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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Milwaukee

Wisconsin · 628,088 residents · 96.2 sq mi
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The short version

Milwaukee is a city of 628,088 people in Wisconsin. Owners hold 45% of the housing stock. The poverty rate is 22.2%, above the 13.2% national rate. Median home value sits at $53,300. Households here earn about 20% less than in Wisconsin as a whole. 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 30.5
US median: 33.0
Less educated
15% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
More affordable
home values down 12%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
628,088
+5%vs 2000
vs 596,974 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
30.5
Unchangedvs 2000
vs 30.6 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Land area
96.2 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
561K579K598K616K634K19902000201020202024Milwaukee
2024567K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 58.6%(54,137)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 97.9%(49,809)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 147.1%(44,434)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 197.1%(44,432)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 248.7%(54,731)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3419.1%(120,015)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4413.5%(84,955)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 548%(50,037)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 647.6%(47,462)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 746.9%(43,387)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.2%(26,260)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.3%(8,429)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$23,627
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $32,216 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$11,106
−31%vs 2000
vs $16,181 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
22.2%
+0.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 21.3% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$53,300
−12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $79,600 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$418
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $527 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
44.8%
−0.6 ptsvs 2000
vs 45.3% in 2000
55.2% rent
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic45.4%(270,989)
Black36.9%(220,432)
Hispanic / Latino12%(71,646)
Asian2.9%(17,339)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic63.3%(397,827)
Black30.5%(191,567)
Hispanic / Latino6%(37,420)
Asian1.9%(11,831)
Other4.3%(26,863)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican13.8%(78,101)
Puerto Rican4.9%(27,635)
Central American0.9%(5,341)
South American0.5%(2,917)
Nicaraguan0.3%(1,930)
Dominican0.2%(1,225)
Salvadoran0.2%(952)
Guatemalan0.2%(909)
Cuban0.2%(892)
Honduran0.2%(864)
Venezuelan0.1%(758)
Peruvian0.1%(666)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Colombian0.1%(591)
Spaniard0.1%(569)
Costa Rican0.1%(451)
Argentine0%(279)
Bolivian0%(257)
Panamanian0%(235)
Ecuadorian0%(218)
Chilean0%(57)
Uruguayan0%(49)
Asian origin
Hmong2.2%(12,552)
Burmese0.9%(4,865)
Asian Indian0.5%(2,621)
Filipino0.3%(1,486)
Chinese0.2%(1,378)
Malaysian0.2%(1,261)
Laotian0.2%(1,021)
Vietnamese0.2%(983)
Korean0.1%(453)
Pakistani0.1%(343)
Thai0.1%(336)
Taiwanese0%(167)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Japanese0%(133)
Kazakh0%(111)
Cambodian0%(24)
Uzbek0%(24)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(59)
Tongan0%(39)
Chamorro0%(17)
Ancestry
German14.8%(83,664)
Irish5.5%(30,951)
Polish5.4%(30,856)
English2.5%(14,031)
Italian2.5%(13,985)
American1.5%(8,541)
Norwegian1.4%(7,784)
French1.1%(6,314)
Swedish0.8%(4,326)
Dutch0.7%(3,747)
Arab0.6%(3,312)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish0.5%(2,953)
Czech0.5%(2,627)
West Indian0.4%(2,109)
Russian0.3%(1,919)
Greek0.3%(1,692)
Jamaican0.3%(1,527)
French Canadian0.3%(1,509)
Nigerian0.3%(1,428)
Danish0.2%(1,405)
Hungarian0.2%(1,336)
Somali0.2%(1,334)
Croatian0.2%(1,308)
Serbian0.2%(1,172)
Austrian0.2%(1,014)
Scotch-Irish0.2%(987)
Finnish0.2%(914)
Welsh0.2%(879)
Belgian0.1%(849)
Swiss0.1%(839)
Palestinian0.1%(829)
Slovak0.1%(828)
Ukrainian0.1%(756)
Slovene0.1%(738)
British0.1%(725)
Lithuanian0.1%(684)
Moroccan0.1%(472)
Canadian0.1%(386)
Armenian0.1%(354)
Romanian0.1%(333)
Iraqi0.1%(318)
Ethiopian0.1%(292)
Jordanian0.1%(288)
Iranian0.1%(287)
Portuguese0.1%(286)
Latvian0%(281)
Egyptian0%(265)
Turkish0%(245)
Lebanese0%(215)
Ghanaian0%(207)
Haitian0%(166)
Syrian0%(140)
Kenyan0%(120)
Brazilian0%(109)
Bulgarian0%(60)
Guyanese0%(49)
Israeli0%(33)
Barbadian0%(13)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
14.8%
−3.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 18.3% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
71.5%
−3.3 ptsvs 2000
vs 74.8% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
4.5%
−1.5 ptsvs 2000
vs 6.0% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.5 min
+34%vs 2000
vs 13.8 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married56.8%(120,952)
Married32.2%(68,609)
Widowed2%(4,349)
Divorced8.9%(18,994)
Women 15+
Never married53.8%(125,872)
Married29.4%(68,706)
Widowed6.2%(14,418)
Divorced10.7%(24,926)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured
9.1%
−6.1 ptssince 2013
from 15.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
45.7%
−1.9 ptssince 2020
from 47.6% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
9.4%
+1.2 ptssince 2020
from 8.2% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
14.0%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 12.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
37.2%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 35.4% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
1.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 1.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
52.1%
−2.4 ptssince 2020
from 54.5% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
47.1%
+2.4 ptssince 2020
from 44.7% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)22.4%(3,428)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)17.5%(2,681)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era31.1%(4,757)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4%(613)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(133)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 15,311 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Explore

Neighborhoods in Milwaukee

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Head to head

Compare Milwaukee to nearby cities

MILWAUKEE VS
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Home value$339,000+536%
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MILWAUKEE VS
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MILWAUKEE VS
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MILWAUKEE VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin?

Milwaukee, Wisconsin has about 628,088 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in Milwaukee, Wisconsin?

The typical household in Milwaukee, Wisconsin earns about $23,627 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Milwaukee, Wisconsin expensive?

In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the median home is worth about $53,300, and the typical rent is about $418 a month.

How educated are people in Milwaukee, Wisconsin?

About 14.8% of adults age 25 and over in Milwaukee, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin?

About 22.2% of people in Milwaukee, Wisconsin live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →