MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle announced today that Wisconsin’s population grew again in 2007 – growing every year since the 2000 Census – more than many Midwest neighbors. The estimates released by the Department of Administration today show a 5.3 percent increase in Wisconsin’s population since the 2000 U.S. Census. An addition of 283,285 new residents, the report illustrates steady growth throughout Wisconsin and continued in-migration to the state.
“This is another benchmark that shows our efforts to grow Wisconsin’s economy with high paying jobs, clean environment and a strong education system are really paying off,” Governor Doyle said. “We’re attracting hard working families to Wisconsin by addressing issues that matter to them like good schools, health care and lowering their tax burden.”
Migration into Wisconsin documented in the department’s report echoes 2006 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. That report showed Wisconsin was the only state in the Upper Midwest to have more people move to the state than leave the state from April 2000 to July 2006. Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan had more people leave the state than move to the state.
Wisconsin’s growth places it in the top four of the twelve Midwest states in terms of percentage of growth. Unlike other states whose population growth has centered on large metropolitan areas or one particular part of the state, Wisconsin’s growth has extended to communities of all sizes.
The following five counties had more new residents than any other counties in the state:
· Dane County +41,988
· Waukesha County +20,836
· Brown County +18,106
· St. Croix County +15,865
· Outagamie County +12,633
The five cities with the highest number of new residents were:
· Madison +16,756
· Sun Prairie +5,361
· Kenosha +5,178
· Oak Creek 3,954
· Franklin +3,886
The following five counties saw the biggest leap in the percentage growth of their populations:
· St. Croix County +25.1 percent
· Calumet County +13.2 percent
· Juneau County +11.8 percent
· Chippewa County +11.6 percent
· Polk County +10.4 percent
Some of the fastest growing communities which had populations in excess of 3,000 were:
· City of Verona +43.6 percent
· City of Hudson +34.1 percent
· Village of Cottage Grove +33.9 percent
· Village of Baldwin +33.3 percent
The Department of Administration produces population estimates each year as required by state statute. The estimates are used by state and local officials for a variety purposes ranging including the distribution of state funds, district attorney allocation, and the calculation of voter turnout. State demographers use vehicle registrations, tax filings, school enrollment, changes in housing units, institutional enrollment, and records of births and deaths to make their calculations.
The complete 2007 Population Estimates report is available from the Department of Administration’s Web site at: http://doa.wi.gov/demographics.
