Madison & Dane County : Madison Rankings

Dane County Farmers' Market, ©Randal Vanderveer

On Everyone's Short-list: Recent Awards for Madison
Madison, Wisconsin consistently ranks as a top community in which to live, work, play, and raise a family. A favorite Midwestern getaway, Madison is also a premier meeting and convention destination. The following is just a sampling of the accolades our destination has recently received!

For information about this ideal American city, call the Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau: 800.373.6376 or 608.255.2537.

#4 MSN Real Estate 2008 Best Bargain Market
MSN Real Estate, June, 2008

Top Ten Best Places for Families
Richard Florida and the Creative Class Exchange, May, 2008

#8 in 100 Best Places to Raise a Family
Best Life, May, 2008

Nation's Smartest City
bizjournals, April, 2008

Best Teeth in America!
Men's Health, April, 2008

One of the Top Ten Best Outdoor-Oriented Towns
Yahoo! Real Estate, Fall, 2007

UW-Madison Ranked "America's Hottest Big State School"
Kaplan/Newsweek "How to Get Into College Guide", Summer, 2007

One of the Ten Most Livable Cities in the United States
2007 Places Rated Almanac, Spring, 2007

Best Place to Educate Your Child - Madison Area is #2
Forbes, December, 2007

Madison Rated One of 9 Cities Where Dogs Rule
Dog Fancy, October, 2007

Madison Ranked One of Ten Best Markets for Women in Business
bizjournals, August, 2007

Madison Rated A 5-Star Business Opportunity Metro
Expansion Management, August, 2007

Madison Rated One of Five Perfect College Towns
Smarter Travel, August, 2007

One of the 30 Best Towns in America
Outside, August, 2007

Middleton Rated Best Place in America to Live
Money, August, 2007

Dane County Farmers' Market Named Best in Nation
EatingWell, August, 2007

Madison Ranked One of World's Top Startup Hubs
Fast Company, July, 2007

Madison Area Rated One of the Nation's 10 Top Metros for Income Growth
Bizjournals, June, 2007

One of the Nation's 25 Best Cities in Which to Live
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, June, 2007

One of the Top Ten Greenest Cities
Yahoo! Real Estate, May, 2007

Top Medium-Sized Metro in the Arts
Creative Class Group, May, 2007

One of the Top 10 Best Green Large Cities
Country Home, April, 2007

One of the Top 25 Best Places to Live
Country Home, April, 2007

One of the 10 Best Weekend Family Trips
Nick Jr. Family Magazine, April, 2007

One of the Top 10 Best Green Cities—Organic Food Supply
Country Home, April, 2007

#1 Walking City
Prevention, April, 2007

Madison Children’s Museum Rated One of the Top 20 Children’s Museums in America
Grand Magazine, March, 2007

UW-Madison Campus Rated Among Nation's Best LGBT-Friendly Campuses
The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students, August, 2006

Madison Ranked One of 100 Best Places to Live in America
Money, August, 2006

Best Outside Towns 2006: Madison Rated Best Road Biking Town in America
Outside, August, 2006

Devils Lake State Park (Baraboo, WI) Rated "One of the Top 10 Bird Watching Spots"
CampingLife, June, 2006

4th Brainiest Medium-Sized City
bizjournals.com, June, 2006

Devil's Lake State Park (Baraboo, WI) Rated "One of the Top 15 Scenic Views"
CampingLife, June, 2006

Devils Lake State Park (Baraboo, WI) Rated "One the Top 15 Biking Trails"
CampingLife, June, 2006

Devils Lake State Park (Baraboo, WI) Rated "One of the Top 25 Hiking Trails"
CampingLife, June, 2006

Madison's Public Schools Rank #8 in Nation
Expansion Management Magazine, May, 2006

One of the Top 10 Best Green Large Cities
Country Home, April, 2006

#3 City in America for Walking
Prevention, April, 2006

One of America's Best Vegetarian-Friendly Small Cities
www.goveg.com, March, 2006

#1 City for Cycling (Population: 200,000–500,000)
Bicycling, March, 2006

Madison Named Most Romantic U.S. City
USAWeekend.com, February, 2006

One of Five Emerging Hot Spots for Biotech
FierceBiotech, January, 2006

"One of the 10 Best Places to Live the Athletic Life"
geezerJock, Fall, 2005

One of the Ten Best Places for Outdoor Activities
Sperling's Best Places, Fall, 2005

Madison Ranked One of the 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live
50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live, Gregory A. Kompes, Fall, 2005

2005 Award for Garden Excellence, Olbrich Botanical Gardens
American Association of Botanic Gardens and Arboreta (AABGA), Summer, 2005

Madison Ranked the 4th "Brainiest City" in the Nation
American City Business Journals Inc., Spring, 2005

Madison Ranked #3 in The Top 100 Healthiest Cities for Pregnancy
BabyFit.com, December, 2005

Madison Rated #1 in "Digital Cities Survey"
Center for Digital Government, November, 2005

"One of 15 Up-and-Coming Hubs for Creative Workers"
Fast Company, November, 2005

"10 Great Places to Welcome Fall with a Flourish"
USA Today, October, 2005

Madison Rated #6 Mid-Sized City in the U.S. for Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneur magazine, October, 2005

UW-Madison Tabbed Best Game-Day Atmosphere
Sports Illustrated on Campus, September, 2005

One of 10 Great Places to Enjoy a Textbook Getaway
USA Today, August, 2005

One of 10 "New American Dream Towns"
Outside magazine, August, 2005

Middleton Rated One of the Ten Best Places to Live 2005
Money, August, 2005

Madison Ranked One of 10 Greenest Cities in the Nation, Vegetarian Times
Vegetarian Times, July, 2005

Madison Rated "5-Star Business Opportunity Metro"
Expansion Management magazine, July, 2005

Dane County Named One of Nation's Top 20 Nature-Friendly Communities
Nature-Friendly Communities, June, 2005

One of the Ten Best Metros for Business and Careers
Forbes, May, 2005

One of the 20 Best Walking Cities
Prevention, April, 2005

One of America's Top Ten Green Cities
The Green Guide, April, 2005

Madison's Public Schools Rank #3 in Nation
Expansion Management Magazine, April, 2005

Awarded Five-star Community in Quality of Life Quotient™
Expansion Management Magazine, March, 2005

America's 4th Most Literate City
America's Most Literate Cities, A Study by Jack Miller, Ph.D., Winter, 2004

One of the Most Secure Places in the Country
Farmers Insurance Group, June, 2004

Third Best Child-Friendly City in the United States
Population Connection, June, 2004

#2 Best Small City to Live
Men's Journal, June, 2004

Madison No. 1 in Nation for Business and Careers
Forbes, May, 2004

One of 12 Best Walking Cities
Prevention, April, 2004

#2 Medium Metro Area For Doing Business in America
Inc. Magazine, March, 2004

One of the Best Designer Cities in the Country
HOW Design, December, 2003

Healthiest City for Men
Men's Health Magazine, November, 2003

Best Midsize City in the Midwest for Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneur Magazine, October, 2003

Madison Ranks # 1 Best College Sports Towns
Sports Illustrated On Campus, September, 2003

#2 Among America’s Best Places to Live and Work
Employment Review Magazine, June, 2003

Friendliest City in the Midwest
Midwest Living Magazine, June, 2003

#5 Best Places for Business and Careers
Forbes Magazine, May, 2003

One of Five Cities that Inspire
Delicious Living Magazine, March, 2003

#5 Campus Scenes That Rock
Rolling Stone Magazine, February, 2003

Ranked #1 of Small-size Cities for Creativity
The Washington Monthly, July, 2002

#2 Best Places to Live
Homeadvisor.msn.com, July, 2002

#2 among "America's Best Places to Live and Work"
Employment Review Magazine, June, 2002

American Rose City at Olbrich Botanical Gardens
American Rose Society, June, 2002

One of twenty cities offering first-class room rates under $125
Facilities & Destinations, May, 2002

#2 Best Place to Live and Work in America
BestJobsUSA.com, May, 2002

#3 Great Medium-Sized Cities/College Towns
ePodunk.com, May, 2002

UW-Madison Ranked 35th in the World of Top Executive Education Providers
London-based Financial Times, May, 2002

The Most Wired City in the Country
The Media Audit, April, 2002

#1 Best (small) Cities for Women
Ladies Home Journal, March, 2002

One of Top Five Cities for Entrepreneurial Business Growth
National Commission on Entrepreneurship, March, 2002

Madison Children's Museum - Ranked among The 10 Best Children's Museums
Child magazine, February, 2002

#2 Mid-size City in the Country for Cycling
Bicycling Magazine, November, 2001

#5 Best Cities for Women
Ladies Home Journal, April, 2001

#6 Best City for Families
Child magazine, March, 2001

Alliant Energy Center and Monona Terrace Convention Center receive Prime Site Awards
Facilities & Destinations magazine, December, 2000

Madison CVB Receives Top Destination Award
Facilities & Destinations magazine, October, 2000

One of America's Most Environmentally Friendly Cities
ENN.com, Environmental News Network, September, 2000

#5 Fittest City in America
Shape magazine, September, 2000

One of the nation's Best Small Cities for Families
Family Fun magazine, September, 2000

Runner-up for top retirement site in the United States
Money magazine, June, 2000

#6 Most Mannerly City
Etiquette Expert Marjabelle Young Stewart, December, 1999

#3 City for Business Owners
Business Development Outlook Magazine, November, 1999

Best City For Quality of Life
Business Development Outlook Magazine, October, 1999

#2 of 25 Great Towns for Raising an Outdoor Family
Outdoor Explorer magazine, September, 1999

Top 10 Cities to Have It All
A & E Network, September, 1999

#10 University for Women Athletes
Sports Illustrated for Women, August, 1999

#2 America's Most Kid-Friendly Cities
Zero Population Growth, August, 1999

#1 Best Places to Live in America
Money magazine, July, 1998

#1 America's Most-Wired Cities
International Demographics, March, 1998

#1 Best Cities for Women
Ladies Home Journal, November, 1997

#4 Best Bicycling Cities
Bicycling magazine, August, 1997

#9 America's Best Places to Live and Work
Employment Review magazine, June, 1997

10 Most Livable Places in America
The Advocate, June, 1997

#3 Great Places to Raise a Family
Parenting, May, 1997

#5 America's 10 Most Enlightened Towns
Utne Reader, May, 1997

#1 Healthiest City for Women
American Health, January, 1997

#6 Best Schools in the Nation
Expansion Management magazine, October, 1996

#9 America's Safest Cities
Money, October, 1996

1 of 3 "Star Farmers' Markets"
Food & Wine magazine, September, 1996

1 of 10 Best Cities for Working Moms
Redbook, June, 1996

#3 Safest of Nation's 100 Largest Cities
Morgan Quinto Press, January, 1996

Top 10 places for 20-somethings
SWING magazine, Summer, 1995

1 of 10 Top Canoe Towns in the U.S.
Paddler magazine, October, 1995

1 of 5 Top Farmers' Markets
Good Housekeeping, August, 1995

No. 1 "Dream Town"
Outside magazine, July, 1995

#3 Hottest City for Growth
U.S. News & World Report, April, 1995

Best Mid-Sized City Travel Getaway
Midwest Living magazine, August, 1994