Milwaukee statistics show a city of about 563,531 people, within a county of 941,139 residents and a combined statistical area of roughly 2.05 million. The figures below distinguish Milwaukee city from Milwaukee County and identify the measurement year or period for each statistic.
Milwaukee statistics at a glance
- City population estimate: 563,531 on July 1, 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts).
- County population estimate: 941,139 in 2024 (Milwaukee County 2024 official statement).
- City area: 96.9 square miles (City of Milwaukee 2024 ACFR).
- City unemployment rate: 4.2% average in 2024 (City of Milwaukee 2024 ACFR).
- County unemployment rate: 3.7% in 2024* (Milwaukee County 2024 official statement).
- City per capita income: $60,114 in 2023 (City of Milwaukee 2024 ACFR).
- County per capita personal income: $56,188 in 2022 (Milwaukee County 2024 official statement).
Contents
- Population and geographic scale
- Age, race, language, and household characteristics
- Income, employment, housing, and commuting
- County records and vital statistics
- Public safety and community services
- Health department statistics
- Water infrastructure and county investment
Population and geographic scale
The U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts lists Milwaukee city’s population estimate at 563,531 on July 1, 2024. The same source reports 577,222 residents on April 1, 2020 and 594,833 on April 1, 2010. Its estimated population base for April 1, 2020 was 577,897, and the city’s population change from that base to July 1, 2024 was -2.5%.
The City of Milwaukee 2024 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report gives a different 2024 estimate: 575,385, ranking Milwaukee 31st among U.S. cities. Its demographic table lists the city population as 577,385 in 2024. These figures come from different reported measures, so they should not be combined as though they were a single estimate.
Milwaukee covers 96.9 square miles, according to the City of Milwaukee 2024 ACFR. The city is about 75 miles east of Madison. Looking beyond the municipal boundary, the Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha combined statistical area had a population of 2.05 million, according to the same report.
Milwaukee County’s population estimate was 941,139 in 2024, compared with a 2020 census population of 939,489. Earlier census counts were 947,735 in 2010, 940,164 in 2000, 959,275 in 1990, and 964,988 in 1980. Those county figures provide a longer historical frame than the city’s recent estimates.
Age, race, language, and household characteristics
Milwaukee city residents under age 18 made up 25.6% of the population in the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts profile. Children under age 5 accounted for 6.9%, while residents age 65 and over accounted for 11.8%. The City of Milwaukee 2024 ACFR demographic table reported a median age of 35.7 in 2024.
Women represented 51.6% of Milwaukee city residents, according to QuickFacts. The city’s reported racial and ethnic profile included 38.6% Black alone, 36.5% White alone, 5.1% Asian alone, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, and 14.7% two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents accounted for 20.9%, while White residents who were not Hispanic or Latino accounted for 31.7%.
These categories describe different dimensions of the population and are not intended to be added into one total. In particular, Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity that can overlap with racial categories.
Foreign-born residents represented 11.1% of the city population. People who spoke a language other than English at home represented 21.8%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts profile. The city also had 15,311 veterans during 2020–2024.
The following comparison keeps the city and county geographies separate:
| Measure | Milwaukee city | Milwaukee County |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 population figure | 563,531 estimate on July 1 | 941,139 estimate |
| 2020 population figure | 577,222 on April 1 | 939,489 census count |
| 2010 population figure | 594,833 on April 1 | 947,735 census count |
| Reported 2024 unemployment | 4.2% average | 3.7%* |
City population and demographic figures are from U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts unless otherwise labeled. City unemployment is from the City of Milwaukee 2024 ACFR; county unemployment is from the Milwaukee County 2024 official statement.
Income, employment, housing, and commuting
The City of Milwaukee 2024 ACFR reported city per capita income of $60,114 in 2023, up from $57,683 in 2022. Milwaukee County’s official 2024 statement reported per capita personal income of $56,188 in 2022, $55,965 in 2021, $50,651 in 2020, $47,898 in 2019, and $46,735 in 2018. The city and county measures use different reporting periods and labels.
The city’s unemployment rate averaged 4.2% in 2024, compared with 4.3% in 2023, according to the City of Milwaukee 2024 ACFR. The county’s unemployment rate was reported as 3.7% in 2024*, 3.8% in 2023, 3.7% in 2022, 5.4% in 2021, and 8.4% in 2020 by the Milwaukee County 2024 official statement. The asterisk is retained because it appears in the county source.
Milwaukee city had 8,708 all-employer firms in 2022, according to U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts. Public school enrollment in the City of Milwaukee 2024 ACFR demographic table was 66,864 in 2024.
