Milwaukee, Wisconsin population is 562,407 as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimate), ranking #31 nationally and #1 in Wisconsin. Cost of living runs 3.1% below the U.S. average (BEA RPP 2024); a family of four needs roughly $101,175/yr to break even (2025 modeled). This profile draws on 13 federal datasets covering population, housing, income, employment, climate, and risk.
At a glance.
2025 population
562,407
-915 in the last year
Top 1% of 19,483 U.S. cities
Census Vintage 2025
Cost of living
RPP 96.9
−3.1% vs US
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro · BEA 2024
Family-of-4 budget
$101,175/yr
+26% vs US
Modeled 2025 · federal sources
Median HH income
$54,234
−30% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
Median home value
$184,000
−39% vs US
ACS 2020–2024 5-yr
2-BR fair-market rent
$1,338/mo
HUD FY2026 · 40th pct
Avg July high
82°F
NOAA 1991–2020
Gigabit broadband
51%
ISP-reported, FCC BDC
How many people live in Milwaukee?
562,407 people live in Milwaukee as of July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025), the #31 largest U.S. city.
Source detail: 2025 population
2025 population
Source agency
U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division
Dataset
Census PEP
Vintage / period
Vintage 2025 (Jul 1, 2025)
Native geography
Census PEP subcounty place records for the included city universe.
Transformation
Copied from POPESTIMATE2025, joined by Census GEOID, and used for ranks, filters, and city pages.
Known limit: Annual estimate, not a decennial count; each new PEP vintage can revise the prior series.
Population shrank 2.7% from the April 2020 base to mid-2025.
Vintage 2025 · annual estimates
Recent history (V2025 series, 2020 base → 2025).
2020 base: 577,894 → 2025: 562,407 (-2.7%)
Year
Population
Reference date
2020 base
577,894
April 1, 2020
2020
577,151
July 1, 2020
2021
566,535
July 1, 2021
2022
564,296
July 1, 2022
2023
562,904
July 1, 2023
2024
563,322
July 1, 2024
2025
562,407
July 1, 2025
Earlier history (2010–2019, prior Census vintage)
These figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2019 release — a separate, earlier methodology. They’re shown here as historical context only; the 2010 and 2019 values aren’t directly comparable to the 2020–2025 series above.
Population shrank 0.8% from the July 2010 estimate to 2019 (V2019 — see seam note below).
Milwaukee is the #31 largest of 19,483 U.S. cities and #1 in Wisconsin.
▸ Show the analyst detail (9 rows)
Measure
Value
Note
2020 base
577,894
April 1, 2020 census base
5-yr change
-15,487
2020 base → 2025; within V2025
5-yr change %
-2.7%
within V2025 only
1-yr change
-915
2024 → 2025 estimate
1-yr change %
-0.2%
within V2025 only
Density
5,848
people per sq mi, land only
Land area
96.2
sq mi (2025 Gazetteer)
U.S. rank by population
#31
of 19,483 cities
State rank by population
#1
of 608 in Wisconsin
What is the median household income in Milwaukee?
Median household income is 30% below the U.S. median ($54,234 vs $77,719); 22.8% live in poverty — 10.3 points above the 12.5% U.S. rate.
Median household income$54,234
US
Milwaukee: $54,234 — 30% below the US median of $77,719.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS income data
Milwaukee
$54,234
United States
$77,719
Income and poverty estimates for Milwaukee from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year estimates (window 2020–2024). Every figure is shown with its 90% margin of error (MOE). Cells where the ± margin exceeds half the estimate are flagged "low precision." See methodology §12.
Measure
Estimate
± margin / note
Median household income
54,234-30.2% vs US
±1,283
Per capita income
30,994-28.4% vs US
±593
Population in poverty
22.8%
share of population for whom poverty status is determined
Median home value is 39% below the U.S. median ($184,000 vs $303,400); median rent is 21% below ($1,059 vs $1,348); price-to-income ratio is 3.4×, making it 1.2× as affordable as the typical U.S. city (3.9×).
Median home value$184,000
US
Milwaukee: $184,000 — 39% below the US median of $303,400.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with ACS home-value data
HUD 2-BR fair-market rent$1,338/mo
US
Milwaukee: $1,338/mo — 24% above the US median of $1,077/mo.
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of cities with a HUD Fair Market Rent
Poverty (Census SAIPE 2024, model-based), unemployment (BLS LAUS 2024 annual averages), and remote-work share (ACS 2020–2024) for Milwaukee. Numbers are labeled at their native grain — place-grain when BLS publishes it, otherwise per-county. We do not compute population-weighted county averages. See methodology §13.
