53172 ZIP Code — South Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
ZIP code 53172 is located in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, within Milwaukee County. It covers approximately 4.83 square miles and serves a population of 20,678 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 414.
About ZIP code 53172
The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1950s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $200,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 65%.
Median household income is $68,801. 35% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.
The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 26% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
20,678
population
4.83
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Central (CT)
timezone
53172 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 53172
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 53172. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| South Milwaukee | Acceptable |
| South Milwaukee | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
53154 Oak Creek (2.3 mi)
53110 Cudahy (2.5 mi)
53235 Saint Francis (4.3 mi)
53207 Milwaukee (4.9 mi)
53221 Milwaukee (5 mi)
53129 Greendale (7.2 mi)
53220 Milwaukee (7.5 mi)
53215 Milwaukee (7.6 mi)
53108 Caledonia (7.9 mi)
53204 Milwaukee (8.1 mi)
53219 Milwaukee (8.9 mi)
53402 Racine (9 mi)
Demographics
updated 06/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 20,678 |
| Population density | 4,281 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 55 |
| County FIPS | 079 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 4.83 sq mi |
| Water area | 0.83 sq mi |
| Latitude | 42.9117 |
| Longitude | -87.8607 |
| Timezone | Central (CT) |
| Area code | 414 |
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics
updated 06/2026
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 44.2% | 48.0% | 39.4% |
| $50k – $100k | 36.3% | 30.2% | 33.0% |
| $100k – $200k | 16.6% | 17.8% | 22.4% |
| Over $200k | 2.8% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
Demographics & statistics
20,678
Population
4,281
People per sq mi
41.6
Median age
$68,801
Median household income
$35,100
Per capita income
$200,500
Median home value
$979
Median monthly rent
65.1%
Home ownership
13.5%
Poverty rate
3.5%
Unemployment
6,081
Housing units
25.9%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
629
Under 5
631
545
5–9
548
639
10–14
641
483
15–19
485
398
20–24
399
1,597
25–34
1,604
1,166
35–44
1,170
1,252
45–54
1,258
812
55–59
815
848
60–64
852
1,146
65–74
1,151
545
75–84
548
257
85+
259
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 4,300 | 20.8% |
| 18 and over | 16,378 | 79.2% |
| 65 and over | 3,906 | 18.9% |
| Median age | 41.6 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
81.8%
Two or more races
6.8%
Hispanic or Latino
4.9%
Black or African American
2.2%
Other race
2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native
1.5%
Asian
0.8%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 17,780 | 81.8% |
| Two or more races | 1,469 | 6.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,062 | 4.9% |
| Black or African American | 476 | 2.2% |
| Other race | 449 | 2.1% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 334 | 1.5% |
| Asian | 170 | 0.8% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 44.2% | 48.0% | 39.4% |
| $50k – $100k | 36.3% | 30.2% | 33.0% |
| $100k – $200k | 16.6% | 17.8% | 22.4% |
| Over $200k | 2.8% | 4.0% | 5.2% |
Under $10k
4.0%
$10k–$15k
3.9%
$15k–$25k
8.4%
$25k–$35k
5.8%
$35k–$50k
11.6%
$50k–$75k
19.2%
$75k–$100k
20.0%
$100k–$150k
16.4%
$150k–$200k
6.8%
$200k+
4.0%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 4.0% |
| $10k–$15k | 3.9% |
| $15k–$25k | 8.4% |
| $25k–$35k | 5.8% |
| $35k–$50k | 11.6% |
| $50k–$75k | 19.2% |
| $75k–$100k | 20.0% |
| $100k–$150k | 16.4% |
| $150k–$200k | 6.8% |
| $200k+ | 4.0% |
| Median income | $68,801 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
4.6%
$50k–$100k
3.4%
$100k–$150k
11.2%
$150k–$200k
30.6%
$200k–$300k
41.8%
$300k–$500k
7.3%
$500k–$1M
0.8%
$1M+
0.4%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $200,500 |
| Median rent / month | $979 |
| Owner occupied | 65.1% |
| Renter occupied | 34.9% |
| Vacant | 5.7% |
| Single-family detached | 59.4% |
| Large apartment buildings | 6.4% |
| Mobile homes | 0.5% |
| Median rooms | 5.4 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.50 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.0% |
| 2010–2019 | 0.7% |
| 2000–2009 | 3.9% |
| 1990–1999 | 7.8% |
| 1980–1989 | 6.1% |
| 1970–1979 | 10.2% |
| 1960–1969 | 14.2% |
| 1950–1959 | 24.6% |
| 1940–1949 | 8.0% |
| 1939 or earlier | 24.5% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 2.6% |
| 1 bedroom | 13.0% |
| 2 bedrooms | 24.2% |
| 3 bedrooms | 44.7% |
| 4 bedrooms | 12.9% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 2.6% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 6.4% |
| 1 vehicle | 38.0% |
| 2 vehicles | 39.4% |
| 3 or more | 16.2% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 76.3% |
| Electricity | 18.0% |
| Propane / LP gas | 1.3% |
