Metro Life Score
Madison, WI
Above-median composite Life Score — grade B, 64th percentile of the national corpus.
- 52.9
- Life Score / 100
- B
- Grade (curved)
- #141
- of 387 metros
- 64%
- composite percentile
Data updated August 2026
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The verdict
Madison is above-median composite Life Score — #141 of 387 (52.9/100, grade B, 64th percentile). Carried by wages at 83/100; held back most by environment at 25/100.
- 64th
- composite percentile
- #141
- of 387 peers
- 32nd
- cost dimension percentile
- 82nd
- wages dimension percentile
Life Score shape · MID · WAGE-LED · signature wages
Madison: pay power is the signature
Madison stamps MID · WAGE-LED with wages at the 82nd percentile of the metro corpus (HIGH) — ahead of its cost mark (DEAR, 32nd) and composite #141. Wages (83/100) amplifies the lead; Environment (25/100) is the residual gap. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Madison, WI ranks #141 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #263 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.
BEA RPP 97.3 (rent-RPP 99.7). BLS median salary $72,527, 399,040 jobs (Registered Nurses, Fast Food and Counter Workers, Home Health and Personal Care Aides). HUD 2BR FMR $1,195/mo (studio $824).
FBI UCR (WI): 280 violent, 1157 property/100K. NCES: 14.1:1 ratio, 10.6% charter. DOL infant childcare $11,256/yr. EPA: 46 Superfund sites (WI).
Where Madison sits among all US metros
Composite Life Score vs the national field
53 64th percentile higher than 64% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026
How the 52.9 is built
Madison's Life Score, decomposed
Dimension detail
How Madison scores, dimension by dimension
Score Breakdown
Dimension Scores
Key Data Points
Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are WI state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.
Compare Madison With...
Ranking Context
Madison outranks 64% of U.S. metros.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| #138 | Homosassa Springs, FL | 53.0 | B |
| #139 | Brunswick-St. Simons, GA | 53.0 | B |
| #140 | Binghamton, NY | 53.0 | B |
| #141 | Madison, WI | 52.9 | B |
| #142 | Eau Claire, WI | 52.9 | B |
| #143 | Springfield, OH | 52.9 | B |
| #144 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | 52.7 | B |
Quality vs. Affordability
Madison, WI is top 36% highest-quality nationally but only bottom 32% least affordable among its composite-quality peers -- its Life Score is earned mostly outside the cost dimension, not through being a budget option.
WI Metro Scores
Read with Madison
Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Madison (MID · WAGE-LED · DEAR/HIGH), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.
Eau Claire, WI
ABS(composite) peer at 52.9 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · WAGE-LED · DEAR/HIGH.
Springfield, OH
ABS(composite) peer at 52.9 (Δ 0.0 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · WAGE-LED · DEAR/HIGH.
Binghamton, NY
ABS(composite) peer at 53.0 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · WAGE-LED · DEAR/HIGH.
Brunswick-St. Simons, GA
ABS(composite) peer at 53.0 (Δ 0.1 vs this metro); higher Life Score · grade B vs this page's MID · WAGE-LED · DEAR/HIGH.
Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 32/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp DEAR vs this metro's DEAR.
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL (cost pole)
ABS(cost_score) orthogonal peer at 32/100 (Δ 0); cost stamp DEAR vs this metro's DEAR.
Madison, WI relocation guide
Stamp-branched guide for MID · WAGE-LED · DEAR/HIGH - how to read federal Life Score inputs before a move.
Using Madison's middle-third Life Score
Madison scores 52.9/100 overall, but Wages (82.6) and Environment (24.9) sit 57.8 points apart, so decide which of the two matters more to you before leaning on the total.
- Wages is the strongest of Madison's seven dimensions (weighted 20% in the composite); if it is your priority, this is where the metro earns its rank. See all seven dimensions
- Environment is the weakest (weighted 10% in the composite); if it is a dealbreaker, weigh it before the ranking does. Rank metros on the composite
- Oshkosh is the nearest comparison this page can offer; put the two side by side on the same seven dimensions. Compare with Oshkosh
A middle-third composite is a weighted blend; individual dimensions can sit well above or below it.