Waukesha County, WI

County

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2024 Population

411,762

US Senator

Ron Johnson

Republican Party

US Senator

Tammy Baldwin

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

43.5

0.462% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

5.23%

0.434% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$106,076

1.9% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$398,200

6.58% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

218,944

0.309% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Waukesha County, WI reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

97.7% of the residents in Waukesha County, WI are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Waukesha County, WI are Waukesha County Technical College (2,067 degrees awarded in 2023), Carroll University (975 degrees), and Herzing University-Brookfield (157 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Waukesha County, WI was $398,200, and the homeownership rate was 76%.

Most people in Waukesha County, WI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 22.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Waukesha County, WI was 2 cars per household.

Waukesha County, WI borders Dodge County, WI, Jefferson County, WI, Milwaukee County, WI, Ozaukee County, WI, Racine County, WI, Walworth County, WI, and Washington County, WI.

Photo by William Garrett

United States Wisconsin Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI

Population & Diversity

Waukesha County, WI is home to a population of 412k people, from which 97.7% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.49% of Waukesha County, WI residents were born outside of the country (22.6k people).

In 2024, there were 21.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (350k people) in Waukesha County, WI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 16k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 10.8k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.7%

2024 Citizenship

97.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.7% of Waukesha County, WI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Waukesha County, WI was 97.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Waukesha County, WI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Waukesha County, WI

White (Non-Hispanic)
350k ± 925
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
16k ± 534
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
10.8k ± 915

5.74%

Hispanic Population

23.7k people

5.74% of the people in Waukesha County, WI are hispanic (23.7k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Waukesha County, WI as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Wisconsin.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
89,915 ± 7,306 people
India
21,992 ± 3,634 people
China
14,287 ± 2,931 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Wisconsin was Mexico, the natal country of 89,915 Wisconsin residents, followed by India with 21,992 and China with 14,287.

Foreign-Born Population

5.49%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

22.6k people

5.27%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

21.6k people

As of 2024, 5.49% of Waukesha County, WI residents (22.6k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Waukesha County, WI was 5.27%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Waukesha County, WI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
6,471 ± 528
Gulf War (2001-)
3,328 ± 386
Gulf War (1990s)
2,242 ± 347

Waukesha County, WI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.94 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Waukesha County, WI.

Economy

The economy of Waukesha County, WI employs 219k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Waukesha County, WI were Manufacturing (38,064 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (32,343 people), and Retail Trade (22,694 people), and the highest paying industries were Management of Companies & Enterprises ($127,986), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($95,356), and Utilities ($94,375).

Employment

Occupations

219k

2024 Value

± 3,252

0.309%

1 Year growth

± 2.13%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Waukesha County, WI grew at a rate of 0.309%, from 218k employees to 219k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Waukesha County, WI, are Management Occupations (31,596 people), Sales & Related Occupations (21,902 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (21,782 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Waukesha County, WI.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Wisconsin (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

219k

2024 Value

± 3,252

0.309%

1 Year growth

± 2.13%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Waukesha County, WI grew at a rate of 0.309%, from 218k employees to 219k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Waukesha County, WI, are Manufacturing (38,064 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (32,343 people), and Retail Trade (22,694 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Waukesha County, WI, though some of these residents may live in Waukesha County, WI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$74,581

Median earning men ± $1,279

$51,121

Median earning women ± $979

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($107,073), Information ($102,839), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($96,370).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($73,964), Information ($67,000), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($62,397).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

Y-Axis

1.6%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.95M people employed in Wisconsin. This represents a 1.6% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.3%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Wisconsin.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

883
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
848
Health Care and Social Assistance
825
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$2.85M
Manufacturing
$1.7M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$1.53M
Finance and Insurance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Wisconsin went to Donald J. Trump with 49.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.518%).

Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin are the senators currently representing the state of Wisconsin. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Wisconsin is currently represented by 8 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Waukesha County, WI. Showing the available data for Wisconsin.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (49.6%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (48.7%)
Democratic Party
Robert Kennedy (0.518%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Wisconsin went to Donald J. Trump with 49.6% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.7%), followed by Robert Kennedy (0.518%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Wisconsin for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Wisconsin

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Wisconsin.

