Greenfield Sees Modest Population Growth: 2020 Census Results

GREENFIELD, WI — Results from the 2020 United States Census were released Thursday. The new data shows how parts of Wisconsin have changed over the past decade, and who grew the most out of the state's 3.6 percent population growth.

Greenfield came out behind the state when it comes to population growth. The city grew by fractions of a percent—less than the 3.6 percent average in Wisconsin and less than the nationwide total of 7.4 percent. Overall, Greenfield gained 1083 residents, census data shows.
In 2010, there were 36,720 people that lived in Greenfield. A decade later, there are now 37,803 people. In 2020, Greenfield has fewer children than the national average. There are fewer young adults in Greenfield than the national average. The city also has more older adults than the national average.

Related: 2020 Census Results: Milwaukee Shrinks And Wisconsin Grows

Greenfield has been home to over 2,200 veterans from 2015-19. About 8.5 percent of all residents were born in a different country during that same time period, census data shows.

Compared to its neighbors, especially the City of Milwaukee, Greenfield has found itself modestly ahead. While the larger metro area consisting of Milwaukee County and neighboring counties grew by 1.2 percent, Milwaukee itself shrank by 3 percent, according to census data.

"Many counties within metro areas saw growth, especially those in the south and west. However, as we've been seeing in our annual population estimates, our nation is growing slower than it used to," said Marc Perry, a senior demographer at the Census Bureau. "This decline is evident at the local level where around 52% of the counties in the United States saw their 2020 Census populations decrease from their 2010 Census populations."

The census impacts how representative districts are drawn across the country. The new 2020 data will serve as the primary component of how Americans are represented. Districts will be redrawn as populations are divvyed up for votes. It's a process that can be impacted by gerrymandering, where one party can set up a district in such a way that it will always vote in their favor, according to an Associated Press report.

The topic is of hot debate in Texas, AP reported. Wisconsin has had its own issues over gerrymandering and redistricting. Republicans recently voted to preserve current maps for a year. With the new census data, though, Wisconsin voting districts will come under renewed scrutiny.

Charles Woodman, Patch Staff, contributed to the writing and reporting in this article.

Reporting and writing from The Associated Press was used in this report.