CensusEasy
METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

Milwaukee Metro

Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI · 4 counties · 1,574,731 residents · 1,455 sq mi
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The short version

With 1,574,731 people, Milwaukee is a metro area. 7% of people across the metro were born outside the United States. Home values have risen by half since 2000, reaching $212,332. 36% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Headcount has barely moved since 2000. Median household income is $66,101, close to the national figure.

At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 38.7
US median: 38.8
Average education
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
1,574,731
+5%since 2000
from 1,500,741 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,082 / sq mi
+5%since 2000
from 1,032 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
38.7
+10%since 2000
from 35.3 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
1,455 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
1.4M1.5M1.5M1.5M1.6M19902000201020202024Milwaukee
20241.6M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.8%(91,636)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.2%(97,717)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.7%(105,282)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.7%(105,202)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.4%(100,434)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3413.5%(213,142)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4412.7%(199,695)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412%(188,990)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6413.5%(212,718)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 749.8%(153,723)
US avg: 10%
75 to 844.6%(72,702)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.1%(33,490)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$66,101
−6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $46,881 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$36,709
+59%since 2000
from $23,158 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
43.1%
+9.3 ptssince 2009
from 33.7% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
13.0%
+2.3 ptssince 2000
from 10.6% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade16.4%
US avg: 10%
Information10.4%
US avg: 11.1%
Other services7%
US avg: 6.6%
Public administration5.5%
US avg: 4.7%
Wholesale trade4.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance4.6%
US avg: 5.5%
Professional, scientific, technical3.9%
US avg: 4.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.8%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1.7%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.5%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$212,332
+13%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $125,259 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$945
+4%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $606 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
59.2%
−2.3 ptssince 2000
from 61.5% in 2000
40.8% rent
Persons per household
2.44 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.49 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
3.2
−11%since 2009
from 3.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic74.4%(1,116,150)
Black15.5%(232,247)
Hispanic / Latino6.3%(94,511)
Asian2%(30,765)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic64.1%(1,009,707)
Black15.9%(250,219)
Hispanic / Latino11.6%(182,777)
Asian4.2%(65,831)
Other3.3%(51,207)
Segregation Score
58
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican7.4%(116,608)
Puerto Rican2.5%(39,279)
Central American0.3%(4,807)
South American0.3%(4,582)
Cuban0.2%(2,704)
Colombian0.1%(1,705)
Dominican0.1%(1,467)
Guatemalan0.1%(1,409)
Spaniard0.1%(1,199)
Salvadoran0.1%(1,150)
Nicaraguan0.1%(746)
Venezuelan0%(674)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Honduran0%(661)
Peruvian0%(624)
Ecuadorian0%(543)
Panamanian0%(510)
Argentine0%(383)
Bolivian0%(319)
Chilean0%(237)
Uruguayan0%(31)
Asian origin
Asian Indian1%(15,674)
Hmong0.9%(14,261)
Chinese0.5%(7,907)
Burmese0.4%(4,884)
Filipino0.2%(3,109)
Korean0.2%(2,887)
Pakistani0.2%(2,517)
Vietnamese0.2%(2,380)
Laotian0.1%(2,007)
Japanese0.1%(841)
Thai0.1%(792)
Nepalese0%(401)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Malaysian0%(321)
Taiwanese0%(227)
Indonesian0%(198)
Cambodian0%(180)
Mongolian0%(24)
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0%(179)
Samoan0%(115)
Tongan0%(48)
Fijian0%(10)
Ancestry
German32.5%(510,348)
Polish10.6%(166,445)
Irish9.8%(153,819)
English4.5%(71,213)
Italian4.2%(66,836)
Norwegian3.2%(49,939)
French2.3%(36,816)
American2.1%(32,803)
Swedish1.6%(24,445)
Dutch1.2%(18,746)
Czech0.9%(14,216)
Russian0.9%(13,455)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish0.8%(13,254)
Subsaharan African0.7%(10,729)
Hungarian0.6%(9,228)
Danish0.6%(9,003)
French Canadian0.6%(8,764)
Austrian0.5%(8,219)
Swiss0.5%(7,714)
Finnish0.5%(7,350)
Greek0.5%(7,159)
Welsh0.4%(7,049)
Croatian0.4%(6,890)
British0.4%(5,586)
Serbian0.3%(5,324)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(5,140)
Slovak0.3%(4,958)
Belgian0.3%(4,723)
Slovene0.3%(4,000)
Lithuanian0.2%(3,790)
Ukrainian0.2%(3,002)
West Indian0.2%(2,900)
Palestinian0.1%(2,083)
Jamaican0.1%(1,956)
Arab0.1%(1,931)
Nigerian0.1%(1,843)
Armenian0.1%(1,772)
Canadian0.1%(1,455)
Romanian0.1%(1,370)
Latvian0.1%(1,121)
Lebanese0.1%(923)
Jordanian0.1%(823)
Portuguese0%(726)
Iranian0%(706)
Egyptian0%(614)
Moroccan0.1%(561)
Somali0.1%(546)
Syrian0%(533)
Brazilian0%(528)
Turkish0%(482)
Iraqi0%(439)
Haitian0%(417)
Ghanaian0%(333)
Kenyan0%(306)
Bulgarian0%(292)
Australian0%(289)
Ethiopian0%(269)
Israeli0%(252)
Macedonian0%(165)
Guyanese0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
36.0%
+9.2 ptssince 2000
from 26.8% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
91.7%
+7.3 ptssince 2000
from 84.4% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
12.6%
+3.9 ptssince 2000
from 8.7% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.1 min
+69%since 2000
from 13.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
79.0%
−1.0 ptssince 2009
from 80.0% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
9.2%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.2%
−4.0 ptssince 2011
from 8.2% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
66.1%
−2.5 ptssince 2011
from 68.6% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
77.9%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
40.6%
+4.3 ptssince 2009
from 36.3% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.8%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 48.8% in 2009
Female
51.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 51.2% in 2009
Foreign born
7.4%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
5.6%
−3.9 ptssince 2013
from 9.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
90.9%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
86.5%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married40.4%(250,560)
Married48.5%(301,126)
Widowed2.3%(14,496)
Divorced8.8%(54,665)
Women 15+
Never married36.1%(236,981)
Married45%(295,452)
Widowed7.6%(50,190)
Divorced11.3%(74,365)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.6%
−3.9 ptssince 2013
from 9.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
61.5%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
12.2%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
17.1%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
19.7%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
1.7%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
71.9%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
34.3%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)15.9%(11,288)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)16.4%(11,618)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era34.6%(24,487)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War10.5%(7,423)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II4.1%(2,888)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 70,842 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
In this metro

