There are all types when it comes to being a snob in Wisconsin. You’ve got your Wine Snobs, Book Snobs, and, of course, Clothes Snobs. Then there are the Technology Snobs, Car Snobs, and yes, even City Snobsas in, I’m better than you because I live in (insert snooty city here).
How can we tell which Wisconsin cities are the snobbiest? By measuring snobby things, that’s how.
We used Saturday Night Science to look at things like expensive homes, high incomes, and overly educated populations by city in Wisconsin. These are the criteria you’d argue with a friend over a foodie dinner about who’s snobbier.
After analyzing 141 of the state’s most populous areas over 5,000 people, we came up with this ranking of the ten snobbiest places in the state of Wisconsin.
The Wisconsinite in these places aren’t snobby, they just know they’re better than you.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Snobbiest Places In Wisconsin
Don’t freak out.
What’s the snobbiest place in Wisconsin? The snobbiest place in Wisconsin is Whitefish Bay based on the data. If we had their wealth and lifestyle, we’d probably be a little snobby, too.
The most laid back? That would be Antigo.
We’re not so full of ourselves as to make this ranking up from nowhere. So here’s a look at the top ten and more on how we did it. And if you’re curious, Wisconsin is the 21st snobbiest in the United States.
For more Wisconsin reading, check out:
The 10 Snobbiest Places In Wisconsin For 2024
/10
% Highly Educated: 81.0%
Median Income: $142,356
Median Home Price: $553,113
More on Whitefish Bay: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Highly Educated: 70.0%
Median Income: $141,996
Median Home Price: $572,570
More on Mequon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Highly Educated: 65.0%
Median Income: $126,996
Median Home Price: $580,004
More on Elm Grove: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Highly Educated: 74.0%
Median Income: $130,865
Median Home Price: $481,451
More on Fox Point: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Highly Educated: 63.0%
Median Income: $132,305
Median Home Price: $512,820
More on Waunakee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Highly Educated: 62.0%
Median Income: $109,960
Median Home Price: $480,612
More on Verona: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Highly Educated: 62.0%
Median Income: $121,837
Median Home Price: $450,774
More on Brookfield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Highly Educated: 58.0%
Median Income: $99,239
Median Home Price: $638,617
More on Delafield: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Highly Educated: 47.0%
Median Income: $128,165
Median Home Price: $493,223
More on Richfield: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
% Highly Educated: 64.0%
Median Income: $87,333
Median Home Price: $523,693
More on Middleton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How we determined the snobbiest cities in the Badger State
Do you think wed just come up with this list willy-nilly? Not a chance – we only use Saturday Night Science around here.
We gathered up all of the places in Wisconsin with populations of 5,000 people or more. This left us with a total of 141 places. Then, we looked at each place in terms of these snoot-er-iffic criteria (And no, its not a word. English snob.):
- Median home price (Higher is snobbier)
- Median household income (Higher is snobbier)
- Percent of population with a college degree (Higher is snobbier)
Incomes and college education levels come from the American Community Survey. Home prices come from Zillow.
Turned out this simple criteria was much better at sniffing out the snobby places then more snobby criteria like:
- Libaries per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Museums per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Private schools per capita (Higher is snobbier)
From there, we ranked each of our 141 places in each category with scores from one to 141. We then averaged each places ranking into one overall score, where the lowest score went to the snobbiest place in Wisconsin. So lets all flip a table in honor of Whitefish Bay (with our pinkies up, of course.)
Before you get upset and ruin your blowout or something drastic here, lets remember that this is all in good fun. Would we live in one of these 10 places if we had the chance? Of course, we would.
And it’s not like your real estate agent would ever point out how snobby the town you’re moving to is. We’re here to keep you grounded, even if you’re wearing a monocle.
There You Have It – Now That You’re On Your High Horse
When it comes to snobbery, these places in Wisconsin are heading ever upward. Residents in these communities are well educated, well paid, and appear to have all the sophisticated culture and entertainment of an Ernst Lubitsch film right at their fingertips.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The snobbiest cities in Wisconsin are Whitefish Bay, Mequon, Elm Grove, Fox Point, Waunakee, Verona, Brookfield, Delafield, Richfield, and Middleton.
If you’re also curious enough, here are the most laid back places in Wisconsin, according to science:
- Antigo
- Merrill
- Richland Center
For more Wisconsin reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Cheapest Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Most Dangerous Cities In Wisconsin
- Richest Cities In Wisconsin
- Safest Places In Wisconsin
- Worst Places To Live In Wisconsin
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Wisconsin
Table: The Snobbiest Cities In Wisconsin For 2024
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Adult Highly Educated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whitefish Bay, WI | 14,804 | $142,356 | $553,113 | 81.0% |
| 2 | Mequon, WI | 25,102 | $141,996 | $572,570 | 70.0% |
| 3 | Elm Grove, WI | 6,445 | $126,996 | $580,004 | 65.0% |
| 4 | Fox Point, WI | 6,811 | $130,865 | $481,451 | 74.0% |
| 5 | Waunakee, WI | 14,794 | $132,305 | $512,820 | 63.0% |
| 6 | Verona, WI | 14,040 | $109,960 | $480,612 | 62.0% |
| 7 | Brookfield, WI | 41,342 | $121,837 | $450,774 | 62.0% |
| 8 | Delafield, WI | 7,181 | $99,239 | $638,617 | 58.0% |
| 9 | Richfield, WI | 11,757 | $128,165 | $493,223 | 47.0% |
| 10 | Middleton, WI | 21,864 | $87,333 | $523,693 | 64.0% |
| 11 | Cottage Grove, WI | 7,567 | $123,750 | $416,743 | 53.0% |
| 12 | Shorewood, WI | 13,707 | $87,161 | $467,870 | 78.0% |
| 13 | Sussex, WI | 11,549 | $105,435 | $437,059 | 48.0% |
| 14 | Hobart, WI | 10,130 | $107,222 | $425,683 | 46.0% |
| 15 | Muskego, WI | 25,073 | $112,537 | $444,024 | 43.0% |
| 16 | Oregon, WI | 11,240 | $95,453 | $422,070 | 50.0% |
| 17 | Oconomowoc, WI | 18,178 | $99,104 | $435,095 | 45.0% |
| 18 | Fitchburg, WI | 29,826 | $87,253 | $447,181 | 59.0% |
| 19 | Mcfarland, WI | 9,104 | $91,029 | $418,062 | 50.0% |
| 20 | Mount Horeb, WI | 7,717 | $96,915 | $412,236 | 46.0% |
| 21 | Wauwatosa, WI | 47,919 | $93,812 | $362,434 | 62.0% |
| 22 | Monona, WI | 8,592 | $87,723 | $417,017 | 58.0% |
| 23 | Hudson, WI | 14,763 | $90,250 | $461,468 | 44.0% |
| 24 | Suamico, WI | 12,878 | $111,320 | $396,184 | 41.0% |
| 25 | New Berlin, WI | 40,387 | $94,769 | $388,822 | 46.0% |
| 26 | Menomonee Falls, WI | 38,610 | $96,986 | $367,403 | 48.0% |
| 27 | Franklin, WI | 36,513 | $100,524 | $380,895 | 44.0% |
| 28 | Cedarburg, WI | 12,213 | $79,610 | $475,448 | 53.0% |
| 29 | Sun Prairie, WI | 35,847 | $90,384 | $374,169 | 51.0% |
