Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the fifth-largest city in the Midwestern United States. The seat of Milwaukee County, the city is located on Lake Michigan's southwestern shore and was incorporated in 1846. As of the 2020 census, Milwaukee had a population of 577,222, a decrease from 594,833 in 2010. It is the 31st largest city in the United States and the fourth-largest city situated along one of the Great Lakes.
It is the main cultural and economic center of the Milwaukee metropolitan area, the fourth-most densely populated metropolitan area in the Midwest. Milwaukee is considered a "Gamma −" global city as categorized by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network with a regional GDP of over $107 billion.
Today, Milwaukee is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse cities in the United States. Its history was heavily influenced by German immigrants in the 19th century and it became well known for its brewing industry. In recent years, Milwaukee has been undergoing its largest construction boom since the 1960s.