#1Monona
Dane County · 8,664 peopleVisits per resident a year·Monona Public Library, FY 2024
Monona, #1 on this list · Photo: Corey Coyle · CC BY 3.0Wisconsin rankings · Libraries
Towns with the most-used libraries in Wisconsin
Monona has the most-used library of Wisconsin’s 29 towns of 2,500+ with a library of their own: 11.6 visits per resident a year at Monona Public Library (IMLS Public Libraries Survey). The typical library here counts 4.5.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey: a year’s visits divided by the people the library serves. Only a library that serves one town (80–125% of its population) and reported its own count is ranked; IMLS estimates never are. A described list: no letters. How grades work
#111.6visits
#2Whitefish Bay
Milwaukee County · 14,489 peopleVisits per resident a year·Whitefish Bay Public Library, FY 2024
#3Shorewood
Milwaukee County · 13,474 peopleVisits per resident a year·Shorewood Public Library, FY 2024
All 29 towns
Visits per resident, highest first.
29 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.
#TownVisits per residentPeople servedLibrary
Quick answers
Questions people ask
Which Wisconsin town has the most-used library?
Monona (Dane County): Monona Public Library counts 11.6 visits per resident a year. Whitefish Bay (10.9) and Shorewood (10.1) follow.
How are these towns ranked?
By library visits per resident in the IMLS Public Libraries Survey: the visits a town’s own library reported, divided by the population it serves, highest first. It is the same rank as on each town’s Library & civic life page. How grades work.
Why isn’t my town on this list?
The list covers towns of 2,500+ with a library of their own that reported its visits (29 in Wisconsin). Towns served by a county or regional system share its figure and aren’t ranked one by one; figures IMLS estimated for a library that didn’t report aren’t ranked; in states with strong townships the township, not a village inside it, is ranked. Every town is on the Wisconsin page.
Go deeper
All Wisconsin rankings →More Wisconsin lists
Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.
Best places to live357 towns · #1 Mount HorebBest small towns260 towns · #1 Mount HorebMost affordable towns362 towns · #1 New HolsteinSafest towns175 towns · #1 GenevaTowns with the best schools362 towns · #1 HartlandHealthiest towns357 towns · #1 Whitefish BayBest towns for jobs & income362 towns · #1 Fox PointMost walkable towns362 towns · #1 ShorewoodTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk362 towns · #1 West MilwaukeeBest towns for the outdoors362 towns · #1 Rib MountainMost historic towns362 towns · #1 RacineTowns with the most civic life358 towns · #1 AshlandTowns with the least snow362 towns · #1 LinnDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns362 towns · #1 Arbor VitaeDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters369 towns · #1 RacineDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers369 towns · #1 BrodheadDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers369 towns · #1 SuperiorDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes362 towns · #1 MiddletonDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes362 towns · #1 StanleyDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns358 towns · #1 WrightstownDescribed, no letters
Other states