Wisconsin DOA Releases Preliminary Population Estimates
On Friday, August 9, the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) released preliminary population estimates for January 1 of this year. Once again, Dane County topped the list of fastest-growing counties in the state; an estimated 9,870 additional people now call Dane County home. That’s three times the number of people added to Milwaukee County, the state’s most populous county. Nearly two-thirds of population growth in Dane County over the past year occurred in the cities of Madison, Fitchburg, and Sun Prairie. Madison alone accounted for half of the total population growth in Dane County.
Other fast-growing counties include Waukesha, Eau Claire, and Outagamie. Eau Claire County had the largest population increase by percentage, adding 2,064 new residents and bringing its population to just over 110,000, a 1.9% increase. Dane County grew by approximately 1.7%.
| County | Population Estimate (2024 Preliminary ) | Increase | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dane | 599,926 | 9,870 | 1.67% |
| Milwaukee | 941,139 | 3,880 | 0.41% |
| Waukesha | 413,728 | 2,190 | 0.53% |
| Eau Claire | 110,871 | 2,064 | 1.90% |
| Outagamie | 195,388 | 1,725 | 0.89% |
| Brown | 274,897 | 1,664 | 0.61% |
| St. Croix | 98,849 | 1,502 | 1.54% |
| Racine | 198,781 | 1,359 | 0.69% |
| La Crosse | 123,232 | 867 | 0.71% |
| Chippewa | 67,801 | 697 | 1.04% |
| Municipality | Population Estimate (Preliminary 1/1/2024) | Increase | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | 291,037 | 4,252 | 1.5% |
| Fitchburg | 35,125 | 1,106 | 3.3% |
| Sun Prairie | 39,419 | 1,032 | 2.7% |
| Verona | 16,357 | 804 | 5.2% |
| DeForest | 12,164 | 490 | 4.2% |
| Waunakee | 16,587 | 422 | 2.6% |
| Middleton | 23,868 | 392 | 1.7% |
| Windsor | 10,089 | 331 | 3.4% |
| Cottage Grove | 9,345 | 127 | 1.4% |
| Oregon | 12,066 | 126 | 1.1% |