| Fuel oil | 1.8% |
| Wood | 0.6% |
| No fuel used | 0.7% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 3,820 | 44.7% |
| Cohabiting couple | 847 | 9.9% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 1,731 | 20.3% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 2,145 | 25.1% |
| Households with children under 18 | 2,253 | 26.4% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 2,632 | 30.8% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 36.7% | 28.7% |
| Married | 47.7% | 47.1% |
| Separated | 0.3% | 0.9% |
| Widowed | 3.7% | 9.7% |
| Divorced | 11.5% | 13.6% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
2.6%
Some HS, no diploma
5.1%
HS graduate
36.0%
Some college, no degree
20.2%
Associate's degree
10.3%
Bachelor's degree
19.0%
Graduate / professional
6.9%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 92.4% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 25.9% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 170 | 4.2% |
| Kindergarten | 219 | 5.4% |
| Elementary school | 1,863 | 45.9% |
| High school | 916 | 22.6% |
| College / grad school | 893 | 22.0% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
25.2%
Manufacturing
22.6%
Retail trade
8.9%
Arts, food & hospitality
8.0%
Professional & management
7.4%
Finance & real estate
6.7%
Construction
5.3%
Transportation & utilities
4.7%
Other services
4.6%
Public administration
3.1%
Information
1.6%
Wholesale trade
1.4%
Agriculture & mining
0.4%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 33.9% |
| Service | 16.6% |
| Sales & office | 22.6% |
| Natural resources & construction | 7.8% |
| Production & transportation | 19.0% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 86.4% |
| Government | 9.9% |
| Self-employed | 3.7% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.1% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 77.6% |
| Carpool | 7.6% |
| Public transit | 0.8% |
| Walk | 1.5% |
| Work from home | 11.0% |
| Other means | 1.6% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 26.5 |
Poverty
All people
13.5%
Under 18 years
23.5%
18 and over
10.9%
Married-couple families
6.0%
Female-led households
27.4%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 34.5% |
| Retirement income | 28.1% |
| Supplemental Security | 4.6% |
| Cash public assistance | 2.2% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 12.8% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 34.8% |
| High blood pressure | 31.7% |
| High cholesterol | 34.6% |
| Diabetes | 9.5% |
| Heart disease | 6.5% |
| Stroke | 3.2% |
| Asthma | 9.7% |
| Arthritis | 25.0% |
| Kidney disease | 3.1% |
| Pulmonary disease | 6.9% |
| Cancer | 7.0% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 19.3% |
| Binge drinking | 25.6% |
| No physical activity | 22.1% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 30.0% |
| Depression | 19.9% |
| Fair or poor health | 14.0% |
| Poor mental health | 14.1% |
| Poor physical health | 10.6% |
| No health insurance | 12.0% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 73.7% |
| Visited dentist | 68.6% |
| Cholesterol screening | 86.3% |
| Teeth loss | 14.1% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 1,304 | 8.0% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 6.3% |
| 18–64 years | 11.6% |
| 65 and over | 39.7% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 68.9% |
| Public insurance | 39.8% |
| No insurance | 4.6% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 2.0% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 19,418 | 93.9% |
| Spanish | 790 | 4.1% |
| Other Indo-European | 347 | 1.8% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 436 | 2.2% |
| Other languages | 0 | 0.0% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 19,565 | 94.6% |
| Born in same state | 19,225 | 93.0% |
| Born in different state | 16,564 | 80.1% |
| Foreign born | 340 | 1.6% |
| Naturalized citizen | 1,113 | 5.4% |
| Not a US citizen | 687 | 61.7% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | 1,919 | 9.3% |
| French | 1,223 | 5.9% |
| Polish | 597 | 2.9% |
| Arab | 542 | 2.6% |
| German | 238 | 1.2% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Irish | 225 | 1.1% |
| Dutch | 188 | 0.9% |
| English | 108 | 0.5% |
| Norwegian | 86 | 0.4% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 41.3% |
| Internet access | 92.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 53172
What city is ZIP code 53172 in?
ZIP code 53172 is primarily assigned to South Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
What county is ZIP code 53172 in?
ZIP code 53172 falls within Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
What is the population of ZIP code 53172?
ZIP code 53172 has an estimated population of 20,678 residents, with a density of 4,282 people per square mile.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 53172?
The median home value in ZIP code 53172 is $200,500.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 53172?
The median household income in ZIP code 53172 is $68,801, below the national median of ~$75,000.
What timezone is ZIP code 53172 in?
ZIP code 53172 observes the CST timezone.