Milwaukee, WI · standard

ZIP Code 53215

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

60,953
4,157/sq mi
$54,289
Median income
$156,800
Median home value
11.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Milwaukee pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a suburban-density, mixed-tenure and unusually populous area.

20th pct
household income, US ZIPs
28th pct
home value, US ZIPs
4,157
people per sq mi
47%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 53215 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 53215 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 14.7 square miles in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. The area is home to 60,953 residents, producing a population density of 4,157 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 53215 against Wisconsin and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 53215 sits at $54,289 (31% below the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $23,395. The poverty rate stands at 22.0% and the unemployment rate at 4.3%. On housing, the median home value is $156,800 (37% below the state average) with median rent at $977 per month, and 47.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 53215 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 11.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 31.9, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Milwaukee County, so you can benchmark 53215 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 53215

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 53215.

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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 53215, 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

60,953

Population

14.7

Area (sq mi)

4,157

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 53215?

31.9

Median Age

50.7%

Male

49.3%

Female

32.1%

Foreign-Born

White 24.6%
African American 6.3%
Asian 5.9%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 39.3%
Hispanic or Latino 69.0%

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?

$54,289

Median Household Income

-31% vs state

$23,395

Per Capita Income

22.0%

Poverty Rate

4.3%

Unemployment Rate

22.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 53215 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$54,289 20th percentile higher than 20% 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 42.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 11.3%

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

What does housing look like?

21,274

Total Housing Units

19,328

Occupied Units

1,946

Vacant Units

2.99

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 47.4%
Renter 52.6%

$156,800

Median Home Value

-37% vs state

$977

Median Rent

1938

Median Year Built

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

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+4.5%

YoY Change (2024)

231

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+131%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 53215 have increased 4.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +131% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +3.1% 157
2021 +12.4% 176
2022 +16.2% 205
2023 +7.8% 221
2024 +4.5% 231

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 800 business establishments in ZIP 53215, employing approximately 19,618 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,312,926,000.

800

Businesses

19,618

Employees

$1.3B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 185 23.1%
Retail trade 112 14.0%
Construction 93 11.6%
Accommodation and food services 83 10.4%
Other services (except public administration) 75 9.4%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 61 7.6%
Transportation and warehousing 33 4.1%
Manufacturing 30 3.8%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 28 3.5%
Finance and insurance 25 3.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing 21 2.6%
Wholesale trade 17 2.1%
Management of companies and enterprises 13 1.6%
Educational services 11 1.4%
Information 7 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 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 53215 vs 53204 →

ZIP 53215 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 53215 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

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

ZIP 53215 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 53215 ranks #6 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
53204 Milwaukee, WI 42,355 1.7 mi
53221 Milwaukee, WI 37,701 3.1 mi
53219 Milwaukee, WI 33,880 2.3 mi
53233 Milwaukee, WI 16,453 2.7 mi
53295 Milwaukee, WI 359 2.2 mi
53208 Milwaukee, WI 31,133 3.4 mi
53205 Milwaukee, WI 10,050 3.8 mi
53203 Milwaukee, WI 938 3.1 mi
53207 Milwaukee, WI 35,149 3.0 mi
53220 Milwaukee, WI 26,303 3.3 mi

More ZIP Codes in Milwaukee County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 53215 in?
ZIP code 53215 (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 53215?
ZIP code 53215 in Milwaukee, WI has a population of 60,953 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 53215?
The median household income in ZIP 53215 is $54,289, which is 29% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 53215?
The median home value in ZIP 53215 is $156,800, which is 44% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 53215?
The largest racial group in ZIP 53215 is Two or More Ethnicities at 39.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 69.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 53215?
ZIP code 53215 has 800 business establishments employing approximately 19,618 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 53215?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 53215 are: Health care and social assistance (185), Retail trade (112), Construction (93). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 53215?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 53215 increased by 4.5% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 131%. 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 53215?
In ZIP code 53215, 42.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.3% 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 53215?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 53215 is 22.6 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 53215?
In ZIP code 53215, approximately 47.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 52.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 53215?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 53215 is 22.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

ZIP Code Research Guides

Official Data Resources for Milwaukee, WI

Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.