CoworkingCafe analyzed 93 cities across the nation to determine The Best U.S. Cities for Working Parents in 2025, evaluating career opportunities, child care and education and health and environment.
The study ranked Madison No. 17 overall with a strong health and environment score, good air quality, abundant green space and a solid base of office jobs that support stable careers with room for hybrid work.
Highlights for Madison include:
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City air quality index of 42.20;
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Over 25 acres of green space per 1,000 residents;
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Nearly 109 pediatricians per 100K children;
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Seventy-four percent of jobs in office-based industries;
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Remote-ready workforce of over 18%;
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Sixteen citywide coworking locations citywide;
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129 public schools per 100K children; and
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Annual per-student spending of $17,011.
Still, at nearly $15,500 per year, child care costs in Madison are higher compared to the national average of $14,172, chipping away around 20% of a household’s income.
In the upper Midwest, Madison was ranked alongside two nearby top-20 peers — Minneapolis (No. 7) and Chicago (No. 19). Milwaukee was ranked No. 65, with St. Paul at No. 46.
