Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Milwaukee County, 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.
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B
Health Around averageLess healthy than 92% of counties in Wisconsin
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C
Income Below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Wisconsin
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 86% of counties in Wisconsin
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Milwaukee County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 925,807 | 5,910,864 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 778.9 | 90.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.41% | 0.34% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.9 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 391,982 | 2,477,189 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Milwaukee County declined by 3.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 925,807 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Milwaukee County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.4% of residents. That is 2.6 points above Wisconsin as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 213,166 23.0% +1.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 216,297 23.4% +2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 171,293 18.5% -2.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 134,963 14.6% -3.3 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 51.6% of the people living in Milwaukee County and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% Wisconsin 50.0%
- Men 48.4% Wisconsin 50.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Milwaukee County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Milwaukee County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Milwaukee County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,972 | $77,698 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.62% | 4.41% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 3.2% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Milwaukee County is about 16% lower than in Wisconsin.
Housing
| Metric | Milwaukee County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $169,943 | $170,479 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,100 | $1,087 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 49.9% | 67.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Milwaukee County is about 12.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,100 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Milwaukee County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 173 hours, about 7.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Milwaukee County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.7 | 18.8 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.5 | 37.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 173 | 156 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,356 | $4,846 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.4% | 13.1% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 16,975 | 6,703 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,534 | 811 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Wisconsin:
Ashland County (12.8 min), Door County (13.6 min), Eau Claire County (15.3 min).
Slowest:
Oconto County (26.4 min), St. Croix County (25.3 min), Waushara County (23.9 min).
The average commute time in Milwaukee County 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 County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Milwaukee County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.4% | 29.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.31 | 2.33 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.4), Ozaukee County (0.4), Waukesha County (0.4).
Lowest:
Clark County (0.2), Adams County (0.2), Juneau County (0.2).
Health
Milwaukee County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Milwaukee County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.7 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.7% | 13.2% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.3% | 18.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Wisconsin:
Dane County (0.8), Waukesha County (0.8), Ozaukee County (0.8).
Lowest:
Menominee County (0.8), Clark County (0.8), Forest County (0.8).
Milwaukee County, WI Compared With Nearby Counties
Milwaukee County, WI is the largest of the 6 counties compared here, 925,807 residents against a local median of 168,436. Where Milwaukee County, WI breaks from the counties next to it is median household income, sitting 20% below the local median of $81,631 at $64,972. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread $37,826 on median household income, so Milwaukee County, WI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Milwaukee County, WI has the 6th highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee County, WI | 925,807 | $64,972 #6/6 | $169,943 #5/6 | 20.7 min #2/6 |
| Racine County, WI | 197,532 | $78,183 | $175,947 | 21.2 min |
| Ozaukee County, WI | 92,977 | $97,459 | $308,928 | 21.5 min |
| Kenosha County, WI | 168,436 | $81,631 | $172,058 | 21.0 min |
| Lake County, IL | 714,026 | $111,219 | $221,886 | 25.6 min |
| Sheboygan County, WI | 117,991 | $73,392 | $169,411 | 15.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
How many people live in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin?
About 925,807 people live in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, in 391,982 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 35.9, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Milwaukee County, Wisconsin mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin has 779 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 9.0 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($169,943 against $64,972), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,100 a month takes about 20% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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