Milwaukee Metropolitan Area | |
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| Milwaukee–Racine–Waukesha, WI Combined Statistical Area | |
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| Coordinates:43°15′00″N88°10′00″W / 43.25°N 88.166667°W /43.25; -88.166667 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Wisconsin |
| Largest city | Milwaukee |
| Other cities | |
| Area | |
• Total | 3,356 sq mi (8,690 km2) |
| Population (2010)[1] | |
• Total |  1,555,908 |
| • Density | 464/sq mi (179/km2) |
| GDP | |
| • MSA | $120.563 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
TheMilwaukee metropolitan area (also known asMetro Milwaukee orGreater Milwaukee) is a majormetropolitan area located in SoutheasternWisconsin, consisting of the city ofMilwaukee and some of the surrounding area. There are several definitions of the area, including theMilwaukee–Waukesha–West Allis metropolitan area and theMilwaukee–Racine–Waukesha combined statistical area. It is the largest metropolitan area in Wisconsin, and the 39th largest metropolitan area in theUnited States.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 5,948 | — | |
| 1850 | 69,820 | 1,073.8% | |
| 1860 | 128,653 | 84.3% | |
| 1870 | 157,687 | 22.6% | |
| 1880 | 206,397 | 30.9% | |
| 1890 | 318,065 | 54.1% | |
| 1900 | 405,198 | 27.4% | |
| 1910 | 511,194 | 26.2% | |
| 1920 | 624,109 | 22.1% | |
| 1930 | 821,566 | 31.6% | |
| 1940 | 876,954 | 6.7% | |
| 1950 | 1,014,211 | 15.7% | |
| 1960 | 1,278,850 | 26.1% | |
| 1970 | 1,403,688 | 9.8% | |
| 1980 | 1,397,143 | −0.5% | |
| 1990 | 1,432,149 | 2.5% | |
| 2000 | 1,500,741 | 4.8% | |
| 2010 | 1,555,908 | 3.7% | |
| 2020 | 1,574,731 | 1.2% | |
| 2022 (est.) | 1,559,792 | −0.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[3] 1790–1960[4] 1900–1990[5] 1990–2000[6] 2010–2014 | |||
TheU.S. Census Bureau defines the Milwaukee Metropolitan area as containing four counties in southeastern Wisconsin:Milwaukee and the threeWOW counties:Ozaukee,Washington, andWaukesha. The Metropolitan population of Milwaukee was 1,575,179 in the Census Bureau's 2019 estimate, making it the39th largest in the United States.[8]
The city of Milwaukee is the hub of the metropolitan area. The eastern parts of Racine County, eastern parts of Waukesha County, southern part of Ozaukee County, southeastern part of Washington County, and remainder of Milwaukee County are the most urbanized parts of the outlying counties.
The character of the area varies widely.Mequon,Brookfield, and the North Shore (Fox Point,Whitefish Bay,River Hills,Shorewood,Glendale,Brown Deer, andBayside) are more white-collar, whileWest Milwaukee,West Allis, andSt. Francis are more blue-collar.[citation needed]
Metro Milwaukee draws commuters from outlying areas such asMadison,Chicago and theFox Cities.It is part of theGreat Lakes Megalopolis containing an estimated 54 million people.
The Milwaukee–Racine–WaukeshaCombined Statistical Area is made up of the Milwaukee–Waukesha–West AllisMetropolitan Statistical Area (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties), the Racine Metropolitan Statistical Area (Racine County), the Beaver Dam Micropolitan Statistical Area (Dodge County), the Watertown-Fort Atkinson Micropolitan Area (Jefferson County), and the Whitewater-Elkorn Micropolitan Area (Walworth County) according to the U.S. Census.[9] Updated definitions released in February 2013 added Dodge, Jefferson and Walworth Counties to the Milwaukee CSA.Kenosha, despite being just 32 miles fromMilwaukee and 50 miles fromChicago, is included as part of theChicago CSA, as Kenosha has more residents who commute to the Chicago area. As of the 2019 census estimates, the Milwaukee–Racine–WaukeshaCombined Statistical Area population was 2,047,966, the largest in Wisconsin and the33rd largest in the United States.[8] The Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha CSA shares an eastern border with theMadison MSA theJanesville-Beloit MSA which in turn are both a part of the Madison CSA.
There are eightcounties in the U.S. Census Bureau's Milwaukee–Racine–Waukesha Combined statistical area.[1]
The city ofMilwaukee is overwhelminglyDemocratic, while suburbanMilwaukee County was historically politically divided, but has shifted to the left in recent election cycles.[10] TheWOW counties have long been aRepublican stronghold for decades, but they have been trending to the left in recent elections.Dodge County,Jefferson County,Walworth County, andRacine County, which are located on the outskirts of the metro lean Republican.
| Year | Democratic | Republican | Third parties |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 50.8%591,122 | 47.4%551,686 | 1.8%20,694 |
| 2020 | 51.3%583,809 | 47.6%535,175 | 1.6%18,760 |
| 2016 | 48.1%500,957 | 45.7%476,414 | 6.2%64,475 |
| 2012 | 50.9%568,022 | 48.0%535,645 | 1.1%11,760 |
| 2008 | 53.1%569,672 | 45.7%490,048 | 1.2%12,639 |
| 2004 | 47.6%509,100 | 51.5%551,116 | 0.9%9,322 |
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Although each county and its various municipalities are self-governing, there is some cooperation in the metropolitan area. TheMilwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) is a state-chartered government agency which serves 28 municipalities in the five counties.
At the same time, some in the area see the need for more consolidation in government services. TheKettl Commission and former Wisconsin GovernorScott McCallum have supported initiatives to do this. However, full consolidation has faced unsubstantiated criticism as a means of dilutingminority voting power.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)| Government | |
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| Central city |  | |
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| Largest municipalities (over 25,000 in2010) | ||
| Municipalities (over 10,000 in2010) | ||
| Smaller municipalities (under 10,000 in2010) |
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Great Lakes megalopolis as defined by theRPA | ||
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Includes all metropolitan areas that have a population of 150,000 or greater according to the most recent national census. | ||
| Great Lakes region cities |  | |
| Surrounding cities |
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| Cities of states south of region | ||
| Other metro-regions | ||
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