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 Low-density area
- $62,384
- Median income Near-median income area
- $164,900
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 16.3%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
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
- 32nd 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 average Wisconsin ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,957. The poverty rate is 22.3%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $164,900 (34% below the average Wisconsin ZIP), and median rent is $900; owner occupancy is 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. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 more in Richland County, so 53518 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
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
Who lives in ZIP 53518?
42.5
Median Age
53.3%
Male
46.7%
Female
0.7%
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?
$62,384
Median Household Income
-20% vs state ZIP avg
$33,957
Per Capita Income
22.3%
Poverty Rate
6.7%
Unemployment Rate
24.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 53518 ranks among Wisconsin ZIPs
Blue River, WI household income vs. every Wisconsin ZIP code
Median household income among 755 reporting Wisconsin ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$62,384 18th percentile higher than 18% of 755 Wisconsin ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Wisconsin 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
780housing units
780
Total Housing Units
654
Occupied Units
126
Vacant Units
2.27
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$164,900
Median Home Value
-34% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
- 53805
Boscobel (53805)
5,269 residents
- 53573
Muscoda (53573)
3,062 residents
- 53518 1,330
Blue River (53518)
1,330 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 53518 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 53518 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 53573
Muscoda (53573)
$64,776 median income
- 53518
Blue River (53518)
$62,384 median income
- 53805
Boscobel (53805)
$60,870 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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 53518, both outside WI so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,330 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Richland County
Related Areas
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.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 53518's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 53518 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Blue River, WI ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.