Largest cities

MilwaukeeCENTRAL562,407WaukeshaCENTRAL70,872West Allis60,119Wauwatosa48,649Brookfield41,448Menomonee Falls41,291New Berlin39,953Oak Creek38,296Greenfield37,159Franklin36,687West Bend32,268Muskego25,602Mequon25,120Germantown21,050South Milwaukee20,191Oconomowoc20,119Cudahy17,655Pewaukee16,375Glendale14,795Whitefish Bay14,489Greendale14,426Shorewood13,474Grafton13,389Cedarburg12,916Brown Deer12,821Sussex12,779Port Washington12,658Richfield11,785Hartland10,740St. Francis8,955

The 30 most populous of 61 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.

What's inside

4 component counties

Milwaukee CountyCENTRAL924,216Waukesha CountyCENTRAL417,210Washington County139,238Ozaukee County94,346
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Milwaukee

Jacksonville
Pop 1,785,500
Oklahoma City
Pop 1,512,813
Louisville
Pop 1,402,509
Virginia Beach
Pop 1,797,213
Places similar to Milwaukee
Head to head

Compare Milwaukee side by side

MILWAUKEE VS
Jacksonville
Income$81,763+24%
Home value$342,382+61%
Population1,785,500+13%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MILWAUKEE VS
Oklahoma City
Income$72,641+10%
Home value$228,101+7%
Population1,512,813−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MILWAUKEE VS
Louisville
Income$75,127+14%
Home value$252,743+19%
Population1,402,509−11%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
MILWAUKEE VS
Virginia Beach
Income$84,869+28%
Home value$338,965+60%
Population1,797,213+14%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI has about 1,574,731 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

The typical household in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI earns about $66,101 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI expensive?

In Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, the median home is worth about $212,332, and the typical rent is about $945 a month.

How educated are people in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

About 36.0% of adults age 25 and over in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?

About 13.0% of people in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI live below the federal poverty line.

Has Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI grown since 1990?

Yes, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI has grown since 1990. The population has added about 142,582 residents, a change of about 10 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →