Wisconsin ranks #16 among US states for total patents filed in 2025, with 8,223 patents from 3,989 inventors across 360 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 2025
| Rank | City | Patents | Inventors |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Madison, WI | 916 | 528 |
| #2 | Oshkosh, WI | 744 | 218 |
| #3 | Milwaukee, WI | 732 | 359 |
| #4 | Appleton, WI | 230 | 127 |
| #5 | Wauwatosa, WI | 215 | 107 |
| #6 | Brookfield, WI | 213 | 85 |
| #7 | Waukesha, WI | 192 | 86 |
| #8 | Middleton, WI | 191 | 89 |
| #9 | Neenah, WI | 170 | 92 |
| #10 | Sheboygan, WI | 156 | 60 |
| #11 | Mequon, WI | 135 | 57 |
| #12 | Fond du Lac, WI | 130 | 37 |
| #13 | Menomonee Falls, WI | 126 | 58 |
| #14 | Pewaukee, WI | 113 | 41 |
| #15 | Cedarburg, WI | 101 | 26 |
| #16 | Fitchburg, WI | 101 | 46 |
| #17 | Kenosha, WI | 86 | 57 |
| #18 | Hudson, WI | 78 | 44 |
| #19 | West Bend, WI | 74 | 39 |
| #20 | Grafton, WI | 72 | 23 |
| #21 | Hartland, WI | 67 | 29 |
| #22 | Franklin, WI | 67 | 34 |
| #23 | New Berlin, WI | 66 | 42 |
| #24 | Sussex, WI | 66 | 33 |
| #25 | West Allis, WI | 65 | 29 |