Milwaukee, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Milwaukee, WI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
C
Health Below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Milwaukee | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 561,873 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5803.6 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.70% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 33.9 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 230,278 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Milwaukee declined by 5.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 561,873 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Milwaukee is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 26.2% of residents. That is 4.8 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 147,228 26.2% +4.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 129,488 23.0% +2.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 96,404 17.2% -3.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 68,389 12.2% -5.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Wisconsin, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.5% of the people living in Milwaukee and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 48.5% Wisconsin 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Milwaukee
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Milwaukee has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Milwaukee | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,029 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.89% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.2% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Milwaukee is about 30% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Milwaukee | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $150,248 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,058 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 41.6% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Milwaukee is about 11.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,058 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Milwaukee spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 171 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Milwaukee | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.6 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.2 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 171 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,316 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.8% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 18,587 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,849 | 811 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Milwaukee is 21 minutes, longer than the 19 minutes in Wisconsin.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Milwaukee has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Milwaukee | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.4% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 2.33 | 2.53 |
Health
Milwaukee has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Milwaukee | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.7 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.4% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.7% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Milwaukee, WI Compared With Nearby Cities
How Milwaukee, WI compares with the 2 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | 561,873 | $54,029 #3/3 | $150,248 #3/3 | 20.6 min #3/3 |
| Wauwatosa, WI | 48,477 | $100,896 | $355,961 | 18.3 min |
| West Allis, WI | 59,584 | $67,223 | $172,317 | 19.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
How big is Milwaukee, Wisconsin by population?
About 561,873 people live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 230,278 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 33.9, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Milwaukee, Wisconsin?
Averaged over its land area, Milwaukee, Wisconsin has 5,804 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 67 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($150,248 against $54,029), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,058 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Milwaukee, Wisconsin?
23.4% of adults in Milwaukee, Wisconsin hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →