Oshkosh named best city to raise kids

OSHKOSH - Picking the best cities in each state across the country, BusinessWeek chose Oshkosh as the best city in Wisconsin.

What makes it the best place to raise kids in the entire state? BusinessWeek real estate writer Prashant Gopal says the magazine used a thorough grading system with emphasis on safety, schools, and affordability.

"Every city ended up with a score,” said Gopal. “This is based on all those data points and it just had to do with how Oshkosh did."

So what is a top magazine ranking really worth? Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce President John Casper says it won't change property values, but it gets the city some more exposure.

"It peaks people's interest in terms of when they're looking at locations and places to move their family and find a job," said Casper.

One of the reasons Oshkosh was ranked highly was because of its proximity to Lake Winnebago on one side of the city and Lake Butte des Morts on the other side of the city.

"You just can't manufacture that," said Casper.

Other things the magazine found desirable about "the City on the water" were the outlet mall and UW-Oshkosh. Hosting major family events like EAA played into the equation as well. Mayor Paul Esslinger has two kids and says he thinks BusinessWeek confirmed what he knew all along.

"I'm really not surprised,” said Esslinger. “I've lived here all my life for 44 years and I'm now raising a 10-year-old and an 8-year-old in Oshkosh and I don't plan on leaving."