Wisconsin was the 30th state to join the union on May 29, 1848. Madison is the state capital and Milwaukee is its largest city. Wisconsin is bordered by Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, and Illinois and is the 23rd largest state.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the estimated population of Wisconsin is 5,960,975 (July 2024 est.); it ranks as the 20th most populous state.
Official Wisconsin State Facts and Symbols
Every state has their own unique symbols, from birds to flowers to songs and more! Here are some of Wisconsin’s official state symbols:
Nickname: The Badger State
Bird: Robin
Animal: Badger
Fish: Muskellunge
Flower: Wood Violet
Tree: Sugar Maple
Song: On, Wisconsin!
Motto: Forward
Fun Facts about Wisconsin
Wisconsin is famous for its cheese production and is nicknamed “America’s Dairyland.” It also produces a large amount of butter and milk.
The Ringling Brothers gave their first official circus performance in Baraboo, Wisconsin, on May 19, 1884.
The term “cheesehead” actually started as a term the German soldiers used to insult the Dutch during World War II. Wisconsinites embraced the term, turning it into a point of pride, particularly among Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Brewers fans. The first cheesehead hat was worn at a Brewers game and was a couch cushion with holes burned in the foam and painted yellow.
Wisconsin Dells is known as “The Waterpark Capital of the World”, and is famous for its numerous waterparks and unique sandstone formations carved by glaciers.
Wisconsin produces 60 percent of the nation’s cranberries.
Famous people from Wisconsin include actor Gene Wilder, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, actor Orson Welles, author Laura Ingalls Wilder, performer Liberace, and more. Magician Harry Houdini was born in Hungary, but claimed Appleton, WI (where he moved to as a young child) as his birthplace.
NCP Panel Members in Wisconsin
Let’s learn about your fellow panel members in Wisconsin! Here’s how our Wisconsin panel members answered some of our state highlight survey questions.
How long have you been a panel member?
35% have been panel members for 15 years or more
11% have been panel members for less than a year
How long have you lived in your current state?
30% of respondents have lived in Wisconsin for over 15 years and 57% their entire life/born there.
Is the area you live rural, suburban, or urban?
41% live in rural areas
44% live in suburban areas
15% live in urban areas
Do you have children?
71% of respondents have children
Of those, 17% have children living in their home
Shopping Habits of NCP Panel Members in Wisconsin
Here’s what our panel members in Wisconsin had to say about their shopping habits:
When asked how they do most of their shopping:
59% of respondents said they do a combo of online and in-store shopping
38% said they shop in-store only
3% said they shop online only
64% of respondents tend to shop at the same stores vs. 36% who said they shop at a variety of stores.
76% of respondents said they mostly stick to a list when shopping, but sometimes make impulse purchases.
64% of respondents said they shop alone, with another 26% shopping with a spouse or partner.
When it comes to choosing where to shop, 55% of the Wisconsin panel members who responded said they primarily shop at grocery stores and 31% at mass merchandise retailers.
Price, convenience, and location were the top factors that influence where they decide to shop. Most of our Wisconsin panel members said they shop once a week for groceries and do most of their shopping on Saturdays.
About 92% of survey respondents look for ways to save money while shopping, with joining a store’s loyalty program and digital coupons being the most popular options. They also use paper coupons, use the store sales flyer to plan their list, and shop at multiple stores.
Convenience while shopping
Here’s what Wisconsin panel members had to say about different aspects of shopping:
74% never order groceries online to pick up at the store while 19% sometimes do
73% never order groceries online to be delivered, while 20% sometimes do
When asked if weather influenced their choice between online and in-person shopping:
32% said weather doesn’t impact their decision
38% said they prefer in-person shopping regardless of the weather
When asked about self-checkout:
16% said they always use self-checkout
39% indicated they frequently use it
33% of respondents said they rarely use it
12% said they never use it
Interests of NCP panel members in Wisconsin
When asked about the outdoors, 47% said they occasionally participate in outdoor recreational activities. The most popular outdoor activities were hiking/walking (89%), swimming, cycling and canoeing/kayaking/boating. Other popular activities that panel members wrote in were hunting, fishing and gardening.
When asked which sports or events they follow, the top responses were football, baseball and basketball.
We also asked what “type” of place or tourist attraction would they recommend to people visiting their state/hometown. The most popular responses were restaurants/culinary places and local markets, natural parks and reserves, outdoor and recreational activities, and cultural events and local festivals.
When we asked what “specific” place or tourist attraction they would recommend in their state/hometown, here are some of the top recommendations:
Wisconsin Dells
Lake Michigan/Milwaukee Lakefront
Summerfest (annual music festival)
Devil’s Lake State Park
Kettle Moraine State Forest
Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame/Stadium Tour
House on the Rock (Spring Green, WI)
We hope you learned something new about Wisconsin! How do your shopping habits compare to panel members in Wisconsin?
Stay tuned for the next (and last) state spotlight on…Wyoming!
Join NCP!
If you’re not a NCP panel member and you’re interested in joining NCP to share your shopping experiences, earn great rewards, and influence what you see on store shelves, click here or go to the Join NCP section of the blog for more information.
Regards,
Taylor
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Born and raised here in Wisconsin and I still learned new information here
Thanks
Great article! I’ve been waiting for Wisconsin! Another interesting find is the Polka Days festival in Pulaski. 😊
Thank you, Ashley!
We live in Northern Illinois, about 3 miles from the Wisconsin border. Our doctors are in Monroe, Wisconsin. Our favorite car dealer is in Brodhead, Wisconsin. Our favorite place to hang out in Wisconsin is the whole city of Monroe, which has a nice farmers market every Saturday and Wednesday, our favorite grocery store, a cheese store which has about every kind of cheese you can imagine, and neat places to eat. About 15 minutes North of Monroe is a little Swedish town called New Glarus, which has a brewery and our favorite place to hang out – Bailey’s Run Winery. We love living so close to Wisconsin and spend a lot of time up there.
Thank you for sharing your Wisconsin favorites with us, Alan!