Milwaukee County
Milwaukee, WI · NTD ID 50008 · 2024 report year
Milwaukee County carries 25.7 million passenger trips a year across two modes — bus and demand response — making it the 35th-busiest transit operator in the United States, and the largest in Wisconsin. It is based in Milwaukee, WI.
It spends $169 million a year running that service, or $6.57 per trip. Its bus service, the largest of its modes, costs $5.86 per rider — 58% below the $13.86 median for the 1,162 US agencies reporting bus.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 13% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 13% on 2023. Fares cover 14% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus#26 of 1,162 nationally | 25,300,648 | $148 million | $5.86 | -58% | 15% | 284 |
| Demand Response#64 of 1,920 nationally | 364,452 | $20.4 million | $56.03 | +47% | 9% | 85 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 25,665,100 | $169 million | $6.57 |
| 2023 | 22,735,042 | $165 million | $7.26 |
| 2022 | 18,849,230 | $165 million | $8.75 |
| 2021 | 15,998,420 | $163 million | $10.20 |
| 2020 | 18,278,877 | $172 million | $9.40 |
| 2019 | 29,423,783 | $179 million | $6.09 |
| 2018 | 30,884,640 | $185 million | $6.00 |
| 2017 | 35,053,133 | $183 million | $5.22 |
| 2016 | 40,709,350 | $192 million | $4.72 |
| 2015 | 39,756,017 | $188 million | $4.73 |
Where Milwaukee County ranks
- Cheapest Bus Systems by Cost per Rider #9 of 40
- Highest-Ridership Bus Agencies #26 of 40
- Best Farebox Recovery Among Large Bus Systems #19 of 40
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Ask NTD about Milwaukee County →Source & method. Figures are from the Federal Transit Administration's National Transit Database (NTD) annual reporting for 2024, the most recent published report year. Cost per rider is operating expense divided by unlinked passenger trips. Farebox recovery is fare revenue divided by operating expense. Ten-year trends are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; single-year figures are as reported. Agencies self-report to the NTD, and reporting practice varies, so figures are best read as comparable in magnitude rather than to the cent.