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.

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.

Explore the complete dataset and additional insights.

Metro Milwaukee Data Profile →

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

Metro Milwaukee Age Distribution

Population by sex, 2022 estimates

Female

793,324

Male

766,468

Population by Race, 2010-2022)

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

Population by race

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
Occupied housing units
Vacant housing units

697,624
654,547
43,077

Housing Tenure, 2022 estimates

Occupied housing units, metro Milwaukee
Owner-occupied housing units
Renter-occupied housing units

654,547
393,128
261,419