Fort Atkinson, WI · standard
ZIP Code 53538
Jefferson County, Wisconsin - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 18,468
- 72/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $82,783
- Median income Near-median income area
- $245,900
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 26.6%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Fort Atkinson pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 35%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 43%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 72
- people per sq mi
- 74%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 53538 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 53538 (Fort Atkinson, WI) rose +5.8% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 217.8 in 2023 to 230.3 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 53538 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Fort Atkinson, Jefferson County, Wisconsin, home to 18,468 residents across 256.9 square miles, a density of 72 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 53538 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $82,783 (6% above the average Wisconsin ZIP), while per-capita income is $41,516. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 6.7% and unemployment is 3.7%. Median home value is $245,900 (1% below the average Wisconsin ZIP) and median rent is $955; 74.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 26.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44.6, and the average commute is 20 minutes. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Jefferson County, so 53538 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 53538
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Fort Atkinson, WI
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 53538.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
79 establishments
- Construction
Construction
58 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
54 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
47 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
42 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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 53538, Fort Atkinson, 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
18,468
Population
256.9
Area (sq mi)
72
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 53538?
44.6
Median Age
50.6%
Male
49.4%
Female
6.1%
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?
$82,783
Median Household Income
+6% vs state ZIP avg
$41,516
Per Capita Income
6.7%
Poverty Rate
3.7%
Unemployment Rate
20.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 53538 ranks among Wisconsin ZIPs
Fort Atkinson, 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)
$82,783 Top 36% higher than 64% 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
8,373housing units
8,373
Total Housing Units
7,960
Occupied Units
413
Vacant Units
2.33
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$245,900
Median Home Value
-1% vs state ZIP avg
$955
Median Rent
1970
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
+5.8%
YoY Change (2024)
230
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+130%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 53538 have increased 5.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +130% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.3% | 154 |
| 2021 | +9.9% | 169 |
| 2022 | +12.0% | 189 |
| 2023 | +15.2% | 218 |
| 2024 | +5.8% | 230 |
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 474 business establishments in ZIP 53538, employing approximately 7,820 people with a combined annual payroll of $402,167,000.
474
Businesses
7,820
Employees
$402.2M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 79 | 16.7% |
| Construction | 58 | 12.2% |
| Accommodation and food services | 54 | 11.4% |
| Retail trade | 47 | 9.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 42 | 8.9% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 28 | 5.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 28 | 5.9% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 27 | 5.7% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 22 | 4.6% |
| Manufacturing | 18 | 3.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 18 | 3.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 17 | 3.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 13 | 2.7% |
| Information | 11 | 2.3% |
| Educational services | 5 | 1.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 3 | 0.6% |
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 53538 vs 53549 →
ZIP 53538 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 53190
Whitewater (53190)
19,200 residents
- 53538
Fort Atkinson (53538)
18,468 residents
- 53563
Milton (53563)
10,728 residents
- 53549
Jefferson (53549)
10,414 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 53538 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 53538 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 53563
Milton (53563)
$89,528 median income
- 53538
Fort Atkinson (53538)
$82,783 median income
- 53549
Jefferson (53549)
$80,101 median income
- 53190
Whitewater (53190)
$66,069 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 53538 ranks #2 of 4 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 53538, 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 (18,468 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Jefferson County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 53538 in?
ZIP code 53538 (Fort Atkinson) is located in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. Jefferson County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/jefferson-wi.
What is the population of ZIP code 53538?
ZIP code 53538 in Fort Atkinson, WI has a population of 18,468 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 53538?
The median household income in ZIP 53538 is $82,783, which is 9% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 53538?
The median home value in ZIP 53538 is $245,900, which is 12% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 53538?
The largest racial group in ZIP 53538 is White at 86.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 12.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 53538?
ZIP code 53538 has 474 business establishments employing approximately 7,820 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 53538?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 53538 are: Health care and social assistance (79), Construction (58), Accommodation and food services (54). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 53538?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 53538 increased by 5.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 130%. 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 53538?
In ZIP code 53538, 61.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 26.6% 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 53538?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 53538 is 20.3 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 53538?
In ZIP code 53538, approximately 74.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 25.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 53538?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 53538 is 6.7% 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 53538's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 53538 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Fort Atkinson, 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.