City · Wisconsin
Franklin, Wisconsin
Franklin, city, in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Franklin had 36,687 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 1.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 36,816 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 35,886 (±53). GEOID 5527300.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
36,687
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 36,816 · ACS 2020-2024: 35,886 ±53
Median household income
$106,894
±$10,031 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $77,485
Median home value
$364,200
±$8,512 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $266,500
Median gross rent
$1,458
±$118 (90% margin)
Wisconsin: $1,087
Where is Franklin and what county is it in?
Franklin is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. It covers 34.6 square miles of land, 1,065 residents per square mile in 2020.
Franklin is in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 4 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Franklin, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 36,687 people lived in Franklin on July 1, 2025, up 1.5% since 2020, in line with Wisconsin (+1.3%). The 2020 Census counted 36,816 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 35,886 (±53).
| Measure | Franklin | Milwaukee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 35,886 ±53 | 926,331 | −178 |
| Households | 14,138 ±493 | 392,399 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.49 ±0.09 | 2.31 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 14,540 ±496 | 426,715 | no clear change |
Franklin's population since 2000
From 29,494 in 2000 to 36,687 in 2025: up 24.4%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Franklin as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Franklin?
The median resident of Franklin is 43.0 years old; 22.3% are under 18 and 19.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 81.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 6.1%. 8.6% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Franklin | Milwaukee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.0 ±2.0 | 35.5 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 22.3% ±1.6 pts | 23.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.6% ±1.7 pts | 14.7% | – |
| Male | 49.8% ±1.7 pts | 48.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6.1% ±1.7 pts | 17.0% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 81.7% ±2.2 pts | 48.1% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.7% ±0.9 pts | 25.4% | −2.1 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 5.9% ±1.4 pts | 4.8% | no clear change |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.1 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±0.9 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2% ±0.2 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 8.6% ±1.6 pts | 9.9% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 13.5% ±2.2 pts | 18.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.0% ±1.2 pts | 4.3% | – |
| With a disability | 10.4% ±1.3 pts | 12.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 3.1% ±0.9 pts | 7.2% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.1% ±1.1 pts | 89.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 44.3% ±2.7 pts | 34.7% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 15.1% ±1.6 pts | 12.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 92.5% ±1.7 pts | 87.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.1% ±0.6 pts | 1.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Franklin earn?
Half of Franklin's 14,138 households earn less than $106,894 a year (±$10,031), against $64,435 in Milwaukee County and $77,485 in Wisconsin. In 2015-2019 it was $101,617 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 6.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Franklin | Milwaukee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $106,894 ±$10,031 | $64,435 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $130,590 ±$7,559 | $88,840 | – |
| Per capita income | $52,190 ±$2,929 | $38,385 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 6.7% ±2.2 pts | 17.2% | +3.1 pts |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 5.9% ±3.8 pts | 23.7% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 4.8% ±1.5 pts | 20.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.9% ±2.0 pts | 94.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.6% ±2.4 pts | 89.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Franklin?
Owners occupy 77.3% of Franklin's occupied homes and renters 22.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $364,200 by its owner (±$8,512). The median renter pays $1,458 a month including utilities, and 46.4% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Franklin | Milwaukee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $364,200 ±$8,512 | $230,700 | +$54,804 |
| Median gross rent | $1,458 ±$118 | $1,101 | +$146 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 46.4% ±8.3 pts | 40.1% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,218 ±$101 | $1,688 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 77.3% ±3.2 pts | 49.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 22.7% ±3.2 pts | 50.1% | – |
| Housing units | 14,540 ±496 | 426,715 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 1.3% ±1.4 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 3.1% ±2.5 pts | 6.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 61.7% ±3.2 pts | 45.2% | – |
| Mobile homes | 0.5% ±0.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.8% ±0.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 7.6% ±1.9 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 3.0% ±1.0 pts | 27.8% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.4% ±1.7 pts | 12.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Franklin building?
Builders took permits for 74 new housing units in Franklin in 2025 (70 in single-family houses), 2.0 per 1,000 residents against 4.3 across Wisconsin.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Franklin work and get to work?
74.4% of Franklin's workers drive alone and 16.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 23.3 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.4%.
| Measure | Franklin | Milwaukee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.7% ±2.4 pts | 65.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% ±1.4 pts | 4.8% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 74.4% ±4.0 pts | 68.9% | – |
| Carpooled | 8.0% ±1.7 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.1% ±0.2 pts | 3.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.9% ±0.6 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 16.0% ±3.8 pts | 14.4% | +10.4 pts |
| Mean travel time to work | 23.3 min ±1.3 | 22.2 min | −2.2 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Franklin?
6 census tracts lie mostly in Franklin (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $92,083 (Tract 1501) to $132,411 (Tract 1873).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1501Milwaukee County | 9,139 | $92,083 |
| Tract 1873Milwaukee County | 6,929 | $132,411 |
| Tract 1503.01Milwaukee County | 5,943 | $109,769 |
| Tract 1503.03Milwaukee County | 5,056 | $99,526 |
| Tract 1872Milwaukee County | 4,914 | $126,033 |
| Tract 1503.04Milwaukee County | 3,905 | $96,477 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Franklin) · Census block assignment files
How does Franklin compare with other places in Wisconsin?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Franklin is the 1,132nd-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 23rd-most populous of 608 in Wisconsin.
Franklin ranks 163rd of 914 places in Wisconsin with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 23rd | 608 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 347th | 884 |
| Residents per square mile | 189th | 914 |
| Median household income | 163rd | 914 |
| Per capita income | 177th | 911 |
| Median home value | 186th | 913 |
| Median gross rent | 59th | 825 |
| Poverty rate | 394th | 706 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 103rd | 914 |
| Median age | 530th | 914 |
| Owner-occupied share | 600th | 914 |
| Work from home | 186th | 827 |
| Travel time to work | 490th | 914 |
Franklin's figures with every place in Wisconsin (CSV)
Every place in Wisconsin, sortable · Compare Franklin with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Franklin?
7 of the 57 figures for Franklin on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Franklin are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Franklin.