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The best neighborhoods in Madison WI are so special! Livability.com named Madison the best place to live in the country in 2021 and 2022. A major factor in why Madison, WI was number one was its neighborhoods. Madison neighborhoods provide a wide range of experiences, catering to retirees, families with young children, and college students alike. However, there are over 100 neighborhoods in Madison, making it hard to find the best neighborhoods in Madison.
Even if you look at just a few of the best neighborhoods in Madison, you may struggle to find one place to move to. Get the facts about the best Madison neighborhoods, then make an informed decision about the most affordable neighborhood and safest neighborhoods in Madison WI. Here's what to know about the seven best neighborhoods in Madison WI.
Wexford Village | Quiet and Safe Madison Neighborhood With Top Townhomes and Condos
Wexford Village (sometimes called Wexford) is in western Madison, a quiet and safe area of the city. The community has fewer attractions than the other best neighborhoods in Madison WI, making it suitable for retirees and families looking for a quaint community to live in. Parks, nature preserves, and ponds are within walking distance of the community, and Lake Mendota is a short drive away. Wexford Park covers 20.6 acres and contains kid-friendly playgrounds, picnic areas, and ponds available for ice skating in the winter.
The Wexford Village Home Association oversees Wexford Village and provides services like street cleaning and free entertainment. The neighborhood association charges monthly fees for access to these services. The association oversees 407 acres of land, including residential areas. You have options for homes for sale, condos, and townhomes in Wexford Village, though townhomes and condos are the most popular. Most properties were built in the 1990s and contain modern features like open floor plans, spacious sunrooms, and first-floor master suites.
Properties are suitable for small families, containing two or three bedrooms and 1,600-2,100 square feet of space. Wexford Park is one of the safest neighborhoods in Madison WI, with its crime rates being lower than the city, state, and national averages.
Wexford Village crime rate: 946 offenses per 100,000 residents (64.9% lower than the Madison crime rate)
Westmorland | Best Kid-Friendly Madison Neighborhood
Westmorland is a compact neighborhood in central Madison, roughly four miles from Downtown Madison and some other best neighborhoods in Madison WI. Despite being close to the downtown area, Westmorland is one of the most quaint and best places to live in Madison WI. It's best known for Westmorland Park, which is at the geographic center of the neighborhood. Westmorland Park has unique features like a rock garden, a volleyball court, and a softball field.
Westmorland is one of the best neighborhoods in Madison WI for young children. It's home to Midvale Elementary School, which has a student-to-teacher ratio of 10:1, one of the lowest among Madison elementary schools. You can also visit the Sequoya Branch of the Madison Public Library. The library has a large collection of children's books and is home to kid-friendly events like book readings and film screenings throughout the year.
Westmorland is also one of the top Madison neighborhoods for golfers. Three top golf clubs are within walking distance of Westmorland. The Glen Golf Park is a public golf course that offers nine holes with manicured greens and scenic views of the city. Odana Hills Golf Course offers 18 holes and is a hub for tournaments and leagues. The course is home to a spacious clubhouse you can lounge in and rent for special events.
Maple Prairie | Commuter-Friendly Neighborhood With Access to Local Shops and Stores
Maple Prairie is in southwestern Madison, close to the border with Verona and other cities near Madison. This makes Maple Prairie suitable for commuters and frequent travelers, including people who work outside of Madison. The Madison neighborhood is just west of US Route 18, providing direct access to Downtown Madison, Verona, Mt. Horeb, and other Madison WI neighborhoods. McKee Road forms the southern border and provides great access to top stores like ALDI, HyVee Grocery Store, and Target.
Maple Prairie is the smallest of the best neighborhoods in Madison WI. Only a few Maple Prairie homes for sale are on the market at any one time, but homes for sale in Maple Prairie are comfortable and upscale. You can purchase a ranch home with four bedrooms and nearly 3,000 square feet of space for less than $550,000. Properties contain incredible amenities like fully furnished and equipped kitchens, workout rooms, and skylights.
Maple Prairie Details
Maple Prairie population: 2,159
Average rent of Maple Prairie apartments: $1,507 a month
Maple Prairie crime rate: 1,531 offenses per 100,000 residents (43.2% lower than the Madison crime rate)
Vilas | Upscale, Walkable, and Centrally Located Madison Neighborhood
Vilas is in central Madison, just west of Downtown Madison. Vilas is one of the best neighborhoods in Madison for kid-friendly attractions. Its top attraction is Henry Vilas Zoo, a free zoo open throughout the year. The Henry Vilas Zoo is home to over 650 animals, including African lions, desert tortoises, and hissing cockroaches. After you've visited the zoo, you can visit a few different parks in Vilas. Bear Mound Park covers 1.6 acres and is home to an effigy mound built by Indigenous people thousands of years ago.
Vilas is one of the most upscale and luxurious Madison WI neighborhoods. Homes for sale are two times higher than the median price of Madison homes for sale. However, you get upscale properties with luxurious amenities for your money. Many homes have been recently renovated to add oak hardwood floors, tiled walk-in showers, mudrooms, and private back decks. Vilas homes are among the newest in the best neighborhoods in Madison WI.
Vilas is one of the most walkable Madison neighborhoods. The streets are laid out in a grid-like fashion and contain wide, smooth sidewalks. Trees in the WI neighborhood provide shade, making walking enjoyable during the spring and summer. Young professionals and students from the University of Wisconsin Madison live in the community and walk to classes on the Wisconsin Madison campus.
