Milwaukee, WI · standard

ZIP Code 53226

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

18,370
1,032/sq mi
$93,132
Median income
$335,600
Median home value
60.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Milwaukee pairs an upper-quartile household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.

Top 24%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 28%
home value, US ZIPs
1,032
people per sq mi
57%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 53226 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 53226 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 17.8 square miles in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. The area is home to 18,370 residents, producing a population density of 1,032 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 53226 against Wisconsin and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 53226 sits at $93,132 (19% above the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $58,822. The poverty rate stands at 7.0% and the unemployment rate at 1.7%. On housing, the median home value is $335,600 (35% above the state average) with median rent at $1,409 per month, and 57.4% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 53226 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 60.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.9, and the average commute is 20 minutes. We also surface 10 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Milwaukee County, so you can benchmark 53226 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 53226

Top 5 sectors by establishment count

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 53226.

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 53226, 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

18,370

Population

17.8

Area (sq mi)

1,032

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 53226?

39.9

Median Age

46.7%

Male

53.3%

Female

6.1%

Foreign-Born

White 81.5%
African American 6.0%
Asian 5.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.7%
Hispanic or Latino 5.6%

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?

$93,132

Median Household Income

+19% vs state

$58,822

Per Capita Income

7.0%

Poverty Rate

1.7%

Unemployment Rate

20.4 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 53226 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$93,132 Top 24% higher than 76% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 75.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 60.5%

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

What does housing look like?

9,061

Total Housing Units

8,617

Occupied Units

444

Vacant Units

2.08

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 57.4%
Renter 42.6%

$335,600

Median Home Value

+35% vs state

$1,409

Median Rent

1958

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

+8.6%

YoY Change (2024)

246

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+146%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 53226 have increased 8.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +146% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +2.9% 170
2021 +9.4% 186
2022 +12.4% 209
2023 +8.3% 226
2024 +8.6% 246

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 1,039 business establishments in ZIP 53226, employing approximately 40,117 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,176,117,000.

1,039

Businesses

40,117

Employees

$3.2B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Health care and social assistance 213 20.5%
Retail trade 147 14.2%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 133 12.8%
Finance and insurance 115 11.1%
Accommodation and food services 80 7.7%
Other services (except public administration) 72 6.9%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 65 6.3%
Real estate and rental and leasing 46 4.4%
Construction 37 3.6%
Wholesale trade 34 3.3%
Educational services 23 2.2%
Information 20 1.9%
Management of companies and enterprises 14 1.4%
Manufacturing 13 1.3%
Transportation and warehousing 13 1.3%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 13 1.3%

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 53226 vs 53222 →

ZIP 53226 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 53226 ranks #9 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 53226 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 53226 ranks #4 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
53222 Milwaukee, WI 25,165 2.3 mi
53213 Milwaukee, WI 26,020 2.1 mi
53122 Elm Grove, WI 5,985 2.3 mi
53227 Milwaukee, WI 23,357 3.7 mi
53214 Milwaukee, WI 34,725 2.4 mi
53225 Milwaukee, WI 25,706 4.5 mi
53005 Brookfield, WI 19,425 3.0 mi
53208 Milwaukee, WI 31,133 3.9 mi
53228 Milwaukee, WI 14,369 5.7 mi
53210 Milwaukee, WI 28,126 3.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Milwaukee County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 53226 in?
ZIP code 53226 (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 53226?
ZIP code 53226 in Milwaukee, WI has a population of 18,370 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 53226?
The median household income in ZIP 53226 is $93,132, which is 22% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 53226?
The median home value in ZIP 53226 is $335,600, which is 21% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 53226?
The largest racial group in ZIP 53226 is White at 81.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 53226?
ZIP code 53226 has 1,039 business establishments employing approximately 40,117 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 53226?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 53226 are: Health care and social assistance (213), Retail trade (147), Professional, scientific, and technical services (133). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 53226?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 53226 increased by 8.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 146%. 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 53226?
In ZIP code 53226, 75.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 60.5% 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 53226?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 53226 is 20.4 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 53226?
In ZIP code 53226, approximately 57.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 42.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 53226?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 53226 is 7.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

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Official Data Resources for Milwaukee, WI

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