PlainZIP

Milwaukee, WI · standard

ZIP Code 53221

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

37,701
1,594/sq mi
$63,265
Median income
$219,600
Median home value
24.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Milwaukee pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.

35th pct
household income, US ZIPs
49th pct
home value, US ZIPs
1,594
people per sq mi
57%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 53221 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 53221 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, with 37,701 residents across 23.6 square miles, a density of 1,594 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 53221 reports a modest median household income of $63,265 (19% below the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $35,103. The poverty rate stands at 14.6% and the unemployment rate at 3.7%. Median home value sits at $219,600 (12% below the state average), median rent at $1,119 a month, and owner-occupancy at 56.9%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 24.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.8, and the average commute is 24 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 53221, plus 6 more within Milwaukee County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

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 53221

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Milwaukee, WI

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 53221.

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 53221, 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

37,701

Population

23.6

Area (sq mi)

1,594

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 53221?

38.8

Median Age

47.3%

Male

52.7%

Female

17.6%

Foreign-Born

White 55.8%
African American 7.4%
Asian 7.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 19.8%
Hispanic or Latino 25.8%

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?

$63,265

Median Household Income

-19% vs state

$35,103

Per Capita Income

14.6%

Poverty Rate

3.7%

Unemployment Rate

24.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 53221 ranks nationally

Milwaukee, WI household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$63,265 35th percentile higher than 35% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $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 56.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 24.7%

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

What does housing look like?

16,865

Total Housing Units

16,293

Occupied Units

572

Vacant Units

2.32

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 56.9%
Renter 43.1%

$219,600

Median Home Value

-12% vs state

$1,119

Median Rent

1967

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

+6.0%

YoY Change (2024)

223

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+123%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 53221 have increased 6.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +123% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +4.9% 151
2021 +11.0% 168
2022 +12.3% 188
2023 +11.6% 210
2024 +6.0% 223

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 635 business establishments in ZIP 53221, employing approximately 10,083 people with a combined annual payroll of $506,590,000.

635

Businesses

10,083

Employees

$506.6M

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 116 18.3%
Health care and social assistance 95 15.0%
Accommodation and food services 83 13.1%
Other services (except public administration) 60 9.4%
Transportation and warehousing 54 8.5%
Construction 52 8.2%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 39 6.1%
Finance and insurance 26 4.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing 26 4.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 22 3.5%
Manufacturing 20 3.1%
Wholesale trade 19 3.0%
Information 8 1.3%
Educational services 6 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 5 0.8%
Management of companies and enterprises 3 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 53221 vs 53215 →

ZIP 53221 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 53221 ranks #3 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 53221 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 53221 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
53215 Milwaukee, WI 60,953 3.1 mi
53220 Milwaukee, WI 26,303 2.5 mi
53207 Milwaukee, WI 35,149 2.5 mi
53129 Greendale, WI 13,973 3.0 mi
53204 Milwaukee, WI 42,355 4.5 mi
53110 Cudahy, WI 18,320 4.1 mi
53235 Saint Francis, WI 9,270 3.8 mi
53219 Milwaukee, WI 33,880 3.8 mi
53233 Milwaukee, WI 16,453 5.7 mi
53295 Milwaukee, WI 359 5.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Milwaukee County

53215 standard
Milwaukee, WI
Pop: 60,953
53209 standard
Milwaukee, WI
Pop: 46,917
53204 standard
Milwaukee, WI
Pop: 42,355
53218 standard
Milwaukee, WI
Pop: 40,625
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 53221 in? ▼
ZIP code 53221 (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 53221? ▼
ZIP code 53221 in Milwaukee, WI has a population of 37,701 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 53221? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 53221 is $63,265, which is 17% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 53221? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 53221 is $219,600, which is 21% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 53221? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 53221 is White at 55.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 25.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 53221? ▼
ZIP code 53221 has 635 business establishments employing approximately 10,083 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 53221? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 53221 are: Retail trade (116), Health care and social assistance (95), Accommodation and food services (83). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 53221? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 53221 increased by 6.0% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 123%. 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 53221? ▼
In ZIP code 53221, 56.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 24.7% 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 53221? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 53221 is 24.1 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 53221? ▼
In ZIP code 53221, approximately 56.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 43.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 53221? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 53221 is 14.6% 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.