Korean Population in Milwaukee County, WI by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The Korean population in Milwaukee County, WI is reported at 2,300 residents, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Most cities in Milwaukee County - including Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, Shorewood, and others - report some Korean presence. With a total matching the county''s, this suggests a fully urbanized footprint for the group. The section below compares this even spread with similar counties in Wisconsin.

Top 5 cities with the largest Korean population in Milwaukee County

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  • 1
    Milwaukee
    Korean population in Milwaukee is 828
    0.15% of Milwaukee population is Korean
  • 2
    Wauwatosa
    Korean population in Wauwatosa is 363
    0.76% of Wauwatosa population is Korean
  • 3
    Shorewood
    Korean population in Shorewood is 261
    1.91% of Shorewood population is Korean
  • 4
    Whitefish Bay
    Korean population in Whitefish Bay is 180
    1.22% of Whitefish Bay population is Korean
  • 5
    West Allis
    Korean population in West Allis is 158
    0.27% of West Allis population is Korean

Overview of Korean population in Milwaukee County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data document Milwaukee County with 2,300 Korean residents (0.25% of 927,656 total county population), positioning the jurisdiction at the 95th percentile nationally among counties and 97th percentile within Wisconsin for Korean population concentrations, despite absolute population figures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS indicate Milwaukee County's Korean population of 0.25% exceeds Wisconsin's state average of 0.23% while remaining below the national average of 0.6%, placing the county above regional demographic benchmarks while below national concentration levels.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey indicate Milwaukee County's 2,300 Korean residents constitute 17.2% of Wisconsin's total Korean population of 13,408, placing the county among jurisdictions with the highest demographic concentrations, with 17.2% of all Wisconsin Korean Americans residing within county boundaries.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data shows Milwaukee County maintains 9.5 Korean Americans per square mile, representing thirty-eight and a half times Wisconsin's average of 0.25 per square mile, establishing the county as an exceptional concentration center comparable to major metropolitan demographic areas.
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19 Cities in Milwaukee County Ranked by Korean Population

View Methodology
ACS data [1] show Korean populations distributed across multiple cities in the county, led by Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, Shorewood, and Whitefish Bay. The table below provides additional context, including total population, population density, and demographic distributions, based on current ACS data for 19 incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Milwaukee County, WI ranked by Korean population count
Rank by Korean Population
City
Korean Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Milwaukee County Korean Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Milwaukee 828 0.15% 36.00%
2 Wauwatosa 363 0.76% 15.78%
3 Shorewood 261 1.91% 11.35%
4 Whitefish Bay 180 1.22% 7.83%
5 West Allis 158 0.27% 6.87%
6 Oak Creek 119 0.33% 5.17%
7 Franklin 111 0.31% 4.83%
8 74 0.36% 3.22%
9 67 0.51% 2.91%
10 57 0.15% 2.48%
11 31 0.46% 1.35%
12 24 0.31% 1.04%
13 12 0.13% 0.52%
14 11 0.08% 0.48%
15 4 0.02% 0.17%
16 0 - -
16 0 - -
16 0 - -
16 0 - -
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in Milwaukee County, WI by their Korean population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Korean population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having Korean ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as Korean alone, while others identify as Korean along with another race (such as Korean and German).
  • We’ve used the “Korean alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Korean population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Korean alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Korean .
  2. % of Total Milwaukee County Korean Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Korean population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small Korean populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported Korean population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where Korean populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.