7 Reasons to Live in Green Bay, WI
Greater Green Bay, WI, often ranks high in best places to live listings. It earned the No. 1 spot on the U.S. News and World Report’s 2023-24 Best Places to Live list, which considers the area’s job market, value, quality of life and desirability. Yes, this region has quite a few top qualities, but – as the locals will tell you – there are so many more that make living in Greater Green Bay truly special. Here are just a few of the top reasons to live in Green Bay, WI.
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1. Welcoming Communities
Greater Green Bay is made up of two cities, 13 towns and nine villages, all of which offer friendly, welcoming communities that are close to the region’s amenities.
“Everything’s within a 15- to 20-minute drive, so it’s easy to get around,” says Adam Sutter, director of the Northeast Region for Junior Achievement, a nonprofit that helps youth connect what they learn in school with life outside the classroom. “My wife and I chose a neighborhood in De Pere with a lot of families around our age. Our kids have good relationships with the neighborhood kids and can go out and do the whole Midwestern thing of running around until it gets dark. It’s a safe, relatively quiet area, which makes it a great place for families.”
2. Diverse Job Opportunities
The region is home to a strong, diverse labor market, with key industries in manufacturing, transportation and logistics, food and beverage processing, paper and packaging, health care and education.
The unemployment rate, which has remained at approximately 3% since 2022, is lower than the national average, and the labor force participation rate (64.6% in February 2024) is higher than the national average, which was 62.5% at that time. Sutter came to the area about 20 years ago when a job opportunity became available for his wife. It is the region’s quality of life, however, that has kept them here.
“We grew up in a smaller town by Madison,” Sutter says. “I appreciate the size of this city. It’s got everything you would need as far as big box stores, restaurants and smaller mom-and-pop shops.”
3. Strong Schools
Strong schools are one of the top reasons to live in Green Bay, WI. Families have more than 12 public school districts and a variety of private school options to choose from.
With two kids — a sixth grader and a high school sophomore — a wife who teaches and a job that works closely with the area school districts, Sutter is intimately familiar with the quality educational resources Green Bay offers. His wife and children are in the Unified School District of De Pere.
“We really appreciate the variety of learning options available,” Sutter says. “My daughter has been able to take some classes based on her interests. There’s a good variety of classes to let the students explore.”
No matter the district, students benefit from strong curriculums and attentive teachers.
“The care factor is definitely there,” Sutter says. “From my role, I see that with all of the teachers we work with.”
If students wish to pursue higher education after high school, the region provides options — Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and St. Norbert College.
4. Affordable Living
Greater Green Bay, WI, is an affordable place to live. In fact, MarketWatch ranked it No. 1 on its Most Affordable Cities to Live In list in 2023. According to PayScale’s cost of living calculator, housing costs in Green Bay are 22% lower than the national average.
“The cost of living is very reasonable compared to larger cities,” Sutter says. “And Milwaukee is just a couple hours away if you want to go to a concert or Brewers game.”
5. Outdoor Recreation
Green Bay, WI, is surrounded by thousands of acres of natural spaces, from gardens and parks to trails and waterfalls. Easy access to outdoor recreation is one of the top reasons to live in Green Bay, WI. Explore the 47 acres at Green Bay Botanical Garden or spend a day paddling along the Fox River.
“There are so many trails in the area, and my family loves being able to get out for bike rides and hikes,” Sutter says. “And then, obviously, being close to the water is great for boating or visiting a beach.”
Many of the region’s outdoor spaces offer year-round fun. Rent or take your own fat-tire bike for a spin downtown along the Fox River or the scenic nature trail through the Bay Beach Wildlife Preserve or go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing at Reforestation Camp.
6. Superb Dining
Whether you’re looking for a casual bite or fine dining, Green Bay has plenty of restaurants to choose from.
“There are some really fun local restaurants, from supper club-type places where you can get fish to Italian cuisine and more,” Sutter says.
Some of his family’s favorites include Luigi’s Italian Bistro, where the menu includes gourmet and specialty pizzas, a wide variety of pastas, paninis and steakburgers, and Mackinaws Grill & Spirits, which serves up a selection of seafood, pastas, burgers, sandwiches and Mexican favorites — to name a few.
7. Arts and Culture
Those who live in Greater Green Bay, WI, can’t get enough of the growing arts and culture scene. Residents can enjoy Broadway in Green Bay at The Weidner Center for the Performing Arts, concerts and a variety of shows at Meyer Theatre and national performing acts at the Resch Center. For more laid-back entertainment, check out the summer music series at places like Josten Park, Klipstine Park and Vickery Village pavilion.
For visual arts, check out The Art Garage, a nonprofit arts organization with public galleries, workshops and private artist studios, and the annual Artstreet festival, which features works by nearly 200 artists from across the country.
This article is sponsored by Your Move Green Bay and the Greater Green Bay Chamber.