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STATE · ADMITTED 1848

Wisconsin

5,914,872 residents · 72 counties · 808 cities · 54,158 sq mi · 1,542 census tracts
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The short version

Wisconsin is home to 5,914,872 people. The foreign-born share is 5%. The typical home is worth $266,500, having more than doubled since 2000. Density works out to 109 people per square mile. The population has held roughly steady since 2000. About 33% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

WI
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
5,914,872
+10%since 2000
from 5,363,675 in 2000
1990 – 2024
Population density
109 / sq mi
+6%since 2009
from 103 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
40.2
+12%since 2000
from 36.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
54,158 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
4.8M5.1M5.4M5.7M6.0M19902000201020202024Wisconsin
20245.9M
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.3%(315,886)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.9%(346,828)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.2%(368,502)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 196.6%(389,685)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 246.7%(393,998)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3412.6%(742,639)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4412.7%(748,926)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.8%(696,444)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6413.8%(815,921)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7411.2%(661,664)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.2%(309,920)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.1%(124,459)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$77,485
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $43,791 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$43,373
+104%since 2000
from $21,271 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
51.5%
+20.9 ptssince 2009
from 30.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
10.6%
+1.9 ptssince 2000
from 8.7% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.444
+3%since 2010
from 0.429 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade17.9%
US avg: 9.9%
Information11.1%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade6.3%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services6.1%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance4.9%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration4.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical4.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing2.3%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.1%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.9%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$266,500
+33%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $109,900 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,087
+11%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $540 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
67.8%
−0.6 ptssince 2000
from 68.4% in 2000
32.2% rent
Vacancy rate
10.8%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 11.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.33 people
−4%since 2009
from 2.42 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
18.5%
−9.7 ptssince 2009
from 28.2% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
41.1%
−2.1 ptssince 2009
from 43.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.4
+7%since 2009
from 3.2 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-Hispanic87.3%(4,681,630)
Black5.6%(300,245)
Hispanic / Latino3.6%(192,921)
Asian1.6%(87,995)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic78.6%(4,646,738)
Black5.9%(351,851)
Hispanic / Latino8%(471,930)
Asian2.9%(173,674)
Other4.6%(270,679)
Diversity Score
46
+37%since 2009
from 34 in 2009
2009 – 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
Mexican5.4%(319,907)
Puerto Rican1.1%(67,398)
South American0.4%(24,832)
Central American0.4%(24,216)
Colombian0.1%(8,441)
Cuban0.1%(7,171)
Nicaraguan0.1%(7,114)
Spaniard0.1%(6,396)
Guatemalan0.1%(5,849)
Honduran0.1%(4,727)
Dominican0.1%(4,298)
Peruvian0.1%(3,828)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Venezuelan0.1%(3,772)
Salvadoran0.1%(3,409)
Argentine0%(2,647)
Ecuadorian0%(2,541)
Costa Rican0%(1,659)
Panamanian0%(1,429)
Chilean0%(1,199)
Uruguayan0%(868)
Bolivian0%(801)
Paraguayan0%(671)
Asian origin
Hmong1%(58,450)
Asian Indian0.6%(34,919)
Chinese0.4%(24,113)
Filipino0.2%(12,739)
Korean0.1%(7,475)
Vietnamese0.1%(6,601)
Burmese0.1%(6,508)
Laotian0.1%(4,052)
Pakistani0.1%(2,996)
Japanese0%(2,625)
Thai0%(1,866)
Malaysian0%(1,612)
+ 12 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(1,318)
Taiwanese0%(1,100)
Cambodian0%(1,016)
Kazakh0%(877)
Indonesian0%(532)
Sri Lankan0%(285)
Mongolian0%(150)
Uzbek0%(57)
Bhutanese0%(42)
Okinawan0%(24)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(946)
Chamorro0%(916)
