Cities › WI
Milwaukee
Mayor Cavalier Johnson · Democratic · in office since Dec. 22, 2021
The Executive Summary
Mayor Cavalier Johnson (D) has led Milwaukee since Dec. 2021; on economic outcomes — the only thing this site scores for mayors — Milwaukee ranks No. 17 of 21 big cities. On Johnson's watch, median household income rose $54,555 → $56,792 across 2023–2024; unemployment rose 3.9% → 4.5% across 2023–2025. Crime, housing and schools are not in this score, and outcomes are shared with the council and the economy — association, not causation.
| Unemployment 4.5% (2025) | +0.07σ · +7.42%/yr vs peers +8.71%/yr · 2023–2025 (3 pts) |
| Median household income $56,792 (2024 · constant 2024 $) | −0.56σ* · +4.1%/yr vs peers +2.27%/yr · 2023–2024 (2 pts) |
| Poverty rate 21.2% (2024) | −0.73σ* · -4.07%/yr vs peers -1.92%/yr · 2023–2024 (2 pts) |
| Government form | Strong mayor |
Milwaukee is a strong-mayor city, so day-to-day administration answers to Cavalier Johnson. The score is Milwaukee's economic trend during their tenure, measured against the other 49 largest cities over the same years.
Sources: unemployment — BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics · median household income — Census ACS 1-year, CPI-U deflated · poverty rate — Census ACS 1-year (B17001). Unemployment runs through 2025; income and poverty through 2024. The 2025 unemployment point is an eleven-month average — October 2025 was never collected during the federal shutdown — and it is included and flagged here under the same rule the state pages apply to the same statistic (one statistic, one rulebook, as of v2.6; through v2.5 city pages excluded it instead, and the changelog says so).
Scored on economic outcomes only — unemployment, real median income and poverty. Crime, housing and health are not yet included, so this is a narrower measure than a governor’s. Two denominators. The rank is out of 21 — the mayors with enough scored years to rank. 21 of 50 cities are scored, 0 of those are early reads left unranked, and 29 mayors are not yet scorable. Each σ is measured against all 49 other cities. *Thin data — a trend fitted through fewer than 3 points is a line between dots, not a track record; percentage-per-year figures on those rows swing hard on small changes. Government form follows standard reference classifications and was not verified city by city. Methodology
The Rundown
No. 17 of 21 big-city mayors — on economics, and only economics.
Unemployment. About the middle of the pack. 3.9% → 4.5% across 2023–2025.
Median household income. One of the worst of the 50 largest cities. $54,555 → $56,792 across 2023–2024.
Poverty rate. One of the worst of the 50 largest cities. 22.1% → 21.2% across 2023–2024.
How this is scored: 60% is where Milwaukee stands against the other 49 largest cities, 40% is which way it moved on Mayor Johnson's watch — the same rule governors get. It covers 3 economic outcomes only: crime, housing and schools are not in this grade, so it is narrower than a governor's. Milwaukee is a strong-mayor city, so day-to-day administration answers to the mayor.
Milwaukee sits in WI, whose governor Tony Evers holds a scored statewide record (No. 4 of 29). State outcomes are not the mayor’s grade — a city is not a state — but they’re the nearest verified context today.