PlainZIP

Milwaukee, WI · standard

ZIP Code 53204

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

42,355
4,982/sq mi
$45,934
Median income
$124,300
Median home value
16.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Milwaukee pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a suburban-density, renter-heavy area.

10th pct
household income, US ZIPs
18th pct
home value, US ZIPs
4,982
people per sq mi
26%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 53204 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 53204 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, with 42,355 residents across 8.5 square miles, a density of 4,982 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 53204 reports a modest median household income of $45,934 (41% below the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $22,500. The poverty rate stands at 32.2% and the unemployment rate at 5.9%. The typical home here is valued at $124,300 (50% below the state average); renters pay a median of $1,004 monthly, and 26.2% of units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 29.8, and the average commute is 21 minutes. To put 53204 in local context, 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Milwaukee County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 53204

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Milwaukee, WI

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 53204.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 53204, Milwaukee, 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

42,355

Population

8.5

Area (sq mi)

4,982

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 53204?

29.8

Median Age

51.7%

Male

48.3%

Female

28.9%

Foreign-Born

White 22.0%
African American 12.6%
Asian 3.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.9%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 42.2%
Hispanic or Latino 65.9%

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?

$45,934

Median Household Income

-41% vs state

$22,500

Per Capita Income

32.2%

Poverty Rate

5.9%

Unemployment Rate

21.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 53204 ranks nationally

Milwaukee, WI household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$45,934 10th percentile higher than 10% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

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?

High School Graduate or Higher 48.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 16.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

15,138

Total Housing Units

13,964

Occupied Units

1,174

Vacant Units

2.85

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 26.2%
Renter 73.8%

$124,300

Median Home Value

-50% vs state

$1,004

Median Rent

1938

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 811 business establishments in ZIP 53204, employing approximately 16,037 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,318,069,000.

811

Businesses

16,037

Employees

$1.3B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Accommodation and food services 135 16.6%
Retail trade 120 14.8%
Health care and social assistance 95 11.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 82 10.1%
Other services (except public administration) 65 8.0%
Construction 58 7.2%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 43 5.3%
Wholesale trade 41 5.1%
Manufacturing 37 4.6%
Finance and insurance 30 3.7%
Real estate and rental and leasing 27 3.3%
Transportation and warehousing 24 3.0%
Educational services 19 2.3%
Information 16 2.0%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 15 1.9%
Management of companies and enterprises 4 0.5%

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 53204 vs 53233 →

ZIP 53204 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 53204 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 53204 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 53204 ranks #7 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
53233 Milwaukee, WI 16,453 1.4 mi
53203 Milwaukee, WI 938 1.5 mi
53215 Milwaukee, WI 60,953 1.7 mi
53205 Milwaukee, WI 10,050 2.5 mi
53202 Milwaukee, WI 23,386 2.3 mi
53295 Milwaukee, WI 359 2.6 mi
53206 Milwaukee, WI 28,210 3.9 mi
53208 Milwaukee, WI 31,133 2.8 mi
53207 Milwaukee, WI 35,149 3.4 mi
53212 Milwaukee, WI 30,416 4.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Milwaukee County

53215 standard
Milwaukee, WI
Pop: 60,953
53209 standard
Milwaukee, WI
Pop: 46,917
53218 standard
Milwaukee, WI
Pop: 40,625
53221 standard
Milwaukee, WI
Pop: 37,701
53211 standard
Milwaukee, WI
Pop: 35,406
53207 standard
Milwaukee, WI
Pop: 35,149

Related Areas

Milwaukee County Milwaukee, WI Wisconsin

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 53204 in? ▼
ZIP code 53204 (Milwaukee) is located in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Milwaukee County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/milwaukee-wi.
What is the population of ZIP code 53204? ▼
ZIP code 53204 in Milwaukee, WI has a population of 42,355 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 53204? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 53204 is $45,934, which is 40% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 53204? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 53204 is $124,300, which is 55% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 53204? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 53204 is Two or More Ethnicities at 42.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 65.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 53204? ▼
ZIP code 53204 has 811 business establishments employing approximately 16,037 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 53204? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 53204 are: Accommodation and food services (135), Retail trade (120), Health care and social assistance (95). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 53204? ▼
In ZIP code 53204, 48.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.3% 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 53204? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 53204 is 21.2 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 53204? ▼
In ZIP code 53204, approximately 26.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 73.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 53204? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 53204 is 32.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.