Ron Johnson

Senator from Wisconsin

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Tammy Baldwin

Senator from Wisconsin

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin are the senators currently representing Wisconsin.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Wisconsin over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Waukesha County, WI awarded 3,287 degrees. The student population of Waukesha County, WI in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 5,450 male students and 6,107 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Waukesha County, WI are White (2,378 and 72.5%), Hispanic or Latino (292 and 8.9%), Unknown (191 and 5.82%), and Black or African American (183 and 5.58%).

The largest universities in Waukesha County, WI by number of degrees awarded are Waukesha County Technical College (2,067 and 62.9%), Carroll University (975 and 29.7%), and Herzing University-Brookfield (157 and 4.78%).

The most popular majors in Waukesha County, WI are Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (417 and 12.7%), Registered Nursing (243 and 7.39%), and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT Paramedic) (164 and 4.99%).

The median tuition cost for private four year colleges is $12,360.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Waukesha County, WI, the percentage of applicants admitted was 58.8%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 18.7%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 11,557 (47.2% men and 52.8% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 11,557 students enrolled in Waukesha County, WI, 47.2% men and 52.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 7,670 records, of which 53.5% were women and 46.5% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
178 degrees awarded
Kinesiology & Exercise Science
105 degrees awarded
General Psychology
70 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Waukesha County, WI was Registered Nursing with 178 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Waukesha County, WI according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Waukesha County Technical College
2,067 degrees awarded
Carroll University
975 degrees awarded
Herzing University-Brookfield
157 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Waukesha County Technical College with 2,067 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,380 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Waukesha County, WI, which is 0.724 times less than the 1,907 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 2,378 degrees mean that there were 8.14 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 292 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($12,360) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,060) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,988) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Waukesha County, WI was $398,200 in 2024, which is 1.2 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $373,600 to $398,200, a 6.58% increase. The homeownership rate in Waukesha County, WI is 76%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Waukesha County, WI have an average commute time of 22.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Waukesha County, WI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Waukesha County, WI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.464%.

Housing

Property

$398,200

Median Property Value 2024

±$3,967

$128,147

Median Property Taxes

±$2,057

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Waukesha County, WI the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Waukesha County, WI compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

76%

Homeownership

2024

63.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 76% of the housing units in Waukesha County, WI were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 76.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Waukesha County, WI compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$106,076

Median Household Income

± $1,512

169k

Number of Households

± 2,880

In 2024, the median household income of the 169k households in Waukesha County, WI grew to $106,076 from the previous year's value of $104,100.

The following chart displays the households in Waukesha County, WI distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Waukesha County, WI is from Wisconsin.

0.441

2023 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

0.443

2022 Wage GINI in Wisconsin

In 2023, the income inequality in Wisconsin was 0.441 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.492% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Wisconsin was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Wisconsin in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Wisconsin across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (76.1%)
Worked At Home (16.8%)
Carpooled (5.13%)

In 2024, 76.1% of workers in Waukesha County, WI drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (16.8%) and those who carpooled to work (5.13%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

22.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Waukesha County, WI have a shorter commute time (22.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.18% of the workforce in Waukesha County, WI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Waukesha County, WI compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Waukesha County, WI distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Waukesha County, WI have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Waukesha County, WI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.464%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

5.23% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Waukesha County, WI (21.3k out of 408k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 75+, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Females 18 - 24.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Waukesha County, WI is White, followed by Hispanic and Black.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 4.4% of the children was living in poverty in Waukesha County, WI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.8%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 68.2 in Waukesha County, WI. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 2.09 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

96.9% of the population of Waukesha County, WI has health coverage, with 63.4% on employee plans, 5.75% on Medicaid, 16.6% on Medicare, 10.3% on non-group plans, and 0.877% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Waukesha County, WI see 713 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (713 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1016 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 318 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

713 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Waukesha County, WI

Primary care physicians in Waukesha County, WI see an average of 713 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (713 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Waukesha County, WI in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.3% under 18 years, 16.7% between 18 and 34 years, 40.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

3.06%

Uninsured

63.4%

Employer Coverage

5.75%

Medicaid

16.6%

Medicare

10.3%

Non-Group

0.877%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Waukesha County, WI grew by 2.71% from 2.98% to 3.06%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Waukesha County, WI changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 33.4 in Waukesha County, WI.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Waukesha County, WI.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 32% in Waukesha County, WI.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Waukesha County, WI.