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Wisconsin Population by Race and Ethnicity

Wisconsin the 20th largest U.S. state by population has a racially and ethnically diverse population. As of 2020, White (Non-Hispanic) are the largest group in Wisconsin followed by Hispanic or Latino Americans. 

also read about the Population of Wisconsin 

Ethnic and Racial Percentage

In 2020, the White alone (non-Hispanic) population was the largest racial or ethnic group in Wisconsin, comprising 78.63% of the total population. It was followed by the Hispanic or Latino population whose share was 7.59%.

Black or African American was the third largest group at 6.22%. Two or more races are at 3.46% and Asians are at 2.96%.

The ethnic composition of Wisconsin is as follows

Race and OriginActual PopulationPercentage 2020
White alone (non-Hispanic)4,634,01878.63%
Hispanic or Latino447,2907.59%
Black or African American alone366,5086.22%
Two or more races203,7463.46%
Asian alone174,2672.96%
American Indians and Alaska Natives alone48,3840.82%
Some Other Race alone17,6130.30%
Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander 1,8920.03%
Total5,893,718 

Source: US Census 2020

also read about Religion in Wisconsin

*US Census recognized five racial categories (White, Black or African American, Asian American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander) as well as people of two or more races. It also classified respondents as "Hispanic or Latino" or "Not Hispanic or Latino", identifying Hispanic and Latino as an ethnicity (not a race), which comprises the largest minority group in the nation.

Ancestry in Wisconsin

As per Census Studies and estimate German, Irish, Polish, Norwegian and English have made the five largest ancestry groups in Wisconsin.

The Largest Ancestry in Wisconsin is as follows

#Total populationEstimatePercentage
1German2,143,90936.8%
2Irish599,22610.3%
3Polish498,6608.6%
4Norwegian405,4187.0%
5English328,4115.6%
6Italian204,9793.5%
7American189,1333.2%
8French (except Basque)166,0842.9%
9Swedish138,8422.4%
10Dutch138,2732.4%
11Czech83,5921.4%
12Scottish62,1421.1%
13Swiss51,4000.9%
14Danish50,4820.9%
15French Canadian47,6910.8%
16Russian39,7150.7%
17Subsaharan African32,6320.6%
18Welsh28,8920.5%
19Scotch-Irish24,3420.4%
20Hungarian20,8380.4%
21Greek18,7200.3%
22Arab16,0170.3%
23Lithuanian15,9060.3%
24Slovak12,5380.2%
25Ukrainian9,2200.2%
26West Indian (excluding Hispanic origin groups)6,0940.1%
27Portuguese4,6840.1%

Source: US Census 2020

also read about Cities and Counties in Wisconsin

European ancestry in Wisconsin

Non-Hispanic Whites account for nearly 78% of Wisconsin’s population. German, Irish, and English Americans have made up three of the largest European ancestry groups in Wisconsin. As per the Census report, German Americans made up 36.8% of the population and numbered 2,143,909 members.

Irish Americans made up 10.3% of the population and numbered 599,226. Polish Americans made up 8.6% of the population and numbered 498,660 followed by Norwegian ancestry at 7% of the population and number 405,418

For other European ancestry percentages please refer table above.

Hispanics and Latinos in Wisconsin

Hispanics and Latinos are the second-largest groups in Wisconsin. Around 7.6% of Wisconsin’s Population claims Hispanic or Latin American ethnicity.  The largest groups are Mexican (4.7%), Puerto Rican (0.9%), Cuban (0.1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (0.7%). 

African Americans in Wisconsin

The third largest minority group in Wisconsin are Blacks and African Americans. As of 2020, those of African ancestry accounted for 6.22% of Wisconsin’s population. About 86% of Wisconsin’s African-American population lives in four cities: Milwaukee, Racine, Beloit, and Kenosha. Milwaukee is home to nearly three-fourths of the state’s black Americans. 

Asian Americans in Wisconsin

Asian Americans are a minority group in Wisconsin. Americans of Asian descent formed 3% of the population. Its ethnic Asian population has grown rapidly since the late 1990s; the majority are Chinese, Indians, Filipinos, Vietnamese, and Korean. 

The largest Asian ethnic groups in Wisconsin include Hmong (54,205), Indian (36,539), Chinese (31,177), Filipino (16,728), Korean (12,287), and Vietnamese (9,843). The Counties with the highest Asian populations are Milwaukee County, Dane County, and Waukesha County.

Multi-Race in Wisconsin

Multiracial individuals are also a visible minority in Wisconsin. People identifying as multiracial form 3.5% of the population, and number around 203,746 people. 

Race and Ethnicity in Wisconsin 2024 | Ancestry in Wisconsin