What are the fastest-growing metro areas in Wisconsin?
Madison, WI (+4.1%), Appleton, WI (+2.6%) and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (+2.6%) grew fastest among Wisconsin metro areas between 2020 and 2025.
Data as of 2025 · updated
All 8 ranked Wisconsin metro areas
| Rank | Metro area | Change 2020–25 | People added | Residents 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madison, WI | +4.1% | +27,781 | 709,685 |
| 2 | Appleton, WI | +2.6% | +6,442 | 249,876 |
| 3 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | +2.6% | +96,164 | 3,790,295 |
| 4 | Eau Claire, WI | +2.6% | +4,415 | 176,647 |
| 5 | Green Bay, WI | +2.5% | +8,175 | 336,756 |
| 6 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | +0.4% | +689 | 171,182 |
| 7 | Duluth, MN-WI | +0.2% | +611 | 281,219 |
| 8 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | +0.0% | +461 | 1,575,010 |
How this is ranked
The percentage change in the Census Bureau's July 1 resident population estimates between 2020 and 2025, with the number of people added. 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 is growing fastest?
Madison, WI: +4.1%, ahead of Appleton, WI (+2.6%) and Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (+2.6%), of 8 Wisconsin metro areas ranked.
How is this ranking calculated?
The percentage change in the Census Bureau's July 1 resident population estimates between 2020 and 2025, with the number of people added. 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.