Milwaukee and Madison fell 38 places and 21 places, respectively, in Forbes’ eighth annual “Best Places for Business and Careers Survey,” which ranks the 200 largest U.S. metro areas based on economic conditions and quality of life factors.
Increases in the cost of doing business and the cost of living, combined with declines in income growth and job growth, contributed to Milwaukee’s fall to No. 124 from No. 86 a year ago. Those same areas caused Madison to skid to No. 31 from No. 10 a year ago.
Quoted: James LaGro, chair of the department of urban and regional planning at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.