Milwaukee is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the 31st-most po…Milwaukee is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the 31st-most populous city in the United States and fifth-most populous city in the Midwest with a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, while the Milwaukee metropolitan area with over 1.57 million residents is the 40th-largest metropolitan area in the nation. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County.