While Wisconsin's population has grown overall since 2020, hundreds of municipalities are continuing to see post-pandemic population drops, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Administration . Some of the towns and cities losing the most people are located in central Wisconsin's Marathon, Sauk, Juneau, Adams and Lincoln counties.

Each January, the agency releases statewide preliminary population estimates, followed by final estimates in October. Final numbers are not yet available for 2025, but the preliminary numbers show Wisconsin had 6,033,500 residents as of January 2025 — almost 140,000 more residents, or about a 2% increase, since 2020.

For most of the approximately 1,800 towns, villages and cities in Wisconsin, that means an increase in residents since the pande

See Full Page