Vilas crime rate: 1,420 offenses per 100,000 people (47.3% lower than the Madison crime rate)
Schenk-Atwood | Best Madison Neighborhood for Restaurants and Cafes
Schenk-Atwood (sometimes called Atwood Schenk and Schenk-Atwood-Starkweather-Yahara) is on the northern tip of Lake Monona in eastern Madison. The neighborhood is close to major cities near Madiso, like McFarland and Sun Prairie. It’s also close to some of the other best neighborhoods in Madison WI. The neighborhood features parks and top green spaces, including Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Olbrich Botanical Gardens covers 16 acres and contains both outdoor gardens and an indoor conservatory open throughout the year. You can also visit Olbrich Park and go boating in Lake Monona.
Schenk-Atwood is also a top neighborhood in Madison for kid-friendly restaurants and coffee shops. Garver Feed Mill is an indoor food court with local vendors like Ledger Coffee Vendors, and Ian's Pizza. Glass Nickel Pizza is a casual pizzeria that serves pizzas with unique toppings like peanut sauce, sunflower seeds, and avocados. If you want breakfast, you can visit Monty's Blue Plate Diner, which serves breakfast all day long. When you want a cup of coffee or a quick meal, you can visit Forward Craft and Coffee, which serves fresh coffee and craft beers in a friendly setting.
Schenk-Atwood crime rate: 1,718 offenses per 100,000 residents (36.3% lower than the Madison crime rate)
Are you ready to start moving to Schenk-Atwood? Hire top local Madison movers from StraightLine Moving now!
Marquette | Best Madison Neighborhood for Homebuyers
Marquette is one of the oldest Madison WI neighborhoods and is well-known for its diverse architecture. Marquette is the best Madison neighborhood for homebuyers, as the real estate market in the community is very active, and homes are relatively affordable. The neighborhood only covers a few blocks, yet 113 homes for sale were sold in Marquette in 2023 alone. You can find a wide range of architectural styles in the family-friendly community, including 19th-century Greek Revival homes, bungalows, and bohemian buildings.
Marquette homes for sale have a range of footprints, with some containing two bedrooms and 1,000 square feet and others containing four bedrooms and 2,000 square feet. Prices for Marquette homes for sale also vary, though most cost between $400,000 and $600,000, making Marquette one of the most affordable and best places to live in Madison WI. It’s more affordable than most of the other best neighborhoods in Madison WI.
Williamson Street (also known as Willy Street) is the hub of Marquette. It's so popular amongst the residents of Madison Wisconsin neighborhoods that the neighborhood is sometimes referred to as "Willy" instead of Marquette. You can find unique attractions on Willy Street, such as the Broom Street Theater, a top experimental theater and black box theater. Lazy Janes Cafe and Bakery is also on Willy Street and is one of the best bakeries in the city. You can order fresh breakfast dishes, coffee, and baked goods throughout the day. You can also visit local shops like Willy St Coop and St. Vincent De Paul Store, a top thrift store. Williamson Street also provides access to the city center and to commuter streets like East Washington Avenue and State Street.
Marquette crime rate: 2,857 offenses per 100,000 residents (5.9% higher than the Madison crime rate)
Dudgeon-Monroe | Best Madison Neighborhood for Private Schools and Fine Dining
Dudgeon Monroe is a compact neighborhood just south of the city center and just west of the university campus. It's on the northern shore of Lake Wingra, and you can go boating and go for walks along the shoreline. It's a top neighborhood for bikers and hikers, as it contains the Southwest Commuter Path, a paved walking trail that connects to the city center and Madison Wisconsin neighborhoods in the west side.
Dudgeon Monroe is one of the best neighborhoods in Madison WI for students. Monroe Street runs through the center of Dudgeon Monroe. Monroe Street is its own vibrant community, with good schools and restaurants. Edgewood College is in the neighborhood and located on Monroe Street. It's a private Catholic college with over 80 different undergraduate and graduate programs.
If you want to send your kids to a private school, Edgewood College has a private middle school and high school, both located in Dudgeon Monroe. Edgewood High School offers a liberal arts education with a Catholic background. According to the Edgewood High School school profile, 97% of graduates in 2024 went to post-secondary school. Over 300 students of the graduating class of 2024 took AP tests, and 83% of students received at least one AP score of 3 or higher.
Wingra School is a private secular school serving students between the ages of 5 and 14. The curriculum offers experiential learning, with students staying in the same classroom for multiple years and participating in hands-on assignments. Wingra School is an LGBTQ-friendly school.
Dudgeon Monroe is the best place to live in Madison WI for fine dining. Gates and Brovi is a rustic and Italian-inspired tavern that offers brunch and dinner, including Friday night fish fries. Fairchild is a classy American restaurant with an extensive wine and cocktail list, making it suitable for date nights.
Dudgeon Monroe crime rate: 1,467 offenses per 100,000 people (45.6% lower than the Madison rate)
Madison Neighborhoods Map
You can use this Madison neighborhoods map to explore the best Madison neighborhoods.
The best neighborhoods in Madison WI are absolutely wonderful! College students can enjoy living in Westmorland and Marquette, while families with young children can live in Schenk-Atwood.
Once you've picked the perfect Madison neighborhood for yourself, you can start the moving process immediately. StraightLine Moving has a team of the best Madison movers, having performed over 6,000 successful relocations in the best neighborhoods in Madison. Call 815-708-7875 for a free estimate now.