| 30 | Bristol, WI | 5,169 | $103,652 | $533,141 | 33.0% |
| 31 | Pleasant Prairie, WI | 21,373 | $99,635 | $386,284 | 39.0% |
| 32 | Greendale, WI | 14,722 | $89,684 | $342,979 | 49.0% |
| 33 | Mukwonago, WI | 8,311 | $91,827 | $423,592 | 37.0% |
| 34 | Deforest, WI | 10,767 | $97,381 | $356,196 | 40.0% |
| 35 | Hartland, WI | 9,599 | $82,238 | $421,737 | 43.0% |
| 36 | Grafton, WI | 12,160 | $83,500 | $377,473 | 44.0% |
| 37 | Slinger, WI | 6,055 | $92,984 | $404,668 | 35.0% |
| 38 | Madison, WI | 268,516 | $74,895 | $369,136 | 59.0% |
| 39 | Glendale, WI | 13,227 | $79,861 | $312,896 | 60.0% |
| 40 | Oak Creek, WI | 36,286 | $86,408 | $356,263 | 38.0% |
| 41 | Hales Corners, WI | 7,677 | $84,911 | $351,737 | 38.0% |
| 42 | Jackson, WI | 7,814 | $94,621 | $367,088 | 31.0% |
| 43 | River Falls, WI | 16,165 | $72,247 | $370,227 | 45.0% |
| 44 | Lake Mills, WI | 6,280 | $77,449 | $364,364 | 41.0% |
| 45 | Waterford, WI | 5,587 | $81,575 | $383,978 | 32.0% |
| 46 | Waukesha, WI | 70,945 | $77,558 | $328,532 | 42.0% |
| 47 | Onalaska, WI | 18,837 | $80,296 | $315,396 | 40.0% |
| 48 | Caledonia, WI | 25,277 | $90,346 | $327,335 | 32.0% |
| 49 | Kronenwetter, WI | 8,335 | $107,727 | $288,694 | 32.0% |
| 50 | De Pere, WI | 25,373 | $78,733 | $337,383 | 38.0% |
| 51 | West Salem, WI | 5,253 | $79,891 | $320,923 | 38.0% |
| 52 | Pewaukee, WI | 8,227 | $60,202 | $459,571 | 38.0% |
| 53 | Holmen, WI | 10,806 | $77,880 | $357,250 | 32.0% |
| 54 | Plover, WI | 13,549 | $76,120 | $296,269 | 43.0% |
| 55 | Brown Deer, WI | 12,593 | $88,164 | $253,305 | 40.0% |
| 56 | Mount Pleasant, WI | 27,640 | $83,827 | $292,158 | 36.0% |
| 57 | Howard, WI | 20,022 | $77,118 | $340,552 | 35.0% |
| 58 | Altoona, WI | 8,506 | $77,002 | $306,195 | 38.0% |
| 59 | Stoughton, WI | 13,091 | $73,014 | $331,307 | 37.0% |
| 60 | Port Washington, WI | 12,446 | $76,609 | $322,974 | 36.0% |
| 61 | New Richmond, WI | 10,158 | $78,077 | $345,613 | 30.0% |
| 62 | Allouez, WI | 14,089 | $84,198 | $274,547 | 36.0% |
| 63 | Evansville, WI | 5,720 | $83,431 | $299,429 | 31.0% |
| 64 | Lake Geneva, WI | 8,335 | $62,883 | $341,584 | 39.0% |
| 65 | Bellevue, WI | 16,086 | $76,152 | $345,424 | 27.0% |
| 66 | Milton, WI | 5,692 | $78,957 | $293,485 | 29.0% |
| 67 | Burlington, WI | 11,000 | $80,529 | $305,324 | 26.0% |
| 68 | Twin Lakes, WI | 6,341 | $88,770 | $332,070 | 20.0% |
| 69 | Neenah, WI | 27,309 | $71,280 | $295,098 | 32.0% |
| 70 | Elkhorn, WI | 10,253 | $72,958 | $310,154 | 28.0% |
| 71 | Appleton, WI | 75,133 | $75,469 | $256,611 | 36.0% |
| 72 | West Bend, WI | 31,682 | $71,904 | $300,826 | 29.0% |
| 73 | Ashwaubenon, WI | 16,939 | $67,748 | $289,524 | 35.0% |
| 74 | Hartford, WI | 15,667 | $70,887 | $324,957 | 27.0% |
| 75 | Lake Hallie, WI | 7,178 | $76,134 | $308,070 | 26.0% |
| 76 | Edgerton, WI | 5,878 | $80,255 | $255,568 | 28.0% |
| 77 | Greenfield, WI | 37,521 | $67,536 | $291,988 | 31.0% |
