Southeastern Wisconsin’s 20 largest municipalities collectively saw their population decline by more than 5,200 residents between July 2021 and July 2022, according to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The group of cities and villages covers more than 1.37 million people and stretches from Milwaukee at 563,305 residents to the village of Germantown at 21,015.
Just five municipalities in that group – Brookfield, Menomonee Falls, Mequon, Pleasant Prairie and Germantown – saw their populations grow in the latest estimates. Pleasant Prairie saw the strongest growth, up 463 residents or 2.17%. Brookfield was up by 461 or 1.11%.
The region’s seven largest cities all saw their population decline. Milwaukee’s population was down 2,535 or 0.45% and is now down 13,920 or 2.41% since the 2020 Census. The city is in the process of
challenging its totals from the Census.
Elsewhere in Milwaukee County, West Allis saw its population drop by 546 or 0.92% and Wauwatosa was down 434 or 0.91%.
To the south, Kenosha saw a 786-resident drop or 0.79% and Racine was down 617 or 0.8%.
Sheboygan was down 101 or 0.2% and Waukesha was 269 or 0.38%.
Growth was better among smaller municipalities in the region. For the remaining 56 municipalities with more than 5,000 residents, 26 saw growth this past year. That group includes 11 municipalities that saw growth of more than 1% for the year:
- Hartland village: 9,976 (population) | 374 (change from 2021 to 2022) | 3.9% (percentage change)
- Summit village: 5,148 | 162 | 3.25%
- Whitewater city: 15,638 | 487 | 3.21%
- Union Grove village: 5,085 | 154 | 3.12%
- Slinger village: 6,294 | 161 | 2.63%
- Jackson village: 7,975 | 114 | 1.45%
- Lake Geneva city: 8,544 | 122 | 1.45%
- Sussex village: 11,819 | 163 | 1.4%
- Lisbon town: 10,749 | 138 | 1.3%
- Grafton village: 12,433 | 157 |1.28%
- Pewaukee city: 16,169 | 171 | 1.07%
Within the group of smaller municipalities reviewed by BizTimes, four saw declines of more than 1%, led by Elm Grove, down 2.83% or 184 residents. Salem Lakes was down 1.4% or 204. South Milwaukee’s population declined 1.09% or 223 residents and Shorewood was down 1.05% or 144.
At the county level, none of the municipalities in Milwaukee County, regardless of size, saw population growth in the 2022 data. Most growing municipalities were concentrated in Ozaukee, Sheboygan, Washington and Waukesha counties.
