Filipinos in South Central Wisconsin

This primer aims to give a snapshot of the Filipino community in Madison, Dane county, and adjacent counties in South Central Wisconsin. It also hopes to provide information for Filipinos planning to move to this part of the Midwest and help them make informed decisions.

This resource page is a living document and work in progress. If you would like to contribute, email us at pamana.madison@gmail.com.

Population (2020 Census)

Of the more than 500,000 residents in Dane county, where Madison is located, roughly 2,800 identify their racial or ethnic origin as Filipino. Only 7.7% of the county's population are of Asian descent, with Filipino only the fifth-largest Asian group.
However, in Dane's adjacent counties such as Columbia, Dodge, Green, Jefferson, Rock, and Sauk, those with Filipino heritage represent the largest Asian group, though the numbers are still small. In fact, this is the case in most of Wisconsin's 72 counties (see red shade in the map below).

Neighborhoods and Housing

There is no specific neighborhood with high concentration of Filipinos in South Central Wisconsin. However, many areas in Madison are characterized by high levels of segregation by race and ethnicity. (Click image below to use the interactive map from the Madison Neighborhood Indicators website.)

Tips and Resources

If you are moving to Madison or South Central Wisconsin, the following resources can help you find your potential place to live:

Madison Neighborhood Indicators Project. This interactive page lets you explore the city's different blocks of neighborhood and filter by population type, average housing value, public safety incidents, and other indicators.
Off-Campus Housing Marketplace. This page is helpful for incoming college or graduate students, teachers, or academic staff (in UW-Madison, Madison College, Edgewood College, etc.) looking for a temporary short- or medium-term place to stay off campus.
Access Dane. This page allows you to enter a specific address throughout the county and explore its adjacent parcels to know important details such as the parcel's current assessed value, zoning information, and school district where it belongs.
Other similar websites outside Dane county:
- Columbia County Land Information Interactive Map
- Dodge County Web Map
- Green County Tax Parcel Viewer
- Iowa County GIS Portal
- Jefferson County Public GIS Viewer
- Rock County Open Data Portal
- Sauk County Tax Parcel iSite

Education and Culture

Madison is home to UW-Madison, a world-class public institution considered at par with the Ivy League. UW-Madison offers academic courses in Philippine history and culture through the Center for Southeast Asian Studies. The Center also hosts free academic lectures on Fridays at noon called "Friday Forum," where topics can be Philippine-related.

Filipino language (Tagalog) is also taught in UW-Madison in the regular fall and spring semesters. During summer, the university welcomes students and adult learners from across the U.S. who study the language more intensively through the Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute.

The Filipinx American Student Organization (FASO) is actively involved in educating and spreading awareness about the Filipino American culture in UW-Madison. FASO forms an integral part of the university's planning for the APIDA Heritage Month celebration in April.

PAMANA offers free community events where Filipinos gather together. This includes the annual summer picnic and Christmas holiday party, as well as movie nights and other activities throughout the year.

Be a Member | Donate | Get Involved

Philippine-American Association of Madison and Neighboring Areas, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization.

P.O. Box 5013

Madison WI 53705-0013

PAMANA.Madison@gmail.com