Wisconsin ranks #17 among US states for total patents filed in 2021, with 8,351 patents from 4,723 inventors across 379 cities. On a per-capita basis that is 1.4 patents per 1,000 residents, a standard benchmark for comparing state-level R&D intensity.
Top Cities in Wisconsin 2021
| Rank | City | Patents | Inventors |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Madison, WI | 975 | 630 |
| #2 | Milwaukee, WI | 607 | 297 |
| #3 | Appleton, WI | 360 | 183 |
| #4 | Oshkosh, WI | 299 | 138 |
| #5 | Waukesha, WI | 219 | 127 |
| #6 | Brookfield, WI | 212 | 99 |
| #7 | Middleton, WI | 210 | 86 |
| #8 | Wauwatosa, WI | 187 | 106 |
| #9 | Sheboygan, WI | 184 | 88 |
| #10 | Neenah, WI | 183 | 112 |
| #11 | Hudson, WI | 128 | 63 |
| #12 | Mequon, WI | 118 | 60 |
| #13 | Menomonee Falls, WI | 105 | 58 |
| #14 | Kenosha, WI | 99 | 59 |
| #15 | Racine, WI | 99 | 62 |
| #16 | Pewaukee, WI | 92 | 50 |
| #17 | Cedarburg, WI | 87 | 37 |
| #18 | New Berlin, WI | 82 | 51 |
| #19 | West Bend, WI | 82 | 48 |
| #20 | Hartland, WI | 78 | 44 |
| #21 | Grafton, WI | 77 | 31 |
| #22 | Oconomowoc, WI | 74 | 55 |
| #23 | Germantown, WI | 72 | 48 |
| #24 | Fitchburg, WI | 67 | 47 |
| #25 | Whitefish Bay, WI | 67 | 37 |