Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Whitefish Bay is a small city located in Wisconsin, within Milwaukee County. The total population is 14,665. It ranks as the 63rd most populous out of 808 Census-designated places in Wisconsin.

Age Demographics

The median age in Whitefish Bay is 40.5 years. This is about the same as the state median of 40.2 years. With 31.0% of the population under 18, Whitefish Bay has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Whitefish Bay is $157,109. This is 103% higher than the state median of $77,485. It is also 95% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 3.7%. This is 65% lower than the state poverty rate of 10.5%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The unemployment rate is 2.6%. This is 21% lower than the state rate of 3.3%. The median home value is $533,800. Housing costs are 100% higher than the state median of $266,500. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.4x. 83.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 23% higher than the state average of 67.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Whitefish Bay is White (non-Hispanic), making up 83.3% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 5.2%. The Black or African American population (2.5%) is well below the state average of 5.9%. The Asian population is significantly higher than the state average (4.6% vs 2.9%).

Education

81.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Whitefish Bay in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 145% higher than the state rate of 33.4%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 99.0%. Notably, 42.1% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Wisconsin state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 808 Census-designated places in Wisconsin. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.