Wauwatosa has an unparalleled location - four miles west of downtown Milwaukee with proximity to everything the region has to offer.

We encourage you to explore our website and learn more about:

• what a great community we are
• what you can do to get involved
• how to stay connected
• to be informed about what your Common Council and city are working on

Here are some quick resources to help you get started, and again, welcome to Wauwatosa!

• City Council Information
• Construction Information
• E-News Sign Up
• Employment Opportunities
• Get Involved
• Mayor
• Neighborhood Association Council
• Parks, Pool and Senior Center
• Recycling Information
• Sign up for the Neighborhood Association Council NAC Blast
• Volunteer

Demographics

Learn about Wauwatosa's key demographics, facts, and numbers in our Demographic Overview.

• According to the 2020 Census, Wauwatosa has a population of 48,387 residents. However, our daytime population more than doubles because 56,533 people work in Wauwatosa but live elsewhere.
• Wauwatosa is Wisconsin's 14th largest city.
• Wauwatosa's population has a median age of 37.9 years, younger than both the state and national median ages.
• 81.4% of Wauwatosa residents are non-Hispanic White, while 18.6% are of another race or ethnicity.
• Wauwatosa is an educated community, with 58.6% of adults holding a Bachelor's degree or higher.
• Wauwatosa has over 23,000 housing units. 63.5% are owner-occupied with a 0.6% vacancy rate, and 36.5% are renter-occupied with a 5.5% vacancy rate.
• The median home value is $242,800 and median gross rent is $1,116 per month.

City Dashboard

Are you interested in how the city is meeting its strategic goals? Go to this city dashboard to see the latest housing vacancy rates, solar energy usage, and city service performance.

Population

History

1835: The first permanent settlement in Wauwatosa Township was established by Charles Hart when he built the first house on land opposite Root Common on Harwood Avenue. Hart built a grist mill and a saw mill on the west side of the Menomonee River at what is now Harwood Avenue. The area became known as Hart’s Mills.

1836: A road from Milwaukee through Wauwatosa to Madison was built, now part of the present day Harwood Avenue.

1837: The US Government constructed the first bridge across the Menomonee River at Hart’s Mills. A wagon road following an old trail passed through Wauwatosa from Milwaukee to Watertown. Forty-five miles long, it had toll gates every three miles and was known as Watertown Plank Road. It was paved with 3/8” planks that were eight feet long.

1840: The Town of Wauwatosa was created by an Act of Legislature of the Wisconsin Territory.

1841: The first public school building was erected north of Root Common, now the intersection of Harwood and Wauwatosa Avenues.

1842: The first town meeting was held on April 5, 1842 and Charles Hart was elected chairman of the board. Until 1842, Wauwatosa was attached to the township of Milwaukee. Possible names for the new township created much discussion. The name Wauwautosa was suggested, for two reasons: in the language of Potawatomi tribe, the word wau-wau-tae-sie means firefly. This part of the Menomonee River Valley housed swarms of fireflies in the summer and the name honored the Potawatomi chief, Chief Wauwautaesie. When the name was eventually adopted, however, the spelling became Wauwatosa due to an error.

1854: The Little Red Store was built. First used as a dwelling, later a grocery store, post office, railroad depot, and library, it has been restored and is now owned by the Wauwatosa Historical Society.

1871: The first high school was built.

1882: The first public library was established.

1892: On October 8, the Village of Wauwatosa was incorporated from a central area of the town. Edward Coulthard became president of the Village Board and the population was 2,248.

1895: The business district was leveled by a fire. It started in a bakery near the center of town and rapidly spread to the buildings on State Street. From there the fire spread up Harwood Avenue toward Root Common. By nightfall the entire business district was in ruins. This event led to the creation of the first paid, part-time fire department.

1897: On May 27, view excerpt of minutes, the Village became a city of the fourth class and Emerson Hoyt was elected as the first mayor.

1898: A fire house and City Hall were built on Underwood Avenue.

1915: The first full-time police force was established.

1921: Wauwatosa became the second city in the state to adopt a zoning ordinance that established a designated use for each lot plotted and designated residential districts. Stores and manufacturing operations were limited to certain streets.

1930: Wauwatosa became a city of third class, with a population of more than 10,000.

1952: The last significant annexation occurred on November 25 when the Common Council passed a charter ordinance annexing an area 8 ½ square miles from the Town of Wauwatosa, creating a municipality of 13 square miles.

1970: Wauwatosa became a city of the second class after the 1970 census.

2010 and Beyond: Wauwatosa’s population has settled to over 46,000 persons.

Free viewers are required for some of the attached documents.
They can be downloaded by clicking on the icons below.

Acrobat Reader Windows Media Player Word Viewer Excel Viewer PowerPoint Viewer