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Where does my workforce live and learn? |
Roughly 2 million residents 56,000 business establishments and 24 tech schools, colleges and universities call the Milwaukee Region home, creating a deep talent pool for your business.
Population Breakdown*
M7 region overall = 2,039,003
| Kenosha Co. | 168,068 |
| Milwaukee Co. | 956,406 |
| Ozaukee Co. | 87,470 |
| Racine Co. | 195,163 |
| Walworth Co. | 103,527 |
| Washington Co. | 133,251 |
| Waukesha Co. | 395,118 |
*2014 numbers
Fast-growing municipalities:
- Hartford in Washington County +30% between 2000-2010 and +1% between 2010-2014.
- Oconomowoc in Waukesha County +27% between 2000-2010 and +4% between 2010-2014.
- Pleasant Prairie in Kenosha County +22% between 2000-2010 and +4% between 2010-2014.
- Oak Creek in Milwaukee County +21% between 2000-2010 and +2% between 2010-2014.
- Franklin in Milwaukee County +20% between 2000-2010 and +2% between 2010-2014.
Where do workers come from?
The region is easy to navigate with efficient roads and transportation. Many employees live in one county but work in another. Metro Milwaukee’s average commute time ranks fourth lowest among 20 comparable metro areas.
Thanks to Southeast Wisconsin’s proximity to northern Illinois – and seven daily Amtrak roundtrips between Chicago and Milwaukee – more than 13,000 residents from the Chicago area also work in the region.
Educational attainment
Metro Milwaukee Talent Profile (right)
+25 years of age = 1,040,000
The percentage of those age 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree rose from 30.8% in 2009 to 33.7% in 2014 in the Milwaukee area.
- 90.4% high school graduates
- 42.3% associate’s degree or higher
- 33.7% bachelor’s degree or higher
- 11.5% graduate/professional degree
Each year, about 125,000 students are enrolled in the region’s 24 technical schools, colleges and universities.
Post-secondary degrees and certificates conferred
Each year, the region’s 24 tech schools, colleges and universities confer approximately:
- 2,725 certificates
- 3,500 associate degrees
- 9,400 bachelor degrees
- 3,600 master’s degrees
- 1,000 doctoral/professional practice degrees
| Field of Study | Certificates | Associate’s Degree | Bachelor’s Degree | Master’s Degree |
| Computer & Info Science | 210 | 326 | 327 | 64 |
| Engineering | 9 | 857 | 139 | |
| Engineering technologies/technicians | 1 | 259 | 74 | 4 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 96 | 23 | ||
| Mechanic & repair technologies/technicians | 168 | 73 | ||
| Precision Production | 268 | 9 |
Retaining college graduates
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM)
“UWM is the backbone of the labor supply for many employers in the region. It has more than 158,000 living alumni, of which a remarkable 80% remain in Wisconsin. At Northwestern Mutual alone there are more than 900 alumni employed; at Rockwell Automation there are 850, and 300+ work at Johnson Controls (all headquartered in the Milwaukee Region).” – Dr. Mark Mone, Chancellor, UW-Milwaukee
Marquette University
At five years post-graduation, 41% of Marquette University graduates live in Wisconsin.
University of Wisconsin Madison
- Over the past 10 years, 65,000 students earned a bachelor’s degree from the UW-Madison.
- More than half of the school’s USA alumni live in Wisconsin
- Almost 30% live in the Milwaukee Region in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, Racine and Washington Counties.
