I Live in a College Town. Here Are the Pros and Cons

When I moved to Madison, Wisconsin, in 2005 for grad school, I came from a small private liberal arts college of only about 1,000 students. Madison, which had a population of over 220,000 people that year, felt like a whole new (and much bigger) world. The constant hustle, bustle, and liveliness of campus, packed classrooms, and choice of hundreds of restaurants were both exhilarating and overwhelming at the same time.

Now that I’ve long settled into Madison and live here as a nonstudent, I continue to love the ambiance of my college town. And make no mistake — Madison is one. Currently, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has nearly 40,000 students compared with the current overall population in Madison of 270,000. While there are a couple downsides, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

There’s always something going on. Whenever I check out Facebook Events or peruse the local news sites, I’m always excited and amazed by how many events are going on here in Madison — and there are even more to go to the nearer to downtown and campus you get. On any given weekend, you could go to a cocktail-making class, an outdoor opera performance, and an artisan market. There’s a vibrant culture here in Madison, and I attribute a lot of that to the fact that it’s a fun, and stimulating, college town. 

There’s a cool, youthful vibe. The students undoubtedly inject life and youthfulness into our fair city, something that lends itself to a more lively culture, increased open-mindedness, and attracting on-trend eateries and shops to the area. I’ve noticed in Madison that even those who are far beyond their college years have a youthful way about them and are eager to do things and learn, which is likely inspired by our college-aged counterparts here in the city.

There’s no shortage of places to eat, especially near campus. I’m sure many people out there would agree: College towns typically have amazing restaurants. They know that students with busy schedules will want to eat on the run, and for those burning the midnight oil, restaurants stay open super late. This is certainly the case here in Madison. Within a mile of campus, you can sample Mediterranean, Hawaiian, and Midwest-inspired cuisine.

The sports are always fun. Whether you’re a student or not, most people in Madison are die-hard Badger fans. No matter what time of year it is, there’s likely some sporting event taking place — football, hockey, and volleyball tend to be fan favorites. And you gotta love that “U–Rah-Rah” collegiate atmosphere, especially on a chilly fall day.

Places can be busy. The closer you get to campus, generally, the busier restaurants and cafés will be. During exams, students are naturally studying in coffee shops on and around campus, so it can be tough to grab a cup of coffee and find a seat during that time if you’re a nonstudent. And some of the restaurants near campus, like the ones on our Capitol Square, are some of the busiest and most popular ones in town. 

Things are expensive. It’s a general belief that college towns can be more expensive than non-college towns, and I do find that to be the case fairly often here in Madison. It’s reported that Madison’s cost of living is 3% higher than the national average. I mean, let’s face it — we pay a little extra to have all this culture and myriad amenities right in our backyard. That means that housing prices and monthly rent can be a bit more than you might want to pay.

Bottom line? I love living here. With the educational opportunities (for nonstudents, too), rich arts scene, and a near-endless array of restaurants to choose from, I have to say that life in a college town is pretty great. If you get the chance to move to a college town, I highly recommend it.