Housing figures from QuickFacts show an owner-occupied housing unit rate of 41.8%. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $184,000, and median selected monthly owner costs with a mortgage were $1,533. The city’s mean travel time to work was 22.4 minutes.
County records and vital statistics
The Milwaukee County Register of Deeds Annual Statistical Report recorded 12,452 births in 2024 and 12,334 in 2023. It recorded 3,752 marriages in 2024 and 3,609 in 2023. Death records totaled 8,190 in 2024 and 8,342 in 2023.
The Register of Deeds recorded 45,015 documents in 2024, compared with 48,568 in 2023. Total revenue from copies and images, recorded documents, vital statistics, and the county share transfer fee was $4,839,043.80 in 2024 and $4,691,618.92 in 2023.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner Annual Report 2024 counted 7,850 deaths under the Medical Examiner’s jurisdiction. It certified 913 natural deaths, 929 accidental deaths, 101 suicides, and 180 homicides in 2024. Within the accidental-death category, 446 cases were drug-related, 244 involved falls, and 53 involved motorized-vehicle drivers. Among suicide deaths, 59 involved gunshot injuries.
The Register of Deeds death totals and the Medical Examiner’s jurisdictional total are different measures. They should be read as separate administrative statistics rather than combined.
Public safety and community services
The Milwaukee Fire Department reported 302,464 public fire safety education contacts in 2024 and distributed 426 smoke alarms. Its community risk reduction work included 942 contacts. The department attended 1,195 community-requested public education and fire prevention events and 212 MFD-initiated events during the year.
The department’s maintenance unit had 28 people and maintained 40 fire stations and service buildings, according to the MFD 2024 Annual Report. The Survive Alive House drew 211 visitors during Doors Open Milwaukee in September 2024.
Milwaukee’s public-service statistics also include work that is preventative and educational. A contact, event attendance, smoke-alarm distribution, and facility-maintenance count describe different kinds of activity, so the figures are best used to understand service reach rather than to create one combined total.
Health department statistics
The Milwaukee Health Department’s nursing division identified 37 newborns with hearing loss and referred them to early intervention on a monthly average basis in 2024. It also reported three babies with sickle cell seen in clinic by 4 months of age. The department distributed 208 cribs through Cribs for Kids classes and home visiting.
The department served 15,639 clients through WIC in 2024. It reported that 52% of babies were breastfed through 3 months of age and 35% through 6 months of age. These are separate duration measures, not a count of babies.
Milwaukee Health Department clinics recorded 9,216 visits in 2024 and tested 4,318 people for sexually transmitted infections. The department distributed 144,988 condoms and provided emergency contraception to 858 people. It also distributed 2,502 Narcan kits and 5,845 fentanyl test strips.
Administrative and public-information activity was substantial as well. The department handled 160 open records requests, received 950,000 website visits, and generated 828,000 social media impressions in 2024, according to the MHD 2024 Annual Report.
Water infrastructure and county investment
Milwaukee Water Works is replacing roughly 65,000 residential lead service lines, according to its Lead Pipes page. The utility says childcare facilities require about 50 to 75 replacements per year, while leaks or failures trigger about 500 to 550 replacements annually. Certain planned projects trigger about 550 to 650 replacements each year.
The utility assigned a score to every Census Block Group in 2024 as part of its prioritization plan. It reports a five-year average cost of $3,454 for the private side of a replacement. These planning and cost figures describe the lead-service-line program and should not be treated as a citywide average cost for all water work.
Milwaukee Water Works provides safe drinking water to approximately 923,000 people in Milwaukee and 16 suburban communities, according to the 2025 Annual Water Quality Report. It conducted more than 30,000 water quality tests for over 500 regulated and unregulated substances. The 2024 Annual Water Quality Report release reported a 90th percentile lead level of 5.3 parts per billion for 2023 testing.
In the Wisconsin Waterworks Excellence Project evaluation, Milwaukee Water Works received a Water Quality–Health score of 91.1, a Communications score of 93.8, a Finance score of 87.0, and an Infrastructure & Operations score of 64.1.
Milwaukee County’s American Rescue Plan Act allocations totaled $183 million across 73 projects, according to the Milwaukee County ARPA 2024 report. The projects reached 100% of Milwaukee County ZIP codes. The ARPA allocation dashboard reported nearly $10 million in community support expenditures, $59 million in revenue-loss expenditures, $2.5 million for COVID-19 mitigation, and $4.4 million for fund administration.