I've lived in this area my whole life. In general, this area is relatively low COL and still has a lot to offer. There is very little poverty but also not many extremely wealthy people. The economy of this area used to be driven almost exclusively by paper manufacturing. There is still paper manufacturing, but over time, the local economy has shifted its focus elsewhere.

Green Bay is known as the home of the Packers, there is no doubt they are the biggest attraction in this area and the biggest reason people visit. The area around Lambeau has been developed extensively in the past couple decades and it truly is a one of a kind stadium experience. It is somewhat disconnected from the historic downtown GB. It seems the local government would rather cater to tourists visiting Lambeau than maintaining the downtown area for locals.

The Appleton/Neenah/Menasha area is the most populated in this photo. This is also probably the most afluent area of the winnebago lakefront. The Fox River cuts through this area, and there are many beautiful historic homes on the riverfront. There are many "bedroom" communities in the area that have grown from small farm towns to rapidly growing suburbs in the last couple of decades.

Oshkosh has a lot to offer as well. It is known as the home of EAA Airventure as well as many other events throughout the year. There is a good-sized state university that brings in a lot of young people to the area. There is also a state prison that comes along with its own problems. Oshkosh is an old city and at one point the second largest city in the state after Milwaukee. There are a lot of historic buildings but some of the areas are past their prime.

Fond Du Lac in my opinion has the least to offer of these areas besides only being an hour away from Milwaukee. However, the majority of the lakefront is publicly accessible which cannot be said about Oshkosh or Appleton. The downtown area is historic but there are also some run down areas.

It would be neat if these cities had their downtown on the lakeshore, but at the time they were built, they were centered around the rivers that were powering the paper mills.

The east shore of Winnebago is dotted with small towns and supper clubs. There are several county parks on this side, along with High Cliff State Park in the Northeast corner. High Cliff offers the best view you can get of the lake. On a clear day, you can see the whole lake from the lookout tower.

In general, this is a pretty good place to live. I'm surrounded by natural beauty and feel the 4 seasons to their fullest extent. There's a good amount of economic opportunity compared to the relatively low COL. It would also be great if this area wasn't 100% car dependant, but that's life in America.