South Milwaukee, WI · standard
ZIP Code 53172
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 21,156
- 1,692/sq mi
- $73,427
- Median income
- $235,700
- Median home value
- 29.9%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
South Milwaukee pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 48%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 46%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 1,692
- people per sq mi
- 67%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 53172 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 53172 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 12.5 square miles in South Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. The area is home to 21,156 residents, producing a population density of 1,692 people per square mile, and falls within the Chicago time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 53172 against Wisconsin and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 53172 sits at $73,427 (6% below the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $36,937. The poverty rate stands at 13.1% and the unemployment rate at 3.6%. On housing, the median home value is $235,700 (5% below the state average) with median rent at $1,014 per month, and 66.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 53172 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 29.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.2, and the average commute is 24 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Milwaukee County, so you can benchmark 53172 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Top industries in ZIP 53172
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 53172.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
48 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
40 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
29 establishments
- Construction
Construction
28 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
25 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 53172, South Milwaukee, WI · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
21,156
Population
12.5
Area (sq mi)
1,692
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 53172?
40.2
Median Age
49.6%
Male
50.4%
Female
6.1%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$73,427
Median Household Income
-6% vs state
$36,937
Per Capita Income
13.1%
Poverty Rate
3.6%
Unemployment Rate
24.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 53172 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$73,427 Top 48% higher than 52% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
8,885
Total Housing Units
8,420
Occupied Units
465
Vacant Units
2.40
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$235,700
Median Home Value
-5% vs state
$1,014
Median Rent
1958
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+6.3%
YoY Change (2024)
218
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+118%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 53172 have increased 6.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +118% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.3% | 145 |
| 2021 | +10.2% | 160 |
| 2022 | +17.6% | 188 |
| 2023 | +9.1% | 205 |
| 2024 | +6.3% | 218 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 260 business establishments in ZIP 53172, employing approximately 3,491 people with a combined annual payroll of $163,945,000.
260
Businesses
3,491
Employees
$163.9M
Annual Payroll
13
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 48 | 18.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 40 | 15.4% |
| Retail trade | 29 | 11.2% |
| Construction | 28 | 10.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 25 | 9.6% |
| Manufacturing | 16 | 6.2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 15 | 5.8% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 15 | 5.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 12 | 4.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 12 | 4.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 7 | 2.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 5 | 1.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 1.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 53172 vs 53110 →
ZIP 53172 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 53215
Milwaukee (53215)
60,953 residents
- 53204
Milwaukee (53204)
42,355 residents
- 53221
Milwaukee (53221)
37,701 residents
- 53207
Milwaukee (53207)
35,149 residents
- 53154
Oak Creek (53154)
34,451 residents
- 53402
Racine (53402)
33,174 residents
- 53202 23,386
Milwaukee (53202)
23,386 residents
- 53172 21,156
South Milwaukee (53172)
21,156 residents
- 53110 18,320
Cudahy (53110)
18,320 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 53172 ranks #8 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 53172 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 53154
Oak Creek (53154)
$96,555 median income
- 53129
Greendale (53129)
$95,012 median income
- 53207
Milwaukee (53207)
$79,117 median income
- 53402
Racine (53402)
$75,751 median income
- 53172
South Milwaukee (53172)
$73,427 median income
- 53202
Milwaukee (53202)
$71,034 median income
- 53110
Cudahy (53110)
$66,719 median income
- 53221
Milwaukee (53221)
$63,265 median income
- 53235
Saint Francis (53235)
$57,368 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 53172 ranks #5 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53110 | Cudahy, WI | 18,320 | 2.4 mi |
| 53154 | Oak Creek, WI | 34,451 | 2.9 mi |
| 53235 | Saint Francis, WI | 9,270 | 4.2 mi |
| 53207 | Milwaukee, WI | 35,149 | 4.6 mi |
| 53221 | Milwaukee, WI | 37,701 | 5.0 mi |
| 53402 | Racine, WI | 33,174 | 8.1 mi |
| 53129 | Greendale, WI | 13,973 | 7.2 mi |
| 53202 | Milwaukee, WI | 23,386 | 9.4 mi |
| 53204 | Milwaukee, WI | 42,355 | 8.0 mi |
| 53215 | Milwaukee, WI | 60,953 | 7.4 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Milwaukee County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 53172 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 53172? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 53172? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 53172? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 53172? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 53172? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 53172? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 53172? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 53172? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 53172? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 53172? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 53172? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for South Milwaukee, WI
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.