Waukesha, WI · standard
ZIP Code 53186
Waukesha County, Wisconsin - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 33,592
- 1,032/sq mi High-density area
- $74,588
- Median income Near-median income area
- $301,100
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 41.7%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Waukesha pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- Top 46%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 33%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 1,032
- people per sq mi
- 55%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 53186 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 53186 (Waukesha, WI) rose +5.9% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 205.9 in 2023 to 218.1 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 53186 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Waukesha, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, with 33,592 residents across 32.5 square miles, a density of 1,032 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 53186 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $74,588 (5% below the average Wisconsin ZIP), while per-capita income is $42,053. The poverty rate is 9.2%, with unemployment at 2.7%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $301,100 (21% above the average Wisconsin ZIP) and median rent is $1,229; 55.1% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 41.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37, and the average commute is 19 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Waukesha County, so 53186 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 53186
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Waukesha, WI
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 53186.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
147 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
140 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
139 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
127 establishments
- Construction
Construction
123 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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 53186, Waukesha, WI · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
33,592
Population
32.5
Area (sq mi)
1,032
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 53186?
37.0
Median Age
48.3%
Male
51.7%
Female
6.5%
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?
$74,588
Median Household Income
-5% vs state ZIP avg
$42,053
Per Capita Income
9.2%
Poverty Rate
2.7%
Unemployment Rate
19.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 53186 ranks nationally
Waukesha, WI household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$74,588 Top 46% higher than 54% 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
15,293housing units
15,293
Total Housing Units
14,758
Occupied Units
535
Vacant Units
2.18
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$301,100
Median Home Value
+21% vs state ZIP avg
$1,229
Median Rent
1974
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
+5.9%
YoY Change (2024)
218
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+118%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 53186 have increased 5.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +118% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.3% | 151 |
| 2021 | +9.6% | 165 |
| 2022 | +14.2% | 189 |
| 2023 | +9.1% | 206 |
| 2024 | +5.9% | 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 1,308 business establishments in ZIP 53186, employing approximately 28,423 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,818,557,000.
1,308
Businesses
28,423
Employees
$1.8B
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 147 | 11.2% |
| Retail trade | 140 | 10.7% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 139 | 10.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 127 | 9.7% |
| Construction | 123 | 9.4% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 110 | 8.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 103 | 7.9% |
| Manufacturing | 101 | 7.7% |
| Finance and insurance | 84 | 6.4% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 69 | 5.3% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 51 | 3.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 25 | 1.9% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 24 | 1.8% |
| Educational services | 22 | 1.7% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 21 | 1.6% |
| Information | 17 | 1.3% |
| Utilities | 3 | 0.2% |
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 53186 vs 53702 →
ZIP 53186 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 53188
Waukesha (53188)
35,195 residents
- 53186
Waukesha (53186)
33,592 residents
- 53151
New Berlin (53151)
31,987 residents
- 53189
Waukesha (53189)
26,228 residents
- 53072
Pewaukee (53072)
23,907 residents
- 53045
Brookfield (53045)
21,686 residents
- 53005
Brookfield (53005)
19,425 residents
- 53146 7,458
New Berlin (53146)
7,458 residents
- 53122 5,985
Elm Grove (53122)
5,985 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 53186 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 53186 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 53122
Elm Grove (53122)
$157,962 median income
- 53103
Big Bend (53103)
$137,083 median income
- 53005
Brookfield (53005)
$126,739 median income
- 53045
Brookfield (53045)
$123,750 median income
- 53189
Waukesha (53189)
$117,008 median income
- 53146
New Berlin (53146)
$110,035 median income
- 53151
New Berlin (53151)
$101,176 median income
- 53072
Pewaukee (53072)
$98,538 median income
- 53188
Waukesha (53188)
$92,409 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 53186 ranks #null of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53702 | Madison, WI | 50 | 2.9 mi |
| 53045 | Brookfield, WI | 21,686 | 3.7 mi |
| 53188 | Waukesha, WI | 35,195 | 4.5 mi |
| 53146 | New Berlin, WI | 7,458 | 4.2 mi |
| 53072 | Pewaukee, WI | 23,907 | 5.1 mi |
| 53122 | Elm Grove, WI | 5,985 | 6.1 mi |
| 53005 | Brookfield, WI | 19,425 | 5.9 mi |
| 53189 | Waukesha, WI | 26,228 | 6.3 mi |
| 53103 | Big Bend, WI | 3,724 | 9.8 mi |
| 53151 | New Berlin, WI | 31,987 | 6.3 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 53186, both outside WI so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (33,592 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Waukesha County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 53186 in?
ZIP code 53186 (Waukesha) is located in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Waukesha County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/waukesha-wi.
What is the population of ZIP code 53186?
ZIP code 53186 in Waukesha, WI has a population of 33,592 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 53186?
The median household income in ZIP 53186 is $74,588, which is 2% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 53186?
The median home value in ZIP 53186 is $301,100, which is 8% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 53186?
The largest racial group in ZIP 53186 is White at 83.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 13.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 53186?
ZIP code 53186 has 1,308 business establishments employing approximately 28,423 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 53186?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 53186 are: Health care and social assistance (147), Retail trade (140), Professional, scientific, and technical services (139). There are 17 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 53186?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 53186 increased by 5.9% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 118%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 53186?
In ZIP code 53186, 64.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 41.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 53186?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 53186 is 19.1 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 53186?
In ZIP code 53186, approximately 55.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 44.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 53186?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 53186 is 9.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 53186's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 53186 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Waukesha, WI ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.