Measure
Value
Grain
Unemployment rate (annual avg)
4.2%
Milwaukee (BLS sub-state LAUS)
Civilian labor force
273,314
2024 annual avg
Worked from home
12.9%-7.8% vs US
share of workers 16+ commuting from home · U.S. median: 14% · ACS
County context — Milwaukee spans 3 counties; all are listed (no weighted average):
County
Poverty rate
Median HH income
Unemployment
Milwaukee County
16.8%
$66,339
3.7%
Washington County
6.3%
$90,279
2.5%
Waukesha County
5.5%
$103,789
2.6%
Top industries by private employment — NAICS supersectors rolled up from Milwaukee's linked 3 counties in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW, 2024 annual averages). See methodology §11.
#
Industry (NAICS supersector)
Private employment
Avg weekly wage
#1
Health care and social assistance (62)
133,882
$1,168 / wk
#2
Manufacturing (31-33)
103,439
$1,554 / wk
#3
Retail trade (44-45)
70,466
$711 / wk
#4
Accommodation and food services (72)
61,060
$460 / wk
#5
Administrative and waste services (56)
44,869
$870 / wk
What workers earn in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro — top occupations by employment plus six curated benchmarks (registered nurse, software developer, elementary teacher, general manager, retail salesperson, truck driver). Wages are metro-area medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). See methodology §25.
Home Health and Personal Care Aides is the largest tracked occupation in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro (30,090 jobs, median $37,020/yr).
▸ Show all 14 occupations
Occupation
Employment
Median annual
Median hourly
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
30,090
$37,020
$17.80
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
19,810
$44,840
$21.56
Fast Food and Counter Workers
17,490
$28,440
$13.67
Cashiers
15,050
$30,400
$14.61
Office Clerks, General
14,820
$44,040
$21.17
Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners
14,380
$36,620
$17.61
Customer Service Representatives
14,080
$47,840
$23.00
Stockers and Order Fillers
12,020
$34,470
$16.57
Registered Nurses · benchmark
22,400
$97,360
$46.81
Retail Salespersons · benchmark
18,850
$34,410
$16.54
General and Operations Managers · benchmark
10,480
$125,490
$60.33
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers · benchmark
10,250
$59,580
$28.64
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education · benchmark
All items run 3.1% below the U.S. average (RPP 96.9); utilities run 8.4% below (RPP 91.6) — the metro's utility affordability is the main driver.
Cost of living (RPP, all items)RPP 96.9
US
Milwaukee's cost of living runs 3.1% below the U.S. average (RPP 96.9 vs 100).
Scale: 10th–90th percentile of metro/non-metro areas with a BEA price parity
BEA Regional Price Parity (all items)
RPP 96.9
−3.1% vs U.S. average · BEA 2024 · Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro
HUD Fair Market Rent, 2-BR
$1,338/mo
FY2026 · Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA
State income tax (top marginal rate)
7.65%
4 brackets · TY2025
Family-of-four monthly budget total
$8,431/mo
3BR rent + food + childcare + taxes + transport · federal sources
Single-adult monthly budget total
$4,184/mo
1BR rent + food + taxes + transport · federal sources
Local income tax
—
not applicable in Wisconsin · no modeled local income tax
Household budget figures are arithmetic floors using current federal sources at the grains documented in methodology. Not a recommended salary, not a poverty threshold, not a composite score.
11.1% foreign-born (U.S. median 14%); Spanish is the most-spoken language at home other than English (16.0% of residents 5+).
A quick read on Milwaukee's residents — nativity and languages spoken at home shown above, from the ACS 5-Year 2020–2024. The full demographic breakdown (age, race and ethnicity, household types, and educational attainment, each with its margin of error) lives on the demographics page.
Hottest month: July (82°F avg high). Coldest: January (15°F avg low). Annual precipitation: 34.5 in.
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) for Milwaukee from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. See methodology §15 for the gridded vs. station source path.
Average monthly highs & lows · 30-year normal (NOAA 1991–2020). Every number on this chart is an average.
bar = avg daily high → avg daily lowprecip in inches below each barprecip in millimeters below each bar
Composite risk spans 68.3–98.4/100 across 3 counties; most-cited top hazard is Cold Wave (in all 3).
Natural-hazard exposure for Milwaukee from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index (FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0). NRI is an expected-annual-loss composite calibrated on 1996–2019 historical losses, published at the U.S. county grain. See methodology §17.
Milwaukee spans 3 counties. We list each separately because hurricane, flood, and fire risk varies meaningfully across county lines — manufacturing a single “city-level” risk score would hide that signal.
