Milwaukee metropolitan area



The Milwaukee–Racine–Waukesha metropolitan area (also known as Metro Milwaukee or Greater Milwaukee) is an urban area identified by the U.S. Census Bureau containing five counties in southeastern Wisconsin: Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, Washington and Ozaukee. The region's population was 1,751,316 at the 2010 census.

The Milwaukee–Racine–Waukesha Combined Statistical Area is made up of the Milwaukee–Waukesha–West Allis Metropolitan Statistical Area (Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties) and the Racine Metropolitan Statistical Area (Racine County), according to the U.S. Census. Although Kenosha is halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee and has many residents who commute to Milwaukee, it is not considered by the census to be in the Milwaukee CSA. It is part of the Great Lakes Megalopolis containing an estimated 54 million people.

The city of Milwaukee is the hub of the metropolitan area. The northern and eastern parts of Racine County, eastern parts of Waukesha County, southern part of Ozaukee County, southeastern part of Washington County, and remainder of Milwaukee County are the most urbanized parts of the outlying counties.

The character of the area varies widely. Mequon, Brookfield, and the North Shore (Fox Point, Whitefish Bay, River Hills, Shorewood, Glendale, and Bayside) are more prosperous, while West Milwaukee, West Allis, and St. Francis are more blue-collar.

Metro Milwaukee draws commuters from outlying areas such as Madison, Chicago and the Fox Cities.

Counties
There are five counties in the U.S. Census Bureau's Milwaukee–Racine–Waukesha metropolitan area.
 * Milwaukee
 * Ozaukee
 * Racine
 * Washington
 * Waukesha

Primary

 * Milwaukee

Other principal cities

 * Racine
 * Waukesha

Unincorporated communities

 * Allenton
 * Colgate
 * Genesee Depot
 * Hubertus
 * Kansasville
 * Kohlsville
 * Lake Church
 * Lakefield
 * Myra
 * North Cape
 * Rockfield
 * Stone Bank
 * Tess Corners
 * Thompson
 * Tichigan
 * Ulao
 * Waubeka

Debate over metropolitan government
Although each county and its various municipalities are self-governing, there is some cooperation in the metropolitan area. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) is a state-chartered government agency which serves 28 municipalities in the five counties.

At the same time, some in the area see the need for more consolidation in government services. The Kettl Commission and former Wisconsin Governor Scott McCallum have supported initiatives to do this. However, full consolidation has been criticized as a means of diluting minority voting power.