Milwaukee, WI · standard
ZIP Code 53209
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 46,917
- 1,665/sq mi
- $48,486
- Median income
- $166,700
- Median home value
- 28.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Milwaukee pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- 12th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 33th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 1,665
- people per sq mi
- 44%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 53209 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 53209 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 28.2 square miles in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. The area is home to 46,917 residents, producing a population density of 1,665 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 53209 against Wisconsin and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 53209 sits at $48,486 (38% below the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $29,409. The poverty rate stands at 23.7% and the unemployment rate at 8.6%. On housing, the median home value is $166,700 (33% below the state average) with median rent at $988 per month, and 43.8% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 53209 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 28.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 36, 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 53209 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 53209
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 53209.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
193 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
97 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
83 establishments
- Manufacturing 68
Manufacturing
68 establishments
- Construction 65
Construction
65 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 53209, 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
46,917
Population
28.2
Area (sq mi)
1,665
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 53209?
36.0
Median Age
46.6%
Male
53.4%
Female
4.3%
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?
$48,486
Median Household Income
-38% vs state
$29,409
Per Capita Income
23.7%
Poverty Rate
8.6%
Unemployment Rate
24.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 53209 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$48,486 12th percentile higher than 12% 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?
21,963
Total Housing Units
19,518
Occupied Units
2,445
Vacant Units
2.29
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$166,700
Median Home Value
-33% vs state
$988
Median Rent
1955
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
+5.2%
YoY Change (2024)
229
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+129%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 53209 have increased 5.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +129% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +6.8% | 154 |
| 2021 | +9.2% | 168 |
| 2022 | +13.1% | 190 |
| 2023 | +14.1% | 217 |
| 2024 | +5.2% | 229 |
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 824 business establishments in ZIP 53209, employing approximately 14,979 people with a combined annual payroll of $991,098,000.
824
Businesses
14,979
Employees
$991.1M
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 193 | 23.4% |
| Retail trade | 97 | 11.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 83 | 10.1% |
| Manufacturing | 68 | 8.3% |
| Construction | 65 | 7.9% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 54 | 6.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 47 | 5.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 41 | 5.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 37 | 4.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 36 | 4.4% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 28 | 3.4% |
| Finance and insurance | 22 | 2.7% |
| Educational services | 16 | 1.9% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 12 | 1.5% |
| Information | 10 | 1.2% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 8 | 1.0% |
| Utilities | 5 | 0.6% |
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 53209 vs 53218 →
ZIP 53209 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 53209
Milwaukee (53209)
46,917 residents
- 53218
Milwaukee (53218)
40,625 residents
- 53216
Milwaukee (53216)
32,264 residents
- 53208
Milwaukee (53208)
31,133 residents
- 53212
Milwaukee (53212)
30,416 residents
- 53223
Milwaukee (53223)
29,230 residents
- 53217
Milwaukee (53217)
29,192 residents
- 53206
Milwaukee (53206)
28,210 residents
- 53210
Milwaukee (53210)
28,126 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 53209 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 53209 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 53217
Milwaukee (53217)
$133,021 median income
- 53092
Mequon (53092)
$128,156 median income
- 53223
Milwaukee (53223)
$60,839 median income
- 53208 $52,690
Milwaukee (53208)
$52,690 median income
- 53209 $48,486
Milwaukee (53209)
$48,486 median income
- 53210 $48,217
Milwaukee (53210)
$48,217 median income
- 53212 $47,298
Milwaukee (53212)
$47,298 median income
- 53216 $46,752
Milwaukee (53216)
$46,752 median income
- 53218 $45,642
Milwaukee (53218)
$45,642 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 53209 ranks #5 of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53218 | Milwaukee, WI | 40,625 | 2.5 mi |
| 53217 | Milwaukee, WI | 29,192 | 2.5 mi |
| 53206 | Milwaukee, WI | 28,210 | 3.7 mi |
| 53216 | Milwaukee, WI | 32,264 | 3.3 mi |
| 53223 | Milwaukee, WI | 29,230 | 3.3 mi |
| 53210 | Milwaukee, WI | 28,126 | 4.3 mi |
| 53205 | Milwaukee, WI | 10,050 | 5.2 mi |
| 53212 | Milwaukee, WI | 30,416 | 4.2 mi |
| 53092 | Mequon, WI | 20,024 | 6.4 mi |
| 53208 | Milwaukee, WI | 31,133 | 5.7 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Milwaukee County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 53209 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 53209? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 53209? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 53209? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 53209? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 53209? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 53209? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 53209? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 53209? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 53209? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 53209? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 53209? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for 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.