6 Reasons Wisconsin Is the Most Underrated State

2. Genuinely nice people live here.

Ever heard of Midwest nice? It’s a real thing that happens in the Midwest and consequently Wisconsin. Just imagine: genuine smiles from people on the sidewalk, complete strangers offering to help grandma cross the street, everyone holding doors for each other, and even using their turn signal when they drive. Pretentiousness is not required with these humble folk, truth is, most natives would be more impressed with an out-of-towner’s beer drinking capacity than their Mercedes Benz.

3. We’ve got beer.

Speaking of beer drinking capacity, if you have a thing for the barley pop, then Wisconsin needs to be a mandatory destination on your list. With more than 180 craft breweries in the state, you could drink a different brewery’s beer every day for half the year, but since most brew multiple styles and seasonals, you’d have to be overly dedicated, and a little crazy, to try and taste every one of them.

4. We still have something called state pride.

There’s no question about it, people born in Wisconsin love their state. For them, it might as well be the center of the universe, and why not? Everything any good American could ask for is here: clean air, lots of space, good community, drinkable tap water, no natural disaster threats, great football teams, a local culture rich in art and live music, cheap shopping, and a whole half of the state where you can live next to a clean lake. Also, did I mention beer? Yep, Wisconsin has it all.

5. Our cost of living is low.

Milwaukee and Madison, the metropolitan cities of Wisconsin, offer all the culture, music, art, and food you crave without the big-city price tag. As of August 2016, the average rent for a one bedroom apartment within the city of Milwaukee is $1,082. To put that in perspective, the average 1 bedroom in Los Angeles is renting for $2,299, and a whopping $2,834 in New York City.

6. You can actually experience all four seasons here.

Few other places authentically experience all four seasons like Wisconsin. Spring is fresh, rainy, full of flowers and warm air. Summers are sweet, hot in the day, cool and crisp at night, but watch out for the hummingbird-sized mosquitos. Autumn is the best, gusts of cool air breaking the stale heat of summer, and bringing out the vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows in the leaves. Winter is a wonderland, and it lasts about 5 months out of the year. So there is plenty of time for skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, and mom’s special chili. Some places average 14 feet of snowfall per year, so if you’ve ever wanted to try igloo making, it is a real option.