United States · state

Wisconsin population 2026

Q: What is the population of Wisconsin in 2026?

The latest official figure is 5,972,787, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Wisconsin would have about 6 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Wisconsin has 5,972,787 people on the latest official figure, for 1 July 2025, 15,619 more than a year earlier (+0.26%). It is 21st of the US’s 50 states and DC by population, home to 1.7% of the US’s people.

If last year’s change continues: about 6 million by 1 July 2026. That is our arithmetic, not an official figure.

Wisconsin in numbers

Population: 6 million 1 July 2025
Change in a year: +0.26% +15,619 people
Change since 2020: +1.28% from 5.9 million
Share of the US: 1.7% 21st of 50 states and DC
Population density: 43per km² 140,295 km²
Births in the year: 59 thousand deaths: 58 thousand
International migration: +7 thousand net arrivals from abroad
Moves within the US: +7 thousand more people moved in than left

In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 1,161, 7,260 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 6,984 more people moved in from the rest of the US than moved out.

That is about as many people as Denmark (6 million).

Population of Wisconsin by year

› Show the numbers as a table

Year	Population
2010	5,690,538
2011	5,705,840
2012	5,720,825
2013	5,738,012
2014	5,753,199
2015	5,762,927
2016	5,775,170
2017	5,793,147
2018	5,809,319
2019	5,824,581
2020	5,897,371
2021	5,882,128
2022	5,903,472
2023	5,930,350
2024	5,957,168
2025	5,972,787

Year	Population	Change	%
2025	5,972,787	+15,619	+0.26%
2024	5,957,168	+26,818	+0.45%
2023	5,930,350	+26,878	+0.46%
2022	5,903,472	+21,344	+0.36%
2021	5,882,128	−15,243	−0.26%
2020	5,897,371	+72,790	+1.25%
2019	5,824,581	+15,262	+0.26%
2018	5,809,319	+16,172	+0.28%
2017	5,793,147	+17,977	+0.31%
2016	5,775,170	+12,243	+0.21%
2015	5,762,927	+9,728	+0.17%
2014	5,753,199	+15,187	+0.26%
2013	5,738,012	+17,187	+0.30%
2012	5,720,825	+14,985	+0.26%
2011	5,705,840	+15,302	+0.27%

2010–2019 are Vintage 2020 estimates and 2020–2025 are Vintage 2025, so the step between 2019 and 2020 is partly a change of base.

Wisconsin among the US’s states

Full ranking →

States of the US by population
#
1	California	39,355,309	−0.02%	11.5%	98
2	Texas	31,709,821	+1.25%	9.3%	47
3	Florida	23,462,518	+0.84%	6.9%	169
4	New York State	20,002,427	+0.01%	5.9%	164
5	Pennsylvania	13,059,432	+0.10%	3.8%	113
6	Illinois	12,719,141	+0.13%	3.7%	89
7	Ohio	11,900,510	+0.34%	3.5%	113
8	Georgia (US State)	11,302,748	+0.88%	3.3%	76
9	North Carolina	11,197,968	+1.32%	3.3%	89
10	Michigan	10,127,884	+0.28%	3.0%	69
11	New Jersey	9,548,215	+0.44%	2.8%	501
12	Virginia	8,880,107	+0.69%	2.6%	87
13	Washington State	8,001,020	+0.92%	2.3%	47
14	Arizona	7,623,818	+0.89%	2.2%	26
15	Tennessee	7,315,076	+0.88%	2.1%	69
16	Massachusetts	7,154,084	+0.22%	2.1%	354
17	Indiana	6,973,333	+0.56%	2.0%	75
18	Missouri	6,270,541	+0.43%	1.8%	35
19	Maryland	6,265,347	+0.32%	1.8%	249
20	Colorado	6,012,561	+0.40%	1.8%	22
21	Wisconsin	5,972,787	+0.26%	1.7%	43
22	Minnesota	5,830,405	+0.57%	1.7%	28
23	South Carolina	5,570,274	+1.46%	1.6%	72
24	Alabama	5,193,088	+0.58%	1.5%	40
25	Louisiana	4,618,189	+0.07%	1.4%	41
26	Kentucky	4,606,864	+0.50%	1.3%	45
27	Oregon	4,273,586	+0.19%	1.3%	17
28	Oklahoma	4,123,288	+0.62%	1.2%	23
29	Connecticut	3,688,496	+0.38%	1.1%	294
30	Utah	3,538,904	+1.02%	1.0%	17
31	Nevada	3,282,188	+0.88%	1.0%	12
32	Iowa	3,238,387	+0.25%	0.9%	22
33	Arkansas	3,114,791	+0.60%	0.9%	23
34	Kansas	2,977,220	+0.40%	0.9%	14
35	Mississippi	2,954,160	+0.14%	0.9%	24
36	New Mexico	2,125,498	−0.06%	0.6%	7
37	Idaho	2,029,733	+1.44%	0.6%	10
38	Nebraska	2,018,006	+0.62%	0.6%	10
39	West Virginia	1,766,147	−0.07%	0.5%	28
40	Hawaii	1,432,820	−0.15%	0.4%	86
41	New Hampshire	1,415,342	+0.48%	0.4%	61
42	Maine	1,414,874	+0.46%	0.4%	18
43	Montana	1,144,694	+0.63%	0.3%	3
44	Rhode Island	1,114,521	+0.37%	0.3%	416
45	Delaware	1,059,952	+0.94%	0.3%	210
46	South Dakota	935,094	+0.86%	0.3%	5
47	North Dakota	799,358	+0.75%	0.2%	5
48	Alaska	737,270	+0.10%	0.2%	1
49	District of Columbia	693,645	+0.34%	0.2%	4,381
50	Vermont	644,663	−0.29%	0.2%	27
51	Wyoming	588,753	+0.35%	0.2%	2

Largest cities in Wisconsin

City proper, not the wider metro area; latest figure in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), so years differ.

Milwaukee563,531
Madison280,305
Green Bay105,207
Kenosha99,858
Racine77,742
Appleton74,139

Questions

What is the population of Wisconsin in 2026?

The latest official figure is 5,972,787, for 1 July 2025 (US Census Bureau). If last year’s change continues, Wisconsin would have about 6 million people by 1 July 2026; that is our arithmetic, not an official figure. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December.

Is Wisconsin’s population growing or shrinking?

It grew by 15,619 people (+0.26%) in the latest year, and has changed +1.28% since 2020. In the latest year births outnumbered deaths by 1,161, 7,260 more people arrived from abroad than left, and 6,984 more people moved in from the rest of the US than moved out.

How does Wisconsin rank in the US?

Wisconsin is 21st of the US’s 50 states and DC, with 1.7% of the people. California is the largest, with 39.4 million.

What is the population density of Wisconsin?

About 43 people per km², on 140,295 km². Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer.

What is the largest city in Wisconsin?

Milwaukee, with about 564 thousand people in the city proper. Metro areas are larger, and years differ (GeoNames).

Source and method

US Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. US government work, public domain. Land area, US Census Bureau Gazetteer. The Census Bureau publishes new state estimates each December. Ranks, shares and changes are our arithmetic on the published figures. National figures can differ from the UN’s projection for the US, which uses a different method. The 2026 figure above carries last year’s change forward; it does not come from the source.

Cite this page: Wisconsin population, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2025. GlobeMetrics, https://globemetrics.org/world-population/united-states/wisconsin/

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