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Wisconsin

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Wisconsin

Eau Claire

Nearest city: Minneapolis
Population: 61,887
Median household income: $60,637

Eau Claire, in northwestern Wisconsin, was once primarily a logging and manufacturing town, but the economy now includes high-tech, health-care, and university jobs. It is home to a handful of college and university campuses including the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Runners-up:
Appleton
Racine

Click here to see the 2010 version of the Best Places to Raise Your Kids