26
Classified Tier 3, Quarterly Reviews — the highest-risk designation in Wisconsin registry records
765
Wisconsin cities & towns with at least one registered offender
81.0
Per 10,000 residents in Appleton — highest rate of the major cities (2.3× the state average)
+45%
Wisconsin's rate vs. the national average of ~24 per 10,000
City breakdown

Sex offenders by city in Wisconsin

Registered sex offender counts for the 12 largest cities in Wisconsin, with each city's rate per 10,000 residents. Raw counts track population — the per-capita column is the fair comparison, and the spread is dramatic: Appleton's rate is 4× West Allis's. Click a city for its full breakdown, or a column header to sort.

Key facts
  • Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay account for 55% of the registered offenders across the 12 cities tracked.
  • Adjusted for population, living in Appleton means 4× more registered offenders per resident than West Allis.
  • Registered sex offenders live in 765 different Wisconsin cities and towns — no community is exempt.
#CityRegistered offendersPopulationPer 10,000 residents
1 Milwaukee
3,020
577,897 52.3
2 Madison
799
274,667 29.1
3 Green Bay
677
107,365 63.1
4 Appleton
613
75,678 81.0
5 Kenosha
605
100,005 60.5
6 Racine
573
78,337 73.1
7 Janesville
488
65,633 74.4
8 Oshkosh
418
66,895 62.5
9 Eau Claire
362
69,449 52.1
10 Waukesha
276
71,151 38.8
11 La Crosse
233
52,687 44.2
12 West Allis
136
60,337 22.5

Counts as of August 2026, compiled from official registry records. City populations from the 2020 U.S. Census. red = 1.5× the state rate or more · green = well below the state rate.

City-by-city breakdowns

Every Wisconsin city we track has its own page with neighborhood-level numbers, risk levels, and recent registrations:

Every Wisconsin municipality with registered offenders (top 60 shown)
Milwaukee 3,020Madison 799Green Bay 677Appleton 613Kenosha 605Racine 573Janesville 488Oshkosh 418Sheboygan 388Wausau 386Eau Claire 362Beloit 284Waukesha 276Wisconsin Rapids 258Manitowoc 248La Crosse 233Fond Du Lac 233Franklin 184West Bend 178Neenah 164Baraboo 153Waupaca 146De Pere 139West Allis 136Superior 133Elkhorn 125Marinette 123Pleasant Prairie 116Shawano 115Watertown 114Rhinelander 111Sparta 110Menasha 108Sturgeon Bay 98Antigo 95Marshfield 94Chippewa Falls 91Kaukauna 90Beaver Dam 89Monroe 86Portage 85Merrill 83Ashland 80Stevens Point 79Tomah 79Menomonie 78Medford 75Whitewater 73Fort Atkinson 73Burlington 71Juneau 69Oconto 65Friendship 65Mauston 62Mount Pleasant 61Hartford 57Lake Geneva 57Delavan 57Schofield 57Black River Falls 56
The rules in Wisconsin

Wisconsin sex offender laws & risk levels

Corrections-maintained registry. Wisconsin's Department of Corrections registers offenders for 15 years or life depending on the offense and publishes registrants on the public site, with special-bulletin notifications for the most serious cases.

No statewide rule — a patchwork of local ordinances. Wisconsin has no statewide distance statute, but dozens of municipalities adopted their own residency ordinances (with varying buffers), so where registrants may live changes city to city.

Registration & verification. Registrants must keep their address, employment, and schooling current with the registry, and verify in person on a recurring schedule — more frequently for higher-risk or higher-tier registrants. Failure to register or verify is itself a crime and commonly appears as a listed offense on registry records.

Current risk-level breakdown in Wisconsin:

Other
257
Violent
40
Sexual
36
Not Leveled
25
10-Year Registrant
21
Common questions

Wisconsin sex offender registry FAQ

How many registered sex offenders live in Wisconsin?

As of August 2026, there are 20,543 registered sex offenders in Wisconsin — about 34.9 for every 10,000 residents, 45% above the national average. Counts change as offenders register, move, or are removed from the registry.

Which city in Wisconsin has the most sex offenders?

Milwaukee has the most registered sex offenders in Wisconsin with 3,020. Raw counts track population, so the fairer comparison is per capita: adjusted for population, Appleton has the highest rate among major cities at 81.0 per 10,000 residents, while West Allis has the lowest at 22.5.

How do I find sex offenders near my address in Wisconsin?

Use the free Predator Map app to search any Wisconsin address and see registered offenders around it on a map, with photos and offense details from official registry records. You can also search the official Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry (DOC) website directly.

Why is this number different from the official Wisconsin registry website?

Public registry websites only show what the state chooses to publish. Wisconsin publishes registrants on the DOC site; some juvenile and expired records don't appear. Statistics on this page are compiled from aggregated official registry records, so they can differ from — and often exceed — what a manual search of the public site returns.

Does Wisconsin restrict where sex offenders can live?

No statewide rule — a patchwork of local ordinances. Wisconsin has no statewide distance statute, but dozens of municipalities adopted their own residency ordinances (with varying buffers), so where registrants may live changes city to city. Address-level monitoring matters more than assumptions about "safe" neighborhoods.

How current is this data?

Statistics on this page are compiled from official state registry records and refreshed monthly. This page was last updated in August 2026. Always verify individual records with the official state registry.

Can I get alerts when a sex offender moves near me in Wisconsin?

Yes. Predator Map Pro monitors up to 5 addresses daily and sends push and email alerts when a registered offender moves in nearby, a new offender registers, or someone moves away.

Is it legal to look up sex offenders near me?

Yes. Registry information is public record under federal and state law (Megan's Law), and anyone may search it to protect themselves and their family. What the law prohibits is using registry information to harass, threaten, or commit a crime against a registrant — misuse can be prosecuted.

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Methodology: Statistics are compiled from aggregated official state registry records and refreshed monthly. City figures count the city listed on each registry record. Per-capita rates use 2020 U.S. Census populations. Aggregated counts can exceed what public registry websites display because some classification levels are excluded from public searches. Figures are estimates and change daily as registries update — always verify individual records with the official state registry.