According to both the 2010 Census and the 2008 American Community Survey, Milwaukee’s population is 604,447, making it the 23rd-largest city in the nation, similar in size to cities such as Boston, Seattle, and Washington. DC It is also the largest city in Wisconsin.
Milwaukee metropolitan area population
However, the population of the greater Milwaukee area is much larger, at 1,751,316. The Milwaukee metropolitan area consists of five counties: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, Washington, and Ozaukee. The total population of the state of Wisconsin is 5,686,986, which means that more than 10% of the state’s residents reside in the city of Milwaukee. Thirty percent of the state’s residents live in the five-county metropolitan area.
When considering the city’s population compared to the population of the metropolitan area, Milwaukee may align more closely with Louisville, Kentucky (597,337); Denver, Colorado (600,158); Nashville, Tennessee (601,222); and Washington, DC (601,723). This does not, of course, take into account the attractions available to visitors and the amenities available to residents. Each city has its own personality, driven largely by its cultural and ethnic makeup.
The city of Milwaukee is diverse, and its ethnic composition is almost divided between white and African American residents.
According to the United States Census, Milwaukee’s ethnic breakdown in 2010
- White: 266,339
- African Americans: 237,769
- Asian: 20,851
- American Indian or Alaska Native: 4,695
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 241
- Other race: 44,650
- Two or more races: 20,288
While the city of Milwaukee can be considered diverse, this changes considerably when looking at Milwaukee County as a whole, including its northern, southern, and western suburbs. The total population of Milwaukee County is 947,735, with a white population of 574,656, or more than 55%. However, the county’s African-American population is 253,764, or about 27%. Most African Americans in the area tend to reside in the city, a pattern that hasn’t changed much in the past two to three decades. These figures also show that fewer than 20,000 African Americans living in Milwaukee County live outside the city limits or about 8%.
These statistics are repeated in the number of all non-white races in the city versus the county, with the vast majority of non-white peoples living within the city limits.
According to the United States Census, the ethnic breakdown of Milwaukee County in 2011
- White: 575,656
- African Americans: 253,764
- Asian: 32,433
- American Indian or Alaska Native: 6,808
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 363
- Other race: 51,429
- Two or more races: 28,293
Milwaukee is often said to be a very racially segregated city; in fact, some accounts consider Milwaukee to be the most segregated city in the nation. This is the tenor, whether you’re chatting with a local or studying population numbers and statistics. The statistical difference between non-white populations in city versus county could easily lead to that assumption. However, measuring city segregation is more complex than simple population comparisons, and the true measure of segregation is found by using the ‘dissimilarity index’.
For more information on demographics and data for Milwaukee and the surrounding area, visit this link, published by the City of Milwaukee. This includes the projection that by 2025, Milwaukee’s population expects to increase 4.3% to 623,000.
