MADISON, Wisconsin
Population: 243,344
Unemployment: 3.6 percent
Population Growth Since 2010: 4.3 percent
Madison has always been able to flaunt its quality of life, which somehow manages to be both idyllic and sensible, i.e. the city boasts two lakes, four colleges, 37 libraries and 131 bars. Increasingly it’s seen as a good place for business, with low unemployment, plenty of smart people (more than half of residents have at least a bachelor’s degree) and incubators such as Sector67 helping to produce everything from cast iron cookware to 3D printers.