Middleton, Wisconsin

Middleton is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. It is a western suburb of the state capital, Madison but it was actually founded before Madison. It got its name from Middletown, Connecticut; the "w" being dropped was due to a paper work error made by long time historian Edward Kromrey (namesake of the local middle school). Middleton's motto is "The Good Neighbor City."

In July 2007, CNN/Money and Money magazine considered Middleton the best place to live in the United States. In July 2009, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Middleton the fourth best place to live in the United States.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.1 square miles (21.0 km2), of which 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2)(0.25%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census in 2000, there were 15,770 people living in Middleton, although in 2006 that number was estimated to be as high as 16,595. The population density was 1,953.2 people per square mile (754.5/km2). There were 7,397 housing units at an average density of 916.2 per square mile (353.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.08% White, 1.97% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 2.66% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.27% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. 2.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

According to the census, there were 7,095 households in Middleton, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.9% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.90.

The age of the population of Middleton is fairly diverse. The census states that 22.7% of the citizens there were under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $50,786, and the median income for a family was $71,514. Males had a median income of $41,070 versus $30,928 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,464. About 3.1% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

Since 1990 there has been a population increase of over 20% in the Madison metropolitan area. This has led to Middleton being considered as the western hub of a proposed, albeit controversial, 13 mi railroad corridor connecting Middleton's Greenway Station, the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus, downtown Madison, and Madison's far east side.

Economy
The American Girl, Capital Brewery, Springs Window Fashions, and Electronic Theatre Controls company headquarters are located in Middleton. Middleton is also home to Morey Field, a multi-runway, general aviation airport.

Middleton is the site of Middleton Hills, a nationally recognized Parade of Homes neighborhood, based on the principles of New Urbanism. Founded by the late Marshall Erdman and designed by architects Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Middleton Hills is credited as being the first such neighborhood in Wisconsin.

Media
The Middleton Times-Tribune is a weekly community newspaper.

Notable people

 * Gary Close, basketball coach
 * Casey Cramer, football player
 * Tracey DeKeyser, ice hockey coach
 * Jon Erpenbach, Wisconsin State Senator
 * Russ Feingold, United States Senator from Wisconsin
 * Aaron Hohlbein, MLS player
 * Ed Janus, journalist
 * Al Toon, football player
 * Edo de Waart, conductor and music director

Notable companies
The 325000 sqft world headquarters of one of the world's largest theatrical lighting manufacturers, Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC), is located here.

Attractions
Middleton is the home of the National Mustard Museum. It was originally located in the nearby town of Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, but moved to Middleton. The museum and its curator were featured on National Public Radio's Morning Edition broadcast of July 29, 2010, and Weekend Edition Saturday on February 18, 1995 (when it was located in Mount Horeb).

The Imperial Garden restaurant, founded in 1981, has been voted the Best of Madison: Best Chinese Restaurant for 28 straight years,