Population  Profile

Wisconsin increased by ten percent, or almost 472,000 people, between 1990 and 2000.

Wisconsin’s immigrant population increased 59 percent during the 1990s. Between 1990 and 2000, Wisconsin gained 72,000 immigrants.

Foreign-Born Population 

Wisconsin’s foreign-born population increased by 24.6 percent between 2000 and 2006. During that period Wisconsin gained over 47,000 immigrants, bringing the total number of foreign-born residents in the state to over 241,000.

Impact on Environment and Quality of Life

Disappearing open space: Each year, Wisconsin loses 37,600 acres of open space and farmland due to development.4/ This population-driven development of forest and farmland has meant a dramatic change of lifestyle for many local farmers and outdoorsmen, who rely on the woodlots and farm fields for both leisure and income.5/

The prairies and forests that much of the wildlife in Wisconsin depends on are threatened by Wisconsin’s growth. 118 plants, 26 birds, and 21 fish species in Wisconsin are listed as threatened or endangered. 6/

Crowded housing: In 2005 over 34,000 Wisconsin households were defined as crowded or severely crowded by housing authorities. 7/ Studies show that a rise in crowded housing often correlates with an increase in the number of foreign-born. 8/, 9/

Sprawl: Metro Milwaukee’s population is the eighth most dense in the nation11—and residents aren’t happy about it. In Germantown (a fast-growing Milwaukee suburb), 75 percent of residents say they want “little to no population growth.” 10/ Echoing the same sentiments, the City Council in Verona voted to limit the number of new houses built each year in order to slow down its past three years of unprecedented growth. 11/

These communities must also deal with the cost of such unprecedented growth, as they must bear the financial burden of new infrastructure and services to accommodate the new developments. For instance, in Franklin, where population increased 35 percent during the 1990s, the town has paid over $13 million for expanded infrastructure to keep up with its rapid population growth over the past decade. 12/

Traffic: In 2006 9 percent of Wisconsin’s population had a commute that was 45 minutes or more. 13/ As population growth put more traffic on the roads, the average commute for Wisconsin residents increased from 18 minutes in 1990 to 21 minutes in 2005. 14/, 15/  25% of Wisconsin's major urban roads are congested, and 32% of Wisconsin's major roads are in poor or mediocre condition. Vehicle travel on Wisconsin's highways increased 35% from 1990 to 2003.Driving on roads in need of repair costs Wisconsin motorists $921 million a year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs --- $251 per motorist. Congestion in the Milwaukee metropolitan area costs commuters $413 per person per year in excess fuel and lost time. 17/

Milwaukee commuters are spending more than twice as much time stuck in traffic annually as they did at the start of the last decade—up from twelve hours in 1990 to 32 hours in 2000. 18/ A study by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission’s found that if current trends continue, commuters in various parts of Milwaukee can expect continuous traffic congestion from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from noon to 7 p.m. every weekday by 2020. 18/ To alleviate such congestion, their study recommends an additional 127 miles of new lanes as area freeways are rebuilt, at a cost of $6.2 billion. 19/ But highway expansion projects could put many farmers out of jobs, as such project will require converting farmland to highways. 20/

Air pollution: As population increases, pollution usually rises along with it. Air pollution is a lingering problem for Wisconsin. The American Lung Association has given 9 counties in Wisconsin a grade of “F” for air quality. Four other counties received a grade of D”D, and sevem counties received a grade of “C” 21/ The U.S. Public Interest Research Group labeled Wisconsin the eighth smoggiest state in the nation. 22/

Water: Population growth is endangering Wisconsin’s water quality and supply. A study of water use in Wisconsin found that ground water levels are dropping by as much as seven feet per year in the southeast region—rates of withdrawal that water experts say cannot be maintained. 23/ The drop in water levels not only means a decline in the available water supply for the surrounding communities but also an increase in the levels of pollution and radioactivity due to the lower levels of saturated sandstone as well as higher costs for pumping the water up from greater depths. 24/

The Department of Natural Resources says that 44 of Wisconsin’s river miles and 61 percent of the lakes cannot support a full range of fish, aquatic insects and plants. 25/

Poverty: In 2005 18.4 percent of immigrants in Wisconsin had incomes below the poverty level, an increase of 30.6 percent since 2000. Among non-citizens, the poverty rate climbs to 23.7 percent. 26/ Studies show that a rise in crowded housing often correlates with an increase in the number of foreign-born. 27/, 28/