County
NRI composite
Rating
Top hazards
Milwaukee County
98.4
Relatively High
Cold Wave 100.0 Very High · Heat Wave 99.0 Relatively High · Tornado 99.0 Very High
Cold Wave 97.4 Relatively High · Hail 96.1 Relatively High · Tornado 95.7 Relatively High
Source: FEMA National Risk Index · FEMA NRI December 2025 v1.20.0 · methodology →
How fast is home internet in Milwaukee?
19 non-satellite ISPs serve the area; 51% of locations have gigabit-capable service per ISP filings.
Fixed broadband availability for Milwaukee from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission's Broadband Data Collection (BDC), as of June 30, 2025. Every speed and provider count below is an ISP-reported advertised maximum — not measured throughput. Actual delivered speeds typically run 60–80% of advertised. See methodology §16.
Measure
Value
Note
Providers serving this city
19 + satellite
distinct ISPs, excluding satellite-only
Fiber providers
15
offer fiber-to-the-premises somewhere in the BDC
Units with ≥100/20 Mbps fixed
100.0%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Locations with ≥100 Mbps upload
51.0%
derived: max(fiber ≥100/20, gigabit). Fiber is symmetric; gigabit is ≥100 up by definition
Units with ≥1 Gbps fixed
50.9%
share of broadband-serviceable units, ISP-reported max
Total broadband-serviceable units
290,443
residential locations in the FCC Fabric (not households)
Source: FCC BDC · as of June 30, 2025 · methodology →
How much crime is reported in Milwaukee?
In 2024, law enforcement reported 8,019 violent and 15,135 property offenses in the Milwaukee jurisdiction — a violent-crime rate of 1,430.9 per 100,000, above the U.S. estimate of 359.1.
Reported offenses known to law enforcement from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program (CIUS Table 8), 2024. Figures describe the FBI agency jurisdiction: Milwaukee — an FBI jurisdiction population of 560,416, versus the Census place population of 562,407. The rate per 100,000 is the FBI's own (count ÷ that jurisdiction population), never divided by the Census place figure. These are reported crimes under voluntary participation — not measured or victimization crime — and the FBI cautions against using them to rank or compare places. See methodology §31.
Offenses known, 2024
Count
Rate /100k
U.S. rate
Violent crime
8,019
1,430.9
359.1
Property crime
15,135
2,700.7
1,760.1
▸ Offense breakdown and 3-year trend
Offense, 2024
Count
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter
134
Rape
382
Robbery
1,727
Aggravated assault
5,776
Burglary
2,175
Larceny-theft
7,034
Motor vehicle theft
5,926
Arson (12-month reporters only)
183
Year
Violent /100k
Property /100k
Jurisdiction pop.
2022
1,508.5
3,507.3
561,743
2023
1,437.6
2,698.4
558,698
2024
1,430.9
2,700.7
560,416
Only years the agency reported a complete 12 months appear; the FBI does not estimate missing agency-years, so a gap is a non-reporting year, not zero crime.
U.S. rate is the FBI national estimate (imputes non-reporting agencies); the city figures are reported-only. Source: FBI UCR CIUS Table 8 (2022–2024) · FBI agency jurisdiction: Milwaukee · methodology → · FBI Crime Data Explorer →
In-state context.
Milwaukee sits at state rank #1 among 608 cities in Wisconsin. Nearby in the state ranking:
Just above in the profiled set: Baltimore, MD · #30 · 569,997 residents.
Just below in the profiled set: Albuquerque, NM · #32 · 556,588 residents.
Quick travel facts for Milwaukee
Quick travel facts.
Nearest commercial airport
General Mitchell International Airport(MKE) ·
9 mi 14 km from city centroid
Sources: elevation from USGS Elevation Point Query Service (3DEP) · nearest airport from OurAirports CSV (FAA-aligned, type=large/medium, scheduled_service=yes) · best months derived from NOAA 1991-2020 normals · methodology →
Frequently asked questions about Milwaukee.
How many people live in Milwaukee, WI?
Milwaukee has 562,407 residents as of July 1, 2025, making it the #31 largest city in the United States and #1 in Wisconsin. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025.
Is Milwaukee growing or shrinking?
Milwaukee has shrunk 2.7% since the April 2020 census baseline, losing 15,487 residents, including a 0.2% decline from 2024 to 2025. Source: Census PEP Vintage 2025.
What was Milwaukee's population in the 2020 census?
The GEOID for Milwaukee is 5553000. These are the official datasets used by this profile's main data modules; click "methodology" for inclusion rules and the V2019 ↔ V2025 seam, or "source" for the raw publisher page. The headline population value above includes a source-detail disclosure with publisher, dataset, vintage, native geography, transformation, and caveat.
