Living & Nursing in Madison, Wisconsin

Perpetually on the list of America’s most livable cities, Madison, Wisconsin should be on your short list of places to live and work. Second in size to Milwaukee, Madison is the capital of Wisconsin and is known as a very dynamic and cosmopolitan city. Revered for its fantastic scenery, four area lakes and 200 city parks, the city of Madison is home to a population of approximately 225,000. The Madison and surrounding Metro area has a population of roughly 600,000.

Downtown Madison is situated 80 miles west of Milwaukee and 142 miles northwest of Chicago on a half-mile-wide isthmus between two glacial lakes, Monona and Mendota.

Here’s your short history course--Original inhabitants, the Ho-Chunk, or Winnebago, Indians referred to the area where Madison is located today as “the land of the four lakes,” referring to the aforementioned two lakes and lakes Waubesa and Kegonsa located just south of the city. In 1829, James Doty, who owned the land and was a Governor of Wisconsin, named the area “Madison” in honor of James Madison, the fourth president of the United States. That didn’t hurt much. Did it? That was then. Let’s get back to now.

Madison has quickly become one of the leading biotechnology areas in the country. The tech industry has begun to call Madison, and the entire state of Wisconsin, the “Third Coast.” It’s been named the best place in the nation for business and careers by Forbes Magazine. That’s due, in large part, to the city’s booming biotechnology industry. Much of the high tech economy is connected to the University of Wisconsin in Madison. It’s among the top five college recipients of research money in America. As a side note, Madison has the distinction of having the largest number of residents holding Ph.D.s per capita of any city in America.

Madison’s high tech industries range from biomedical research to designing computer software and is making the area a global marketplace. Madison is also a leading center for the world dairy industry—but wait a minute… What does all this have to do with choosing Madison as a place for you to start your career in nursing? Here’s the answer: A stable and growing economy makes for a stable and growing workforce. That workforce needs proper health care. The stronger the economy, the more potential you have for patients to care for—not to mention more and nicer hospitals to work in. That’s why it’s important! Plus, the taxes from those businesses help to build streets, parks, greenbelts and recreation areas that make a city like this so appealing to live in.

Madison has been called America’s Healthiest City by Men’s Journal magazine. Many of the major streets have designated bike lanes, and Madison has one of the most extensive bike trail systems in the nation. Winter sports to water sports--there’s always something to do in Madison. Baseball, soccer, football (women’s and men’s), rugby, ice hockey, even roller derby, it’s all here to play or watch.

The city has a lively independent rock scene as well as the Madison Opera, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Repertory Theatre, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and the Madison Ballet. The summers are dotted with many excellent music festivals. Community-based theater groups can be found in many neighborhoods.

Madison has four definite seasons, so there is always something for everyone, no matter which season you prefer, if you’ll just wait a while. Winters see temperatures dip well below freezing (20 degrees average) with moderate to occasionally very heavy snowfall. Summer temps often reach the upper 80s to 90s, but average a very comfortable 68 degrees.

A relatively “young” city, the median age for Madison is 31 years of age. Housing, both detached single family homes and condominiums, are very moderately priced. Madison is located in Dane County, which is one of the fastest growing counties in Wisconsin, adding around 60,000 people per decade. Politically, the city’s voters are much more liberal than the rest of Wisconsin.

The largest employer in Madison is state government, not including the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Madison is also home to companies such as Oscar Mayer, Famous

Footwear, Broadcast Interactive Media, the North American division of Spectrum Brands (formerly Rayovac), Alliant Energy, American Family Insurance, Netconcepts,

Telephone and Data Systems, TomoTherapy, Raven Software, Human Head Studios, and Flame Front Software. Biotech firms thrive here as well with companies like Invitrogen, Promega, Third Wave Technologies and Iceland-based Nimblegen.

Here’s the part you’ll really like— The University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinic is an important regional teaching hospital and regional trauma center. Other Madison hospitals include St. Mary’s Hospital, Meriter Hospital, Catholic Health Association of Wisconsin, Dean Health System, Madison Community Health Center and William S. Middleton Memorial VA Medical Center. The University Medical School, five general hospitals, over 20 major medical clinics and more than 100 research and testing labs combine to make the Madison area a world-class medical center with a reputation for excellence.

Great places for nursing and one of America’s most livable cities. You need to look into Madison, Wisconsin, today.