Black Earth, WI · standard
ZIP Code 53515
Dane County, Wisconsin — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,268
- 24/sq mi
- $92,625
- Median income
- $361,300
- Median home value
- 32.6%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Black Earth pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 24%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 25%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 24
- people per sq mi
- 86%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 53515 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 53515 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 96.1 square miles in Black Earth, Dane County, Wisconsin. The area is home to 2,268 residents, producing a population density of 24 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 53515 against Wisconsin and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 53515 sits at $92,625 (19% above the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $50,527. The poverty rate stands at 4.5% and the unemployment rate at 4.5%. On housing, the median home value is $361,300 (45% above the state average) with median rent at $1,058 per month, and 85.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 53515 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 32.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.4, and the average commute is 25 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Dane County, so you can benchmark 53515 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 53515
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 53515.
- Construction
Construction
11 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
9 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
7 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
6 establishments
- Finance and insurance 4
Finance and insurance
4 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 53515, Black Earth, 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
2,268
Population
96.1
Area (sq mi)
24
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 53515?
47.4
Median Age
54.2%
Male
45.8%
Female
1.4%
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?
$92,625
Median Household Income
+19% vs state
$50,527
Per Capita Income
4.5%
Poverty Rate
4.5%
Unemployment Rate
24.6 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 53515 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$92,625 Top 24% higher than 76% 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?
1,101
Total Housing Units
1,047
Occupied Units
54
Vacant Units
2.50
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$361,300
Median Home Value
+45% vs state
$1,058
Median Rent
1978
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
+9.9%
YoY Change (2024)
229
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+129%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 53515 have increased 9.9% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +129% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +0.8% | 154 |
| 2021 | +11.4% | 172 |
| 2022 | +8.3% | 186 |
| 2023 | +11.9% | 209 |
| 2024 | +9.9% | 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 53 business establishments in ZIP 53515, employing approximately 412 people with a combined annual payroll of $16,348,000.
53
Businesses
412
Employees
$16.3M
Annual Payroll
9
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 11 | 20.8% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 9 | 17.0% |
| Retail trade | 7 | 13.2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 6 | 11.3% |
| Finance and insurance | 4 | 7.5% |
| Information | 3 | 5.7% |
| Health care and social assistance | 3 | 5.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 5.7% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 3 | 5.7% |
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 53515 vs 53560 →
ZIP 53515 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 53583
Sauk City (53583)
5,747 residents
- 53528
Cross Plains (53528)
5,734 residents
- 53560
Mazomanie (53560)
3,458 residents
- 53515 2,268
Black Earth (53515)
2,268 residents
- 53517 1,752
Blue Mounds (53517)
1,752 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 53515 ranks #4 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 53515 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 53528
Cross Plains (53528)
$106,823 median income
- 53560
Mazomanie (53560)
$98,409 median income
- 53583
Sauk City (53583)
$97,286 median income
- 53515
Black Earth (53515)
$92,625 median income
- 53517
Blue Mounds (53517)
$84,722 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 53515 ranks #4 of 5 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in Dane County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 53515 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 53515? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 53515? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 53515? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 53515? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 53515? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 53515? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 53515? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 53515? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 53515? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 53515? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 53515? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Black Earth, 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.