Janesville, WI

Overall Score

3.7

Janesville is a southern Wisconsin city in the United States, the county seat of Rock County.

The Janesville area was home to many Indian tribes before the arrival of settlers from the east. Under the Indian Removal Act of 1830, many Native American peoples were expelled from their homelands to make way for American settlers, and Native Americans, including the Winnebago and Potawatomi tribes, were forced to move onto reservations.

Many of the first white settlers established farms and began growing wheat and other crops. A key settler in the area was Henry Jaynes, a Virginia native who was a self-proclaimed logger and the town’s first planner. Jaynes came to the area in the early 1830s and originally wanted to name the new settlement “Blackhawk,” after the famous Sauk leader, but he was turned down by post office officials. After some wrangling, it was decided that the town would be named after Janes himself, and thus Janesville was founded in 1835.

As the population in the Janesville area grew, new industries began to develop on the Rock River, including flour milling and sawmilling. The first dam was built in 1844.

Overall Score

3.7
  • Tap water: Yes, safe to drink
  • Religious government: Non-religious
  • Population: 64,000 people
  • GDP: $57,808 / year
  • Foreigners can own real estate: Yes
  • Power outlets: 115V60Hz
  • Internet: 41 Mbps
  • Best wireless: T-Mobile
  • Pay without cash: Yes, cards OK almost everywhere
  • Tipping: How much should I tip at a restaurant? A gratuity of 15 to 20 per cent on top of the bill (before sales tax) is standard, with 25 per cent given for topnotch service. Servers in America work hard for the money – they’re generally friendly, knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile for customers.
  • Apartment listings: Rent
  • Apartments: Airbnb
  • Hotels: Booking.com
  • More hotels: Hotels.com
  • Best taxi: Uber
  • Online electronics shop: Amazon
  • Best hospital: Mercy Health System Janesville WI
  • Best intl air carrier: United Airlines
  • Monthly costs for expat: $2300
  • Monthly costs for family: $4900
  • Monthly costs for local: $1400
  • Meal: $14
  • Small Cola: $2.5
  • Beer 1 Pint: $7
  • Coffee: $4.5


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