Waunakee (pronounced /wɔnəˈki/) is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States (est. 1870). The population was 8,995 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area. Waunakee bills itself as "The Only Waunakee in the World. " The village was named as #78 in CNN Money's "Top 100 Best Places to Live" for small towns in 2009.