| 78 | Eau Claire, WI | 69,098 | $63,882 | $282,687 | 36.0% |
| 79 | Rothschild, WI | 5,537 | $84,963 | $214,618 | 28.0% |
| 80 | Kaukauna, WI | 17,111 | $74,575 | $258,413 | 27.0% |
| 81 | Delavan, WI | 8,519 | $69,238 | $286,756 | 26.0% |
| 82 | Columbus, WI | 5,481 | $65,727 | $268,346 | 30.0% |
| 83 | Menomonie, WI | 16,563 | $51,250 | $273,762 | 38.0% |
| 84 | Fort Atkinson, WI | 12,522 | $72,215 | $256,174 | 26.0% |
| 85 | Sturtevant, WI | 6,823 | $83,816 | $245,292 | 22.0% |
| 86 | South Milwaukee, WI | 20,678 | $68,801 | $256,703 | 26.0% |
| 87 | Janesville, WI | 65,669 | $68,610 | $248,170 | 27.0% |
| 88 | Whitewater, WI | 15,725 | $46,135 | $295,965 | 34.0% |
| 89 | Sturgeon Bay, WI | 9,620 | $55,791 | $327,051 | 26.0% |
| 90 | Little Chute, WI | 11,798 | $69,102 | $250,340 | 26.0% |
| 91 | Platteville, WI | 11,543 | $46,554 | $227,451 | 45.0% |
| 92 | Jefferson, WI | 7,778 | $69,844 | $285,758 | 21.0% |
| 93 | Plymouth, WI | 8,907 | $65,893 | $279,607 | 24.0% |
| 94 | Kimberly, WI | 7,331 | $65,061 | $243,898 | 28.0% |
| 95 | Sheboygan Falls, WI | 8,163 | $66,416 | $273,284 | 24.0% |
| 96 | Cudahy, WI | 18,087 | $66,592 | $248,599 | 26.0% |
| 97 | Stevens Point, WI | 25,549 | $53,611 | $235,226 | 38.0% |
| 98 | Weston, WI | 15,698 | $71,466 | $250,370 | 23.0% |
| 99 | Menasha, WI | 18,125 | $62,514 | $292,014 | 23.0% |
| 100 | Baraboo, WI | 12,541 | $66,592 | $246,414 | 25.0% |
…and just so you know, the picture you provided for Edgerton is an apartment building, not a single family home.
and for heavens sake, I’d bet the farm that the average home in Edgerton is not worth $365,000.00. almost laughable is it not.
Ha! Edgerton is one of the snobbiest places in Wisconsin? You certainly have never been there. And the median home price is no where near that much. Also, the picture posted along with #10 is an old high school turned apartment building.
I have lived in Edgerton all my life and the snobby ness is based on “Cliques” that think they are better then everyone else the town is full of judge mental people.
Whitefish Bay Data is incorrect. I realize this would put them in the top spot as #1 snobby city but, I wanted to make your story accurate.
Whitefish Bay medium home price isn’t $135 K It is far from that.. There isn’t a $135K home in all of Whitefish Bay. The medium home price is $275K. Just saying
The Mequon picture is a picture of Elm Grove.
Cool article. You’re an idiot.
The weird thing is that the writer is the one who sounds elitist.
You forgot Hartford. You can’t break into their cliques no matter what you do or how much money you make. Most won’t acknowledge you or it never gets past “hi.” It”s not always income or home value. Some towns hate you simply because you didn’t grow up there.
I know Eau Claire is not one of the snobbiest cities in Wisconsin because Eau Claire is the 3 drunkest in the u.s.