City safety & data profile

MilwaukeeWI

Milwaukee, WI is a 564K-resident city in Milwaukee County with a median household income of $54,234.

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Milwaukee, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Milwaukee has a population larger than 99% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $184,000, and 8 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-19

564K
Population
Top 1%
By size
$54,234
Median income
$184,000
Median home
22.8%
Poverty rate

The read on Milwaukee

Milwaukee posts a median household income higher than 14% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 recent safety alert is on record and 8 hospitals serve the Milwaukee area.

Top 86%
by median income, US cities
1
safety alert on record
8
hospitals in & near Milwaukee

Where Milwaukee income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$54,234 Bottom 14% higher than 14% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. WI $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Milwaukee, WI beyond the headline numbers

Milwaukee sits inside Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, at roughly 43.04°N, -87.91°W. Population 563,531, $54,234 median household income. Median home value $184,000, median rent $1,059. Poverty rate 22.8%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Milwaukee's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 41.8%, then short sleep duration at 39.7%. 8 hospitals in/around Milwaukee, 3.5/5 avg rating, 6 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Milwaukee from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
563,531
Milwaukee
Median Income
$54,234
-20% vs avg
Median Home Value
$184,000
-19% vs avg
Median Age
32.4
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Milwaukee County) - Milwaukee's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
926K-3%
Median Income
$64,435+49%
Median Home Value
$230,700+46%
Poverty Rate
17.2%-20%
Unemployment
4.8%-57%

Economics

Economics indicators for Milwaukee, WI
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,059/mo
Poverty Rate
22.8% +61% vs avg
Unemployment 6.2%
Bachelor's Degree+ 27.4%
Work From Home 12.9%
Public Transit 5%

Population

White 34.2%
African American 38.5%
Asian 5.1%
Two or More Ethnicities 1.3%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
41.8%
Short Sleep Duration
39.7%
High Blood Pressure
36.1%
Physical Inactivity
32.5%
Frequent Mental Distress
19.1%
Current Smoking
17.3%
Binge Drinking
16.3%
Frequent Physical Distress
15%
Diabetes
14.7%
Lack of Health Insurance
14.1%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 55.8%
Annual Checkup 77.5%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
12.6%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.1%
Stroke
4.1%

Hospitals 8 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
1
★★★★
1
★★★
4
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3.5/5
Total Hospitals
8
With ER
6
ASCENSION SE WISCONSIN HOSPITAL
MILWAUKEE · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★★
AURORA ST LUKES MEDICAL CENTER
MILWAUKEE · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆
MILWAUKEE VA MEDICAL CENTER
MILWAUKEE · Acute Care - Veterans Administration · ER
★★★☆☆
ASCENSION COLUMBIA ST MARYS HOSPITAL MILWAUKEE
MILWAUKEE · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆
ASCENSION ST FRANCIS HOSPITAL
MILWAUKEE · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆
FROEDTERT MEMORIAL LUTHERAN HOSPITAL
MILWAUKEE · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Alerts & News - Milwaukee Area 1

Weather Alerts high

Flood Warning Issued for Milwaukee, WI

NOAA ·

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Milwaukee, WI? ▼
Milwaukee, WI has a population of 563,531 people, located in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
What is the median household income in Milwaukee? ▼
The median household income in Milwaukee, WI is $54,234 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 22.8%.
What is the median home value in Milwaukee? ▼
The median home value in Milwaukee, WI is $184,000. Median rent is $1,059/month.
What are the top health concerns in Milwaukee? ▼
The top health indicators in Milwaukee include Obesity (41.8%), Short Sleep Duration (39.7%), High Blood Pressure (36.1%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Milwaukee? ▼
Milwaukee has 8 hospitals with an average rating of 3.5/5 stars. 6 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Milwaukee? ▼
The median age in Milwaukee, WI is 32.4 years. 27.4% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Milwaukee, WI is located in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. With a population of 564K and a $54,234 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 8 hospitals with an average rating of 3.5/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Milwaukee area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Wisconsin

Real-time AQI for every monitored Wisconsin location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Shorewood, WI 13K Whitefish Bay, WI 14K Cudahy, WI 18K Glendale, WI 13K Wauwatosa, WI 48K West Allis, WI 61K Greenfield, WI 37K Greendale, WI 14K
All cities in Wisconsin → Compare Milwaukee vs Shorewood → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Milwaukee's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Milwaukee area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Milwaukee against Wisconsin peers on any ranking lens. Explore Wisconsin

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Milwaukee County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.