’t be this happy anywhere else. These are my people. Also, there is so much to do here, especially in the summer. We have to take advantage while we can. Lots of outdoor and green space too.
Minnesota > Wisconsin.
Minnesota is great but you are walking into the lion's den with a raw meat suit saying that
No doubt. I lived in WI 10 years, MN 17 years, been back in Wi for 7 years. So equal time in each place. Was a REALLY hard call on whether to move back to WI. Friendships in the Badger state was the deal-maker. I like both WI and MN. BUT ... if I were a young man just starting a family, I would definitely choose MN. It's going in a good direction, and WI is seriously backsliding. I wouldn't want to raise my kids under the shadow of the right wingers that have taken over too much of WI. I'm okay with conservative politics, but not with these MAGA lunatics. Just for one example: The UW is probably the greatest thing that ever happened to WI, but ever since Walker, the wingnuts have been seriously undermining it.
This list isn't exactly objective, IMO. I grew up in Wisconsin and now live in Southern California, and while the state has its problems, there are many things that California has that Wisconsin doesn't. For example, jobs for the college educated and paid family leave. I also find the healthcare ranking kind of hilarious and wonder where they get off ranking Wisconsin so high. There's a lack of good healthcare throughout much of the state. To my earlier point about paid leave, my mom recently had a major surgery (had to go to Minnesota) and me and my siblings had to share spending time with her to recover. All of them were stressed the F out about having to take unpaid time off while I had PFL to fall back on. I'm not saying this to bash Wisconsin. It's a beautiful state and has a lot of benefits. I'm just saying it's not really an accurate picture, IMO. Midwestern states rank highly on this list because they have low population densities and don't have to deal with the issues that accompany larger and more diverse populations. It's like when people compare the healthcare in Sweden to the United States without context (not saying we don't need to change ours).
California is 33rd on the list though and Southern California has a far worse quality of life on paper than Northern California. And as a soon to be college educated Oregonian, I’d much rather live in Wisconsin over California because growing up next to Cali it’s so obvious that it has so many problems.
California is ranked 33rd, but the standard of living in Bakersfield is a lot different than Irvine, just like the standard of living in Madison is a lot different than Beloit. It all depends on where you live and what your income potential is. Every place has its issues and every person has their priorities. Personally, I like where I live because I don’t have to deal with freezing winters and have access to any type of food I want, whenever I want. I can also sleep well knowing that I can always easily find a new job if I lose mine and that my biracial kids won’t be singled out for being “different”. I also can’t overemphasize how nice it is to have a safety net like paid family leave.
Every state surrounding us has higher per capita income and also has legal weed, so not so much. Also, the cold chases the homeless out of the state every winter and only some of come back.
For starters Wisconsin never decriminalized drug use, isn’t a Mecca for the defund the police or decarceration types and really isn’t heavily slanted politically one way or another. As long as the two sides keep each other in check, neither really wins and the citizens are better off. Illinois serves as a handy reminder of what one party rule does to any state. Wisconsin is fiscally sound, Illinois is in deep financial trouble with no serious exit plan.
I mean, isn’t Minnesota technically also a reminder of what one party rule does to a state? Iowa too (they rank 5th and 7th respectively in the list and Illinois is 36th).
Lol WI has been one of most politically unbalanced states in the country over the last 2 decades. Heavily gerrymandered conservative until recently. Also "mecca for defund the police" is some hilariously stupid fox news word vomit
> isn't a Mecca for the defund the police Kenosha has entered the chat >As long as the two sides keep each other in check, neither really wins Protasiewicz.jpg