SHEBOYGAN, WI (WHBL) – According to a new study, Sheboygan is the second most livable city of its size in the United States.
The AARP Livability Index ranks cities for livability based on housing, neighborhood, transportation, environment, health, engagement and opportunity.
The index is divided into three main categories according to population, and Sheboygan is No. 2 on the national list for small communities with populations of 25,000 to 99,000.
“We always knew Sheboygan was something special and we invite others to join us,” said Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation Chairman of the Board Gary Dulmes.
“Sheboygan County as a whole is made up of many communities that offer wonderful living conditions starting with our caring people.”
In total, five other Wisconsin cities made the top 10 list of the most livable cities: Milwaukee, Madison, Sheboygan, La Crosse, Fitchburg and Sun Prairie.
About Sheboygan, the index lists transportation as one of the biggest areas of achievement thanks to local biking trails and walkable neighborhoods as well as an ADA-compliant transportation system.
Sheboygan also got high marks for civic engagement for its voting record: 71.8 percent voted, compared with the national median of 55.6 percent.
According to the release, the city promotes civic engagement with numerous neighborhood associations, arts and culture “and plenty of natural trails and parks for those who love to be outdoors.”
Opportunity is another area where Sheboygan scored well for equal opportunity: equal opportunity related to income equality; economic opportunity (jobs per worker); educational opportunity (high school graduation rate); and multi-generational communities (age diversity).
ACUITY, in Sheboygan, has been named the second-best firm in the nation to work for, according to Fortune’s Top 100. In addition, there are more than 3,000 job openings within Sheboygan County.
Educational opportunity is also strong: the Sheboygan Area School District offers more than 60 college-credit courses; every year, more than 50 seniors have at least one year of college completed by the time they graduate from high school.
The Livability Index was first launched in 2015 and uses more than 50 data sources to score every neighborhood and community in the country.
“The country is finding out what we’ve known for some time – that Wisconsin is a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire,” said AARP Wisconsin State Director Sam Wilson.
This is the first time Sheboygan has made the livability index.
The livability index can be found at livabilityindex.aarp.org/search#Sheboygan+WI+USA.
