Wisconsin’s population has been on the rise, reaching an estimated 5.96 million as of July 1, up from 5.90 million the previous year and 5.89 million in July 2020, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The state is among many in the Midwest that have seen a modest increase in population, ranging from 0% to 0.49% over the past year. In comparison, the South experienced a 1.4% growth, the West saw a 0.9% increase, and the Northeast reported a 0.8% rise.
Across the Midwest region as a whole, there was a 0.6% uptick in population over the past year, while the United States as a whole witnessed a nearly 1% growth rate, marking the fastest rate of increase since 2000. Since the turn of the millennium, the U.S. population has expanded by almost 58 million, with an average annual growth rate of 0.8%. The most significant growth occurred between 2001 and 2008.
Despite recent population gains, projections indicate that Wisconsin may face a decline in both population and workforce numbers in the future. Forward Analytics Director Dale Knapp highlighted this trend in September, suggesting that this could result in Wisconsin constituting a smaller share of the overall U.S. economy.
In terms of demographics, Wisconsin has seen a notable shift in the number of children under the age of 15. For nearly 15 years, the state maintained a consistent total of approximately 1.1 million children in this age group. However, this figure began to decline in the past decade, with a decrease of 41,000 reported between 2010 and 2020. More recently, the decline accelerated, with an additional 49,000 children under 15 recorded leaving the state over the past three years.