Guamanian0%(170)
Tongan0%(158)
Fijian0%(37)
Ancestry
German35.8%(2,115,941)
Irish10.4%(613,046)
Polish7.6%(451,347)
English6.7%(397,241)
Norwegian6.1%(363,327)
American3.4%(203,034)
Italian3.4%(202,213)
French2.4%(144,545)
Swedish2.1%(124,541)
Dutch2%(117,544)
Czech1.2%(71,391)
Scottish1.1%(65,171)
+ 51 more ancestry groups with data
Danish0.8%(47,899)
Swiss0.8%(47,846)
Belgian0.7%(42,070)
French Canadian0.7%(40,496)
Finnish0.6%(35,683)
Subsaharan African0.6%(34,997)
Russian0.5%(32,254)
Welsh0.4%(23,581)
Austrian0.4%(21,529)
Hungarian0.3%(20,448)
Scotch-Irish0.3%(20,172)
Greek0.3%(17,406)
Arab0.3%(16,506)
Croatian0.2%(13,287)
British0.2%(13,260)
Lithuanian0.2%(12,747)
Slovak0.2%(11,823)
Ukrainian0.2%(10,782)
Slovene0.1%(7,704)
Serbian0.1%(7,634)
West Indian0.1%(6,768)
Canadian0.1%(5,874)
Romanian0.1%(4,686)
Lebanese0.1%(4,382)
Nigerian0.1%(4,270)
Portuguese0.1%(4,159)
Jamaican0.1%(3,988)
Somali0.1%(3,429)
Armenian0.1%(3,190)
Palestinian0%(2,770)
Brazilian0%(2,593)
Latvian0%(2,338)
Iranian0%(2,218)
Turkish0%(2,080)
Egyptian0%(1,871)
Bulgarian0%(1,746)
Ethiopian0%(1,704)
Australian0%(1,210)
Haitian0%(1,028)
Syrian0%(971)
Iraqi0%(828)
Jordanian0%(779)
Moroccan0%(757)
Kenyan0%(752)
Ghanaian0%(735)
Macedonian0%(704)
Israeli0%(526)
Guyanese0%(242)
Barbadian0%(113)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
33.4%
+11.0 ptssince 2000
from 22.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
93.6%
+8.5 ptssince 2000
from 85.1% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
11.4%
+4.2 ptssince 2000
from 7.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.2 min
+61%since 2000
from 13.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
74.4%
−5.4 ptssince 2009
from 79.8% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.3%
−2.0 ptssince 2009
from 9.3% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.1%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
13.1%
+9.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.9% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.6%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.5%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.4%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
3.2%
−3.9 ptssince 2011
from 7.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
65.3%
−3.5 ptssince 2011
from 68.7% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
79.1%
+0.1 ptssince 2020
from 79.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.4%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 11.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
40.2%
+7.6 ptssince 2009
from 32.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.1%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 49.6% in 2009
Female
49.9%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 50.4% in 2009
Foreign born
5.2%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 4.4% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.2%
−4.2 ptssince 2009
from 10.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.3%
+1.4 ptssince 2012
from 10.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.2%
−3.9 ptssince 2013
from 9.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
90.3%
+12.2 ptssince 2017
from 78.1% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
94.7%
+4.0 ptssince 2020
from 90.7% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
88.2%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 86.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
91.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2016
from 91.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
4.9%
+0.4 ptssince 2016
from 4.6% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married36.5%(889,280)
Married51%(1,242,232)
Widowed2.6%(63,688)
Divorced9.8%(238,219)
Women 15+
Never married30.5%(747,138)
Married49.7%(1,217,183)
Widowed8.1%(197,671)
Divorced11.8%(288,245)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.2%
−3.9 ptssince 2013
from 9.1% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
60.5%
−1.6 ptssince 2020
from 62.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
15.1%
+0.3 ptssince 2020
from 14.8% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
19.8%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 18.5% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
17.8%
+1.0 ptssince 2020
from 16.8% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.2%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
73.4%
−1.7 ptssince 2020
from 75.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
35.1%
+2.1 ptssince 2020
from 33.0% 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)20.8%(59,996)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)18.8%(54,234)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era36.6%(105,547)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.1%(14,808)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.3%(3,770)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 288,078 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
Section 02

