With a population of 107,000, Green Bay is the 3rd largest city in the state of Wisconsin. Located in Brown County, the city of Green Bay is best known for its football team, the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay is the principal city of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area, which covers many of the smaller surrounding cities.
1. The Weather Is Extremely Nice
That’s right, despite most of the Great lakes Region being known for constant rain and cold weather, in Green Bay you are going to have plenty of beautiful days to get outside and enjoy the nature you are surrounded by. The winters in Green Bay can get cold dropping to below freezing, however, from late May to mid-September, the vast majority of the days are going to be sunny and will be around 70 degrees. You also aren’t going to have to worry about snow as this isn’t nearly as common as most people think. During these same summer months, rainfall will drop from about 32% each day to just 5% meaning there will be plenty of suns for you to enjoy.
2. Citizenship Rates Are High
Another positive that likely won’t affect you too much is the fact that the citizenship rates are extremely high. The national average citizenship rate comes in at 93.4% of the population, however, in a city of 107,000 people, Green Bay has an outstanding percentage of the population being citizens with 93.9% of the population being United States citizens. This means that there are just 2,300 people who aren’t a citizen. It has also been shown that the number of people in Green Bay who are citizens has been steady at 97.5% for the past several years.
3. And So Are Homeownership Rates
Another positive that likely won’t affect you too much is the fact that the homeownership rates are extremely high. The state average ownership rate comes in at 67.1% of the population, however, in the city of 107,000 people, Green Bay has an outstanding percentage of the population being homeowners with 70.1% of the population being fully owning their homes. It has also been shown that the number of people in Green Bay who are owning their homes has been steady at 70% for the past several years.
4. Property Crime Is Low
Another big positive that many are going to be very happy to hear about is the fact that the amount of property crime within the city is one of the lowest for a city with a population of over 100,000 people. The number of property crimes, which included burglary, theft, vandalism, and motor vehicle theft, is just 15.01 per 1,000 people. This is far below both state and national averages with Wisconsin’s rate being 15.07 and the United States Average being slightly higher at 19 violent crimes per every 1,000 people. The theft was the most common violent crime, however even then the odds of being assaulted in Green Bay are just under 0.65%, or in other words, extremely low and unlikely.
5. You Are In A Great Sports City
Located to the south of Green Bay, Milwaukee is easily within range of those who are wanting to go and root for the many Milwaukee teams, which include the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Milwaukee Brewers. All of these teams are fun to watch, and the Bucks won a championship in 2021. Along with that, you have the team that put Green Bay on the map, the Packers. This is a team that has been competing for Superbowl for years and has always been providing a good viewing experience.
6. You Have Good Salaries
Green Bay is fortunate to have one of the better economies in the surrounding area and even has one of the better economies in the rest of the United States. There are plenty of different jobs in Green Bay as many companies are moving into the area for a variety of reasons. From this, the average income for those in Green Bay has grown to an average of just over $53,000 per person each year, over double the United States average of just $36,000 a year. And signs show that the economy is only going to continue to grow in upcoming years as more businesses move into the area and are in need of workers.
7. The Commute Is Short
While you are able to drive to just about anywhere you want, the average commute time that most people are having to make each morning is just 18 minutes. This will be great as it means you are going to have more time before you have to leave for work and more time to enjoy doing whatever you want afterward. Along with that, a shorter commute also means less gas you have to purchase. And the majority of the commutes are throughout Green Bay, and other small surrounding cities, which are easy drives down a typically non-traffic-jammed highway. Along with that, you can always use public transportation instead of driving yourself, however, public transportation did not make this list.
8. The City Is Diverse
As I will talk about throughout some of the other parts of this list, the amount of diversity that the city of Green Bay has is very good. According to the United States Census, the population in Green Bay is made up of 68.1% white, 4.3% African American, 4.2% Asian, 16.4% Hispanic/ Latino, and 7.2% who are of two or more races. This is a very diverse city and for the most part, there hasn’t been any segregation though it has never been perfect and there have been instances where marches and protests for equality have taken place. Though these protests have always remained peaceful, helping the city keep its friendly and caring reputation.
