Russian Population in Wisconsin by County : 2025 Ranking & Insights

According to the latest U.S. Census estimates, the Russian population in Wisconsin totals 34,707. Milwaukee County contains the largest Russian community with 5,687 residents, followed by Dane County (4,483), Waukesha County (2,932), and others contributing to this statewide total. This demographic analysis ranks all counties in Wisconsin by their Russian populations, offering insights into local community distribution and broader settlement trends.

Top 5 counties with the largest Russian population in Wisconsin

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  • 1
    Milwaukee County
    Russian population in Milwaukee County is 5,687
    0.61% of Milwaukee County population is Russian
  • 2
    Dane County
    Russian population in Dane County is 4,483
    0.79% of Dane County population is Russian
  • 3
    Waukesha County
    Russian population in Waukesha County is 2,932
    0.72% of Waukesha County population is Russian
  • 4
    Ozaukee County
    Russian population in Ozaukee County is 2,150
    2.33% of Ozaukee County population is Russian
  • 5
    Sheboygan County
    Russian population in Sheboygan County is 1,783
    1.51% of Sheboygan County population is Russian

Overview of Russian population in Wisconsin

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data indicate Wisconsin contains 34,707 Russian residents (0.59% of 5.9 million total state population), positioning the state at the 62nd percentile nationally among U.S. states for Russian population concentrations.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: U.S. Census surveys show Wisconsin's Russian demographic representation of 0.59% remains below the national average of 0.69%, positioning the state below typical U.S. demographic distribution patterns.
  • Share of Total National Population: Official American Community Survey document Wisconsin's 34,707 Russian residents constitute 1.5% of the nation's total Russian population of 2.3 million, providing the state with a measurable but modest share of the national demographic community.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey data shows Wisconsin's density of 0.64 Russian Americans per square mile corresponds to the national average, aligning the state with national demographic distribution patterns.
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72 Counties in Wisconsin Ranked by Russian Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] show Russian population in Wisconsin distributed across multiple counties, led by Milwaukee County, Dane County, Waukesha County, and Ozaukee County, while several other counties recorded no residents identified as Americans who trace their ancestry to Russia. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for all counties included in this analysis*.
counties in Wisconsin ranked by Russian population count
Rank by Russian Population
County
Russian Population
% of Total County Population
% of Total Wisconsin Russian Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Milwaukee County 5,687 0.61% 16.39%
2 Dane County 4,483 0.79% 12.92%
3 Waukesha County 2,932 0.72% 8.45%
4 Ozaukee County 2,150 2.33% 6.19%
5 Sheboygan County 1,783 1.51% 5.14%
6 Kenosha County 1,432 0.85% 4.13%
7 Brown County 1,251 0.46% 3.60%
8 1,015 0.52% 2.92%
9 930 0.68% 2.68%
10 849 0.50% 2.45%
11 795 0.42% 2.29%
12 764 0.47% 2.20%
13 702 0.67% 2.02%
14 664 0.82% 1.91%
15 651 0.54% 1.88%
16 604 0.44% 1.74%
17 529 0.50% 1.52%
18 455 0.48% 1.31%
19 443 0.52% 1.28%
20 401 0.76% 1.16%
21 316 0.75% 0.91%
22 266 0.25% 0.77%
22 266 0.70% 0.77%
23 262 0.37% 0.75%
24 247 0.42% 0.71%
25 246 0.54% 0.71%
26 239 0.36% 0.69%
27 220 0.77% 0.63%
28 202 0.27% 0.58%
29 200 0.39% 0.58%
30 196 0.50% 0.56%
31 193 0.22% 0.56%
32 191 0.82% 0.55%
33 175 0.26% 0.50%
34 159 0.64% 0.46%
35 158 0.81% 0.46%
36 152 0.41% 0.44%
37 146 0.48% 0.42%
38 134 0.29% 0.39%
39 122 0.73% 0.35%
40 115 0.72% 0.33%
40 115 0.25% 0.33%
41 108 0.54% 0.31%
42 106 0.31% 0.31%
43 104 0.20% 0.30%
43 104 0.74% 0.30%
44 101 0.24% 0.29%
45 99 0.47% 0.29%
46 94 0.45% 0.27%
47 88 0.19% 0.25%
48 83 0.51% 0.24%
48 83 0.19% 0.24%
48 83 0.46% 0.24%
49 82 0.31% 0.24%
49 82 0.20% 0.24%
50 80 0.48% 0.23%
51 78 0.50% 0.22%
52 60 0.29% 0.17%
53 56 0.18% 0.16%
54 53 0.57% 0.15%
54 53 0.17% 0.15%
55 49 0.35% 0.14%
56 46 0.19% 0.13%
57 38 0.62% 0.11%
58 34 0.21% 0.10%
59 32 0.17% 0.09%
60 19 0.11% 0.05%
60 19 0.11% 0.05%
61 15 0.11% 0.04%
61 15 0.20% 0.04%
62 3 0.07% 0.01%
63 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 county in Wisconsin by their Russian population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines Russian 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 Russian 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 Russian alone, while others identify as Russian along with another race (such as Russian and German).
  • We’ve used the “Russian alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the Russian population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as Russian alone or in combination in county. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total County Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as Russian .
  2. % of Total Wisconsin Russian Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. Russian 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 Russian 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.
  • County that don’t have any reported Russian 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 Russian populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

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