Milwaukee, WI · standard
ZIP Code 53218
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 40,625
- 2,671/sq mi
- $45,642
- Median income
- $133,400
- Median home value
- 10.7%
- 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, mixed-tenure area.
- 10th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 21th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 2,671
- people per sq mi
- 43%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 53218 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 53218 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 15.2 square miles in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. The area is home to 40,625 residents, producing a population density of 2,671 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 53218 against Wisconsin and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 53218 sits at $45,642 (42% below the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $22,824. The poverty rate stands at 25.9% and the unemployment rate at 10.3%. On housing, the median home value is $133,400 (46% below the state average) with median rent at $1,067 per month, and 42.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 53218 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 10.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 30.6, 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 53218 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 53218
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 53218.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
158 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
68 establishments
- Accommodation and food services 33
Accommodation and food services
33 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 28
Other services (except public administration)
28 establishments
- Manufacturing 25
Manufacturing
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 53218, 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
40,625
Population
15.2
Area (sq mi)
2,671
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 53218?
30.6
Median Age
47.7%
Male
52.3%
Female
6.8%
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?
$45,642
Median Household Income
-42% vs state
$22,824
Per Capita Income
25.9%
Poverty Rate
10.3%
Unemployment Rate
23.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 53218 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$45,642 10th percentile higher than 10% 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?
16,413
Total Housing Units
15,127
Occupied Units
1,286
Vacant Units
2.71
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$133,400
Median Home Value
-46% vs state
$1,067
Median Rent
1956
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
+14.4%
YoY Change (2024)
243
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+143%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 53218 have increased 14.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +143% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +11.4% | 145 |
| 2021 | +18.5% | 171 |
| 2022 | +14.9% | 197 |
| 2023 | +7.8% | 212 |
| 2024 | +14.4% | 243 |
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 416 business establishments in ZIP 53218, employing approximately 4,306 people with a combined annual payroll of $185,544,000.
416
Businesses
4,306
Employees
$185.5M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 158 | 38.0% |
| Retail trade | 68 | 16.4% |
| Accommodation and food services | 33 | 7.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 28 | 6.7% |
| Manufacturing | 25 | 6.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 21 | 5.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 21 | 5.0% |
| Construction | 13 | 3.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 12 | 2.9% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 11 | 2.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 8 | 1.9% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 7 | 1.7% |
| Information | 5 | 1.2% |
| Industries not classified | 4 | 1.0% |
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 53218 vs 53216 →
ZIP 53218 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
- 53223
Milwaukee (53223)
29,230 residents
- 53210
Milwaukee (53210)
28,126 residents
- 53213
Milwaukee (53213)
26,020 residents
- 53225
Milwaukee (53225)
25,706 residents
- 53222
Milwaukee (53222)
25,165 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 53218 ranks #2 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 53218 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 53213
Milwaukee (53213)
$101,688 median income
- 53222
Milwaukee (53222)
$76,980 median income
- 53224
Milwaukee (53224)
$67,803 median income
- 53223
Milwaukee (53223)
$60,839 median income
- 53007
Butler (53007)
$60,000 median income
- 53225
Milwaukee (53225)
$56,545 median income
- 53208
Milwaukee (53208)
$52,690 median income
- 53209
Milwaukee (53209)
$48,486 median income
- 53210
Milwaukee (53210)
$48,217 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 53218 ranks #null of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53216 | Milwaukee, WI | 32,264 | 2.1 mi |
| 53225 | Milwaukee, WI | 25,706 | 2.5 mi |
| 53223 | Milwaukee, WI | 29,230 | 3.4 mi |
| 53209 | Milwaukee, WI | 46,917 | 2.5 mi |
| 53210 | Milwaukee, WI | 28,126 | 3.3 mi |
| 53213 | Milwaukee, WI | 26,020 | 4.6 mi |
| 53222 | Milwaukee, WI | 25,165 | 3.1 mi |
| 53007 | Butler, WI | 1,841 | 4.0 mi |
| 53224 | Milwaukee, WI | 21,284 | 4.1 mi |
| 53208 | Milwaukee, WI | 31,133 | 4.9 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Milwaukee County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 53218 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 53218? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 53218? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 53218? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 53218? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 53218? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 53218? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 53218? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 53218? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 53218? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 53218? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 53218? ▼
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.