9. Homes Aren’t That Expensive
When it comes to getting a house in Green Bay, you are going to be looking at houses that are a fair bit below the national average. The current average price of a home within the city is $209,121, a whopping $225,600 under the national average. One of the major reasons for this is due to the natural beauty of the area surrounding you and you can get an amazing home with a great location far beneath the national average. Although with this the price of homes in Green Bay is also quickly getting more expensive. In just the past year the average price of homes has increased by 12.4% and shows little sign of slowing down.
10. Cost Of Living Is Low
While the costs of homes are above the national average, you, fortunately, aren’t going to have to worry about the cost of either health services or utilities as these are both below the national average. The cost of health services comes in at just 93.8, meaning that visits to the hospital or the cost of products like medication are going to cost far less than most places in the nation. Along with that, utilities cost just 94.3 meaning that things like electricity, water, and power are going to be costing you less. This can help make up for the extra you had to pay for the home by paying less for the utilities. You also will be able to save some of the money for the much higher price of homes that you are going to have to deal with in Green Bay.
11. There Are Lots For You To Do
Along with having a great environment and views all around you, you have a variety of different options of activities for you to be able to do. You have options for a variety of different options for activities for you to enjoy if you decide to move here. You can make the quick drive out past Milwaukee to enjoy a hike, and even do some swimming at Lake Michigan, or you can instead go for a hike at one of the many different mountains which are located throughout the state. Both of these are very fun, and along with these, you have a variety of other options for activities in the surrounding area as there is much to explore and do.
12. You Are Close To Everything You Need
Along with being close to a variety of different fun activities that you are going to be able to enjoy, you are also going to be close to just about anything you need. There are plenty of supermarkets throughout the city, lots of schools, churches, and even parks for locals to enjoy. But besides just local essentials, you are also close enough to Milwaukee and other major cities to be able to work wherever you have to without much of a commute, and you are just 10 to 20 minutes from the airport, meaning you won’t have to worry about driving that much in order to do anything you need to do. This is extra nice as gas prices continue to rise reaching $3.27 per gallon of gas.
13. Unemployment Rates Are Low
One of the last big positives that you are going to be able to enjoy is the fact that there is very little unemployment in the city. Already I have talked about how the jobs that are here pay well, but along with that, there is plenty of job security as unemployment rates are some of the lowest in the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in the city of Green Bay is just 4.5% of the population currently without a job.
14. There Is A Low Risk Of Disasters
Throughout the United States, there are many different natural disasters that you are going to have to worry about. From earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes in the west, hurricanes or blizzards in the east, droughts in the south, and tornadoes in the midwest, almost anywhere you are going to go you are going to have to deal with some sort of natural disaster. The only thing you are ever going to have to deal with in Green Bay is the rare and occasional tornado, however, everything from earthquakes to tornadoes occurs far below the national average. So, if you do move here you aren’t going to have to worry much about any sort of disaster.
15. Tax Rates Are Low
Let’s be honest, taxes suck and most of us would prefer if we were able to keep all of our money and didn’t have to pay taxes. Fortunately, in Green Bay, you aren’t going to have to worry about any sales tax or property taxes as they are both low here. The average sales tax in Green Bay is just 5.5%, far below the national average. And while the property tax of the city is higher than Wisconsin’s, it is still below the national average. The average property tax is just 0.92%, a fair bit below the national average of 1.110%.
16. The City Is Very Peaceful
Another thing that the locals have stated about the city of Green Bay, is the fact that the city is very calm and peaceful. When talking about how peaceful the city is, things like peaceful, calm, perfect, welcoming, nice, amazing, and many more similar words were used to describe the city.
17. The Locals Are Friendly
This is one of the largest factors that help give the city its small-town feel. While in many larger cities people will tend to be very cold and avoid interactions at all costs, people in Green Bay tend to be very nice and often are trying to help each other. This includes locals performing all sorts of services to keep the city looking nice, which often includes keeping the many parks clean and well-maintained so that both locals and visitors can enjoy their time there. Along with this, most interactions I have had with residents there left me with a smile and feeling a bit better as people just do nice things and seem to care about each other.
