PlainZIP

Blue River, WI · standard

ZIP Code 53518

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

1,330
7/sq mi
$62,384
Median income
$164,900
Median home value
16.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Blue River pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

34th pct
household income, US ZIPs
32th pct
home value, US ZIPs
7
people per sq mi
91%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 53518 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 53518 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Blue River, Richland County, Wisconsin, home to just 1,330 residents across 195.6 square miles, a density of 7 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 53518 reports a modest median household income of $62,384 (20% below the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $33,957. The poverty rate stands at 22.3% and the unemployment rate at 6.7%. Median home value sits at $164,900 (34% below the state average), median rent at $900 a month, and owner-occupancy at 91.3%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.5, and the average commute is 25 minutes. To put 53518 in local context, 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 5 additional ZIPs in Richland County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 →

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 53518, Blue River, 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

1,330

Population

195.6

Area (sq mi)

7

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 53518?

42.5

Median Age

53.3%

Male

46.7%

Female

0.7%

Foreign-Born

White 95.1%
African American 0.9%
Asian 0.1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.6%
Hispanic or Latino 1.3%

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?

$62,384

Median Household Income

-20% vs state

$33,957

Per Capita Income

22.3%

Poverty Rate

6.7%

Unemployment Rate

24.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 53518 ranks nationally

Blue River, WI household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$62,384 34th percentile higher than 34% 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 53.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 16.3%

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

What does housing look like?

780

Total Housing Units

654

Occupied Units

126

Vacant Units

2.27

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 91.3%
Renter 8.7%

$164,900

Median Home Value

-34% vs state

$900

Median Rent

1981

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 16 business establishments in ZIP 53518, employing approximately 77 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,048,000.

16

Businesses

77

Employees

$3.0M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Other services (except public administration) 4 25.0%
Retail trade 3 18.8%

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 53518 vs 53573 →

ZIP 53518 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 53518 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 53518 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 53518 ranks #2 of 3 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
53573 Muscoda, WI 3,062 7.6 mi
53805 Boscobel, WI 5,269 8.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Richland County

53581 standard
Richland Center, WI
Pop: 10,699
53556 standard
Lone Rock, WI
Pop: 2,594
54664 standard
Viola, WI
Pop: 1,516
53924 standard
Cazenovia, WI
Pop: 1,360
53540 standard
Gotham, WI
Pop: 169

Related Areas

Richland County Blue River, WI Wisconsin

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 53518 in? ▼
ZIP code 53518 (Blue River) is located in Richland County, Wisconsin. Richland County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/richland-wi.
What is the population of ZIP code 53518? ▼
ZIP code 53518 in Blue River, WI has a population of 1,330 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 53518? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 53518 is $62,384, which is 18% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 53518? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 53518 is $164,900, which is 41% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 53518? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 53518 is White at 95.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 53518? ▼
ZIP code 53518 has 16 business establishments employing approximately 77 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 53518? ▼
In ZIP code 53518, 53.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.3% 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 53518? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 53518 is 24.9 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 53518? ▼
In ZIP code 53518, approximately 91.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 8.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 53518? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 53518 is 22.3% 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.