Education: Between 1990 and 2000, Wisconsin’s elementary and high school enrollment increased 13 percent. 29/ School overcrowding is becoming a major problem for several areas in Wisconsin. By 2012, Sun Prairie Area School District predicts that it will need two more elementary schools, a third middle school, and a second middle school Its population has risen over 30 percent since 1987 and is projected to increase by another 13 percent by 2005-06.30/ Many other school districts that have long faced the problem of overcrowding are planning to build new schools to combat the problem as well. 31/, 32/

Solid Waste: Wisconsin generates 1.03 tons of solid waste per capita 33/.

Endnotes:

1. FAIR estimate based on the 2006 Current Population Survey.
2. "Estimates of the Unauthorized Migrant Population for  States based on the March 2005 CPS", Pew Hispanic Center.
3. Martin, Jack. “Breaking the Piggy Bank: How Illegal Immigration is Sending Schools into the Red,” A Report by the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
4. “State Rankings by Acreage and Rate of Non-Federal Land Developed,” Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
5. Don Behm and Jeff Cole, “Hunters, Home Owners a Tough Mix,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 24, 2001.
6. Lee Bergquist, “Inching Toward a Cleaner State,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 21, 2002.
7. Selected Housing Characteristics: 2005 Data Set - 2005 American Community Survey, American Fact Finder, U.S. Census Bureau.
8. Haya El Nasser, “U.S. Neighborhoods Grow More Crowded,” USA Today, July 7, 2002.
9. Randy Capps, “Hardship Among Children of Immigrants: Findings from the 1999 National Survey of America’s Families,” Urban Institute, 2001.
10. Peter Maller, “Property Owners Want Less Population Growth, Surveys Say,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 30
11. Kathryn Kingsbury, “Verona Limits New Homes to 125 a Year,” Capital Times, February 15, 2002.
12. Annysa Johnson, “Constant Migration Begins to Tax Once-Rural Areas,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 11, 2001.
13. “U.S. Population 2007 Data Sheet,” Population Reference Bureau.
14. Table DP-1-4, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 1990 and 2000, Census 2000, U.S. Census Bureau.
15. Selected Economic Characteristics: 2005 Data Set - 2005 American Community Survey, American Fact Finder, U.S. Census Bureau.
16. Report Card for America's Infrastructure 2005," American Society of Civil Engineers.
17. “Exhibit A-4. Hours Change in Annual Delay per peak Road Traveler, 1982-2000,” 2002 Urban Mobility Study, Texas Transportation Institute, 2002.
18. Larry Sandler, “Dire Freeway Prediction” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 10, 2001.
19. Larry Sandler, “Milwaukee Residents Daunted By Traffic, Though Many Other Cities Face Worse,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 20, 2002.
20. Jacqueline Seibel, “Highway 164 Project Will Add Traffic, Critics Say,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 8, 2001.
21. “State of the Air 2005: Wisconsin”, American Lung Association.
22. Rebecca Stanfield, “Danger in the Air: The 2001 Ozone Season,” U.S.PIRG Education Fund, August 2002.
23. Bill Novak, “Will State Run Out of Water?” Capital Times, October 22, 2002.
24. Don Behm, “Radioactivity; Radioactivity, Salt Taint Groundwater as Inland Areas Dig Ever Deeper,” Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, December 10, 2002.
25. Lee Bergquist, op.cit.
26. “Wisconsin State Factsheet,” Migration Information Source, Migration Policy Institute
27. Haya El Nasser, “U.S. Neighborhoods Grow More Crowded,”USA Today, July 7, 2002.
28. Randy Capps, “Hardship among Children of Immigrants: Finding from the 1999 National Survey of America’s Families,” Urban Institute, 2001.
29. Table DP-1-4, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 1990 and 2000, Census 2000, U.S. Census Bureau.
30. Marv Balousek, “Plan Under Review to Build 4 Schools,” Wisconsin State Journal, April 28, 2002.
31. Judy Frankel, “School Plan Vote Set for Feb. 18,” Capital Times, December 18, 2002.
32. Jessica Peterson, “Middleton School Board Seeks Overcrowding Fix,” Capital Times, February 26, 2002.
33. Report Card for America's Infrastructure 2005," American Society of Civil Engineers