Largest cities

See all cities in Wisconsin →
1.Milwaukee562,407
2.Madison286,233
3.Green Bay106,675
4.Kenosha99,239
5.Racine77,908
6.Appleton75,452
7.Eau Claire72,465
8.Waukesha70,872
9.Oshkosh67,460
10.Janesville66,929
11.West Allis60,119
12.La Crosse50,784
13.Sheboygan49,376
14.Wauwatosa48,649
15.Fond du Lac44,541
16.Brookfield41,448
18.Wausau40,188
19.New Berlin39,953
20.Sun Prairie39,227
21.Oak Creek38,296
22.Greenfield37,159
23.Franklin36,687
24.Beloit36,649
25.Manitowoc34,671
26.Fitchburg34,615
27.West Bend32,268
29.Neenah27,638
30.Superior26,397
31.Stevens Point26,377
32.Muskego25,602
33.De Pere25,590
34.Caledonia25,229
35.Mequon25,120
36.Middleton23,115
37.Watertown22,704
38.Howard22,233
40.Germantown21,050
41.Onalaska20,297
43.Oconomowoc20,119
44.Fox Crossing19,320
45.Marshfield18,980
Section 03

Metropolitan & micropolitan areas

Metropolitan areas (13)
1.Milwaukee1,575,010
2.Madison709,685
3.Green Bay336,756
4.Appleton249,876
5.Racine198,919
6.Eau Claire176,647
7.Oshkosh174,218
8.La Crosse171,182
9.Kenosha168,448
10.Janesville166,472
11.Wausau139,432
12.Sheboygan118,047
13.Fond du Lac104,669
Micropolitan areas (13)
1.Whitewater106,127
2.Beaver Dam89,097
3.Watertown86,505
4.Manitowoc81,710
7.Baraboo66,652
8.Marinette65,515
9.Platteville52,446
10.Sparta46,572
11.Rice Lake46,484
12.Menomonie46,223
13.Shawano45,759

Metropolitan areas are built around an urban core of 50,000 or more people; micropolitan areas around a core of 10,000 to 50,000. A statistical area can cross state lines, so each is listed under its primary state.

Frequently asked

How many people live in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin has about 5,914,872 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Wisconsin?

The typical household in Wisconsin earns about $77,485 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Wisconsin expensive?

In Wisconsin, the median home is worth about $266,500, and the typical rent is about $1,087 a month.

How educated are people in Wisconsin?

About 33.4% of adults age 25 and over in Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Wisconsin?

About 10.6% of people in Wisconsin live below the federal poverty line.

Has Wisconsin grown since 1990?

Yes, Wisconsin has grown since 1990. The population has added about 1,023,103 residents, a change of about 21 percent over that period.

Keep going

Explore from here

All 72 counties
Milwaukee CountyDane CountyWaukesha CountyBrown CountyRacine CountyOutagamie CountyWinnebago CountyKenosha CountyRock CountyMarathon CountyWashington CountyLa Crosse CountySheboygan CountyEau Claire CountyWalworth CountyFond du Lac CountySt. Croix CountyOzaukee CountyDodge CountyJefferson CountyManitowoc CountyWood CountyPortage CountyChippewa CountySauk CountyColumbia CountyCalumet CountyGrant CountyWaupaca CountyMonroe CountyBarron CountyDunn CountyPolk CountyDouglas CountyPierce CountyMarinette CountyShawano CountyOconto CountyOneida CountyGreen CountyClark CountyVernon CountyTrempealeau CountyDoor CountyLincoln CountyJuneau CountyWaushara CountyIowa CountyVilas CountyAdams CountyJackson CountyKewaunee CountyTaylor CountyLanglade CountyGreen Lake CountySawyer CountyLafayette CountyBurnett CountyWashburn CountyRichland CountyBayfield CountyAshland CountyMarquette CountyCrawford CountyRusk CountyPrice CountyBuffalo CountyForest CountyPepin CountyIron CountyFlorence CountyMenominee County

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

How we source and harmonize this data →