Which metro areas in Wisconsin are people moving to?
Eau Claire, WI (3.9 per 1,000 residents), Appleton, WI (3.1 per 1,000 residents) and Duluth, MN-WI (2.8 per 1,000 residents) drew the most people from the rest of the U.S. for their size among Wisconsin metro areas in 2025.
Data as of 2025 · updated
All 8 ranked Wisconsin metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Per 1,000 residents, 2025 | Net movers 2025 | Residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eau Claire, WI | 3.9 | +690 | 176,647 |
| 2 | Appleton, WI | 3.1 | +769 | 249,876 |
| 3 | Duluth, MN-WI | 2.8 | +779 | 281,219 |
| 4 | Green Bay, WI | 2.4 | +807 | 336,756 |
| 5 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | 2.2 | +383 | 171,182 |
| 6 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 2.0 | +7,690 | 3,790,295 |
| 7 | Madison, WI | 0.7 | +497 | 709,685 |
| 8 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | −1.4 | −2,255 | 1,575,010 |
How this is ranked
Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025). Figures come from public federal statistics and are informational only, not investment advice. Check the source before relying on a number. Methodology: how ranks and figures are built.
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Questions
Which metro area in Wisconsin gains the most people from the rest of the country?
Eau Claire, WI: 3.9 per 1,000 residents, ahead of Appleton, WI (3.1 per 1,000 residents) and Duluth, MN-WI (2.8 per 1,000 residents), of 8 Wisconsin metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
Net domestic migration from the Census Bureau's population estimates for 2025: people who moved in from the rest of the U.S. minus people who moved out, per 1,000 residents. Moves between the area's own counties cancel out; moves from and to other countries are not included. Only metropolitan statistical areas of two or more counties are ranked (OMB Bulletin 23-01): a one-county area's figures are its county's, and micro areas are left out. Areas without a figure for the same period as the others are not ranked. An area that crosses a state line is ranked in each of its states.