Population Trends & Housing Data
Discover comprehensive demographic insights about the Milwaukee metropolitan area, including population trends by county, municipality, age, gender, race and housing characteristics.
Whether you’re considering relocating to Milwaukee, researching market opportunities, or analyzing community development needs, this data provides valuable context about our diverse and dynamic region.
Explore the complete dataset and additional insights.
Population Trends in Metro Milwaukee
The Milwaukee metropolitan area, comprising Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties, has experienced subtle population shifts in recent years. After growing to 1,574,721 residents in 2020, the metro area recorded a slight decline to 1,559,792 in 2022. This represents a regional population that has remained relatively stable over the past decade.
County-Level Population Distribution, 2022
While the four-county region maintains steady overall numbers, individual counties show varying patterns from 2010 to 2022.
Milwaukee County
918,661
-3.07% (decreased)
Ozaukee County
93,009
+7.66%
Washington County
137,688
+4.40%
Waukesha County
410,434
+5.27%
County-Level Population Distribution, 2022
While the four-county region maintains steady overall numbers, individual counties show varying patterns from 2010 to 2022.
Milwaukee County
918,661
-3.07% (decreased)
Ozaukee County
93,009
+7.66%
Washington County
137,688
+4.40%
Waukesha County
410,434
+5.27%
Key Demographic Insights
Our metropolitan region features:
- A balanced age distribution with significant representation across life stages
- Growing senior population (65+) now representing 17.2% of residents
- Median age of 38.8 years
- Diverse racial composition with increasing Asian population (4.5%)
- Hispanic/Latino community growth to 11.7% of the population
Population by sex, 2022 estimates
Female
793,324
Male
766,468
Metro Milwaukee Age Distribution
White
1,174,451
75.3%
Black/African American
261,916
16.8%
Hispanic/Latino
183,097
11.7%
Asian
70,452
4.5%
Two or more
40,497
2.6%
American Indian
11,812
0.8%
Native Hawaiian
664
Housing Characteristics
The metro area contains 697,624 housing units with 654,547 occupied households. Homeownership remains strong with 60% of housing units owner-occupied, while rental properties constitute 40% of occupied units.
Our data provides valuable context for businesses, community organizations, and policymakers to understand Milwaukee’s demographic landscape and make informed decisions for our region’s future.
Housing occupancy, 2022 estimates
All housing units, metro Milwaukee – 697,624
Occupied housing units – 654,547
Vacant housing units – 43,077
Housing Tenure, 2022 estimates
Occupied housing units, metro Milwaukee – 654,547
Owner-occupied housing units – 393,128
Renter-occupied housing units – 261,419