Study: Madison city with the best work-life balance in the country

Madison is the best city in the country when it comes to work life balance, according to a new ranking.

The study was conducted by SmartAsset.com. Experts rated 100 cities for 10 different factors, like commute time or housing cost. Madison took home the gold across the board.

Experts tell NBC15 News, a good work/life balance means you have both professional success and personal success.

“Madison, because it's a university town and because it's a state capitol, has that wonderful mix of lots of opportunities, lots of highly educated people, lots of ideas, lots of energy,” says Dr. Christine Whelan, School of Human Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: Madison.

According to the study, Madison has the lowest unemployment rate of all the cities surveyed, at just 1.9 percent. Workers have an average commute time of 20 minutes, and work an average of 37 hours per week.

“It’s about 15 minutes to get to a lot of places around Madison, and that makes for a nice commute,” Whelan says.

Saving time on the drive means more time to enjoy everything else Madison has to offer, like visiting the Union for a cold beer or enjoying a Concert on the Square.

Liz Allen, a Chaplin at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Madison, has spent the past 20 years working to prevent employee burnout. She says finding a balance is all about being present.

“You could call caring for yourself selfish, or you could call it something else that empowers you. So it's what are you giving your life for? And that's the context of your living,” she says.

In the end, experts say the best way to create a positive work life balance is to take some time for yourself.

for the SmartAsset.com study.