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CITY

South Milwaukee

Wisconsin · 20,191 residents (2025 est.) · 4.83 sq mi
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The short version

South Milwaukee is home to 20,442 people in Wisconsin. There are 4,236 people per square mile. The typical home is worth $235,700, having more than doubled since 2000. The foreign-born share is 6%. About 30% of adults have finished a four-year degree. Median rent is $1,014 a month.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $73,427, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
30% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about South Milwaukee

What changed most since 1990

  • Poverty rate5.0% → 13.1% (+8.0 pts)US over the same years: −0.8 pts

Among the 61 cities and towns in the Milwaukee metro

  • 52nd in household income$73,427
  • 50th in share with a bachelor's degree29.9%
  • 56th in home value$235,700
  • 11th in diversity score47.9

Its weight in Milwaukee County

South Milwaukee's population equals 2.2% of Milwaukee County's. Its number of households without a car equals 1.1% of the county's. Its number of veterans equals 3.6% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
20,442
−4%since 2000
from 21,256 in 2000
20,191 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
4,236 / sq mi
−4%since 2000
from 4,404 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
40.2
+6%since 2000
from 38.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
4.83 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
20K21K21K21K21K19902000201020202024South Milwaukee
202420K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.5%(1,324)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96%(1,223)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.7%(1,167)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.4%(1,104)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 243.7%(751)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3416.9%(3,454)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.6%(2,363)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.8%(2,408)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.7%(2,793)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.9%(2,431)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.1%(1,043)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.9%(381)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$73,427
−9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $44,197 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,937
+77%since 2000
from $20,925 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
49.1%
+18.9 ptssince 2009
from 30.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
13.1%
+7.1 ptssince 2000
from 6.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.384
+6%since 2010
from 0.361 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade20.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Finance & insurance6.9%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services5.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical5.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Wholesale trade4.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Public administration4.5%
US avg: 4.8%
Arts, entertainment, food2%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services1.1%
US avg: 0.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.4%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction0.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$235,700
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $111,100 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,014
−2%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $569 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
66.8%
+4.9 ptssince 2000
from 61.9% in 2000
33.2% rent
Vacancy rate
5.2%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 5.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.40 people
Unchangedsince 2009
from 2.39 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
17.9%
−6.4 ptssince 2009
from 24.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
41.3%
+3.5 ptssince 2009
from 37.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.2
+1%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
46
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic92.6%(19,682)
Black1%(206)
Hispanic / Latino4%(852)
Asian0.7%(146)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic77.2%(15,790)
Black2.5%(501)
Hispanic / Latino12.2%(2,489)
Asian1.3%(265)
Other6.8%(1,397)
Diversity Score
48
+107%since 2009
from 23 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican7.6%(1,548)
Puerto Rican3.6%(742)
Chilean0.5%(107)
Spaniard0.2%(34)
Cuban0.1%(12)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.5%(92)
Laotian0.3%(71)
Vietnamese0.2%(50)
Filipino0.1%(25)
Chinese0.1%(18)
Korean0%(9)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German37.3%(7,631)
Polish19.8%(4,046)
Irish9.4%(1,915)
English6.1%(1,246)
Italian4.9%(992)
French2.5%(519)
Swedish2.4%(494)
American2.4%(484)
Norwegian2.2%(444)
Scottish1.7%(351)
Arab1.6%(320)
+ 29 more ancestry groups with data
Hungarian0.8%(161)
Danish0.8%(160)
Dutch0.8%(157)
Slovak0.7%(152)
Czech0.6%(127)
Greek0.6%(118)
Serbian0.5%(103)
Ukrainian0.4%(90)
Welsh0.4%(80)
Finnish0.4%(74)
Austrian0.3%(66)
Swiss0.3%(66)
Armenian0.3%(63)
Belgian0.3%(63)
Lithuanian0.3%(62)
Russian0.3%(62)
Iraqi0.3%(58)
Latvian0.3%(57)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(57)
Palestinian0.3%(54)
British0.2%(47)
Lebanese0.1%(27)
Croatian0.1%(23)
Egyptian0.1%(22)
Nigerian0.1%(14)
Slovene0%(9)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
29.9%
+14.2 ptssince 2000
from 15.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.0%
+8.8 ptssince 2000
from 85.3% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
8.4%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 4.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
24.2 min
+64%since 2000
from 14.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
75.8%
−5.1 ptssince 2009
from 80.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
6.7%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 11.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.2%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
12.4%
+10.8 ptssince 2009
from 1.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
1.3%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 2.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.4%
−2.5 ptssince 2009
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.6%
−4.6 ptssince 2011
from 8.2% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
63.7%
−3.9 ptssince 2011
from 67.6% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
76.7%
−2.0 ptssince 2020
from 78.7% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
10.4%
+1.1 ptssince 2009
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
37.0%
+13.0 ptssince 2009
from 24.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.6%
+1.7 ptssince 2009
from 47.9% in 2009
Female
50.4%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 52.1% in 2009
Foreign born
6.1%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 4.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.9%
−4.1 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
14.1%
+2.4 ptssince 2012
from 11.7% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
4.9%
−5.3 ptssince 2013
from 10.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
94.6%
+16.6 ptssince 2017
from 78.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.9%
+6.3 ptssince 2020
from 89.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
89.9%
+3.7 ptssince 2020
from 86.3% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
86.1%
−3.1 ptssince 2016
from 89.1% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
7.1%
+2.6 ptssince 2016
from 4.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.7%(3,037)
Married49.7%(4,116)
Widowed3.2%(269)
Divorced10.3%(855)
Women 15+
Never married31.3%(2,648)
Married49.2%(4,156)
Widowed7.9%(670)
Divorced11.6%(977)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
4.9%
−5.3 ptssince 2013
from 10.2% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
57.4%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 57.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
11.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 11.6% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.9%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 19.6% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
22.8%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 23.6% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.5%
−0.5 ptssince 2020
from 3.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
67.0%
−1.3 ptssince 2020
from 68.3% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
40.6%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 39.9% 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)15%(166)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)21.4%(236)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.9%(418)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.6%(62)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.3%(25)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,104 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
Over time

South Milwaukee, decade by decade

South Milwaukee population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199020,958$76,797$161,28514.8%5.4
200021,256$80,512$202,38615.7%17.6
201021,156$78,273$245,56418.4%30.0
202020,795$69,433$201,19824.0%48.0
202420,442$73,427$235,70029.9%47.9

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

Places similar to South Milwaukee

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Pop 19,395
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Pop 20,091
Places similar to South Milwaukee
Head to head

Compare South Milwaukee to nearby cities

SOUTH MILWAUKEE VS
Cudahy
Income$66,719−9%
Home value$216,500−8%
Population17,655−13%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SOUTH MILWAUKEE VS
Oak Creek
Income$96,555+31%
Home value$331,700+41%
Population38,296+90%
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SOUTH MILWAUKEE VS
St. Francis
Income$57,368−22%
Home value$234,500−1%
Population8,955−56%
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SOUTH MILWAUKEE VS
Greendale
Income$94,769+29%
Home value$314,200+33%
Population14,426−29%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin?

South Milwaukee, Wisconsin has about 20,442 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin?

The typical household in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin earns about $73,427 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is South Milwaukee, Wisconsin expensive?

In South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the median home is worth about $235,700, and the typical rent is about $1,014 a month.

How educated are people in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin?

About 29.9% of adults age 25 and over in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin?

About 13.1% of people in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin live below the federal poverty line.

Has South Milwaukee, Wisconsin grown since 1990?

Yes, South Milwaukee, Wisconsin has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 516 residents, a change of about -2 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →