U.S. News and World Report Recognizes Green Bay as One of the Best Places to Live

GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) — U.S. News and World Report has named the 25 Best Places to Live in the U.S. in 2024-2025.

Green Bay, WI is coming in at number 12.  The rankings are based on affordability, strong job market, high quality of life, and other factors.

The report says:

Green Bay is a small city that’s filled with big-city amenities – art galleries, farm-to-table restaurants, craft breweries, and of course, a renowned NFL franchise. Like many Midwestern cities, Green Bay has a low cost of living relative to cities in other regions of the country. It ranks No. 8 for value and is the fifth-highest ranking state when it comes to housing affordability, with a median home price of around $180,000, much lower than the national average of $282,000. Green Bay also ranks well for quality of life (No. 25), with short commute times, healthy air quality and low crime.

Brad Toll, Chief Executive Officer with Discover Green Bay, says there’s always a lot happening in Green Bay.

“We have lots of cool events that come through here, like the 2025 NFL Draft, and that plays into a high quality of life,” said Toll. “The opportunities to experience things like live music festivals, art festivals, and those kinds of events are really important.”

Toll added that one of the reasons Green Bay is so popular for large events coming here is because our event venues, hotels, etc. are cheaper than many other areas.

Additionally, Green Bay provides many opportunities for nature enthusiasts.  Walkers, runners, bikers, snowshoers or skiers can take advantage of the area’s trails. In the summer, the Fox River also offers opportunities for boating, kayaking, and other water sports.

In 2023, Green Bay held the number 1 spot on the list.

The only other Wisconsin city in the top 25 this year was Madison, coming in at number 14.