Madison (wi) : Wisconsin

What Madison (WI) is like for active adults

Madison has been a star since it was chosen as the state capital of Wisconsin - even before the town existed. An ideal retirement community, it consistently rates as one of the top places in the U.S. to live and retire. Its downtown is located in the picturesque isthmus between 2 lakes, Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, although there are also 3 other lakes within the city.

Madison, the second largest city in Wisconsin, is a perfect community for active adults 55+ retirement. This exciting university town has rich cultural institutions as well as a beautiful natural environment. Madison boasts a 30-mile web of paved trails that are lit, snowplowed, and biked year-round. Eco-friendly commutes are a dream with walkable streets and great bus service.

The downtown is vibrant and warm. Students from the nearby University of Wisconsin (41,000 students) congregate here. State Street, a car-free zone, links the campus with the capital square. The city has a reputation for its counterculture and liberal points of view, centered in the neighborhood of Mifflin and Bassett streets. During the 70’s the area was referred to as the “People’s Republic of Madison”. Many museums and restaurants now vie for patrons. Many of the city’s important buildings were designed by world famous architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Cesar Pelli.

This fast-growing city now encompasses several smaller communities: Madison, as well as the villages Maple Bluff and Shorewood Hills, and the city of Monona. The city's boundaries also approach the villages of Verona and Waunakee.

Retirees can either live with the general population or in a community designed for active adults. Madison is one of the most stable housing markets in the country. The NAR reports that the median sales price of a home in Madison, was $227,000 in the 4th quarter of 2008, off .3% from the previous year. Madison is located in Dane County, midway between Milwaukee and Green Bay. Area population exceeds 350,000.

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What is special about this retirement community

• A downtown between 2 lakes • University of Wisconsin - Madison • Dane County Farmers Market on the capitol square • Consistently one of the “Best Places to Live”, #2 for Top Uniquely American City • Great Taste of the Midwest craft beer festival • Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra free concerts • Mifflin Street Cooperative • Art Museums

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What is not special about this retirement community

• It is cold in the winter • Overdevelopment in the suburbs • Homeless people, a relic of the 70’s

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What kinds of people like retiring here

all ages and types of people - from students to active adults 55+ - who like being in a rich cultural environment on the shores of a beautiful lake. Here is more information to help you retire in Wisconsin.

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Local economy is driven by

Government, University of Wisconsin, high tech, tourism, retail

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Climate and Physical Environment

Madison is located on the isthmus between 2 lakes, with 3 more lakes located within the city limits.

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Cultural environment

Very few places in the U.S. can offer someone in retirement the cultural riches of Madison. There is the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Madison Opera, Madison Repertory Theatre, Chazen Museum of Art, Madison Ballet, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Many of these companies are located in the Cesar Pelli designed Overture Center for the Arts.

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Medical facilities

• Meriter Hospital Inc • St Marys Hospital Medical Center • Univ of WI Hospitals/Clinics Authority

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Transportation

Dane County Regional Airport is 6 miles away The Transit Authority offers good bus service around town

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Facts about MADISON (WI)

State: WI
Environment: Urban,Suburban,College Town,Lake,
City Population: 100,001+
Median age of Population: 25-44
Avg Jan Temperature: 0 -20
Median HH Income: 41,001-60,000
Average Home Price (MLS): $200,001-$300,000
Annual Property Tax on a $200,000 house: 2000-4000
Total Crime Index: <80 (Very low)
Cost of Living Index: 101-110 (slightly above average)
Culture Index: 121+ (very high)
State Sales Tax:
State Income Tax:
Name of the Guide: Fran

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