53538 ZIP Code — Fort Atkinson, WI

Jefferson County, Wisconsin

ZIP code 53538 is located in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, within Jefferson County. It covers approximately 97.12 square miles and serves a population of 18,535 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 920/262.

About ZIP code 53538

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $221,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $77,530. The poverty rate of 6% is below the national average. 36% 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 22 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 27% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 53538 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

18,535

population

97.12

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

53538 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 53538

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 53538. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Fort Atkinson	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

53549 Jefferson (6.2 mi) 53137 Helenville (10.1 mi) 53190 Whitewater (10.3 mi) 53563 Milton (10.8 mi) 53523 Cambridge (11.1 mi) 53156 Palmyra (11.8 mi) 53038 Johnson Creek (12.1 mi) 53551 Lake Mills (12.2 mi) 53178 Sullivan (13.6 mi) 53534 Edgerton (14 mi) 53094 Watertown (15.6 mi) 53094 Watertown (15.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	18,535
Population density	191 / sq mi
State FIPS	55
County FIPS	055

Geography
Land area	97.12 sq mi
Water area	16.98 sq mi
Latitude	42.9196
Longitude	-88.8294
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	920/262

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.3%	37.2%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	30.4%	32.9%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	28.0%	26.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	3.3%	3.6%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

18,535

Population

191

People per sq mi

43.6

Median age

$77,530

Median household income

$39,191

Per capita income

$221,200

Median home value

$997

Median monthly rent

76.6%

Home ownership

6.4%

Poverty rate

2.7%

Unemployment

6,648

Housing units

26.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

367

Under 5

350

518

5–9

494

632

10–14

602

570

15–19

543

512

20–24

489

1,086

25–34

1,036

1,201

35–44

1,145

1,241

45–54

1,184

839

55–59

800

791

60–64

754

1,012

65–74

965

528

75–84

504

190

85+

182

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,808	20.5%
18 and over	14,727	79.5%
65 and over	3,381	18.2%
Median age	43.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 85.4%

Hispanic or Latino 6.2%

Other race 3.9%

Two or more races 3.7%

Black or African American 0.3%

Asian 0.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	16,872	85.4%
Hispanic or Latino	1,229	6.2%
Other race	777	3.9%
Two or more races	741	3.7%
Black or African American	55	0.3%
Asian	50	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	25	0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	15	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	38.3%	37.2%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	30.4%	32.9%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	28.0%	26.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	3.3%	3.6%	5.2%

Under $10k 2.1%

$10k–$15k 3.1%

$15k–$25k 6.0%

$25k–$35k 7.8%

$35k–$50k 11.6%

$50k–$75k 17.4%

$75k–$100k 14.5%

$100k–$150k 21.6%

$150k–$200k 10.1%

$200k+ 5.6%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.1%
$10k–$15k	3.1%
$15k–$25k	6.0%
$25k–$35k	7.8%
$35k–$50k	11.6%
$50k–$75k	17.4%
$75k–$100k	14.5%
$100k–$150k	21.6%
$150k–$200k	10.1%
$200k+	5.6%
Median income	$77,530

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.3%

$50k–$100k 2.4%

$100k–$150k 11.5%

$150k–$200k 26.1%

$200k–$300k 30.2%

$300k–$500k 21.3%

$500k–$1M 5.9%

$1M+ 0.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$221,200
Median rent / month	$997
Owner occupied	76.6%
Renter occupied	23.4%
Vacant	8.7%
Single-family detached	75.5%
Large apartment buildings	2.9%
Mobile homes	1.9%
Median rooms	6.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.45

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.9%
2000–2009	11.1%
1990–1999	13.5%
1980–1989	7.7%
1970–1979	14.3%
1960–1969	7.3%
1950–1959	16.4%
1940–1949	5.3%
1939 or earlier	20.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.8%
1 bedroom	5.5%
2 bedrooms	26.2%
3 bedrooms	44.1%
4 bedrooms	19.7%
5+ bedrooms	2.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.4%
1 vehicle	26.4%
2 vehicles	43.5%
3 or more	25.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	69.5%
Electricity	17.0%
Propane / LP gas	10.3%
Fuel oil	0.9%
Wood	1.6%
Solar	0.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,027	52.2%
Cohabiting couple	717	9.3%
Male householder, no spouse	1,335	17.3%
Female householder, no spouse	1,634	21.2%
Households with children under 18	1,848	24.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,555	33.1%
Average household size	2.36

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.9%	26.9%
Married	54.4%	52.0%
Separated	1.0%	0.1%
Widowed	2.4%	9.2%
Divorced	10.4%	11.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.1%

Some HS, no diploma 4.4%

HS graduate 32.9%

Some college, no degree 20.8%

Associate's degree 10.9%

Bachelor's degree 18.2%

Graduate / professional 8.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.5%
Bachelor's or higher	26.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	200	5.0%
Kindergarten	182	4.6%
Elementary school	1,751	44.0%
High school	1,113	28.0%
College / grad school	736	18.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.4%

Manufacturing 14.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.2%

Retail trade 9.9%

Construction 8.3%

Professional & management 8.0%

Transportation & utilities 4.9%

Other services 4.1%

Public administration 4.1%

Wholesale trade 3.5%

Information 3.3%

Finance & real estate 3.0%

Agriculture & mining 2.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	34.7%
Service	21.9%
Sales & office	15.6%
Natural resources & construction	10.4%
Production & transportation	17.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.5%
Government	13.4%
Self-employed	5.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.3%
Carpool	5.9%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	2.5%
Work from home	7.2%
Other means	2.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.6

Poverty

All people 6.4%

Under 18 years 7.2%

18 and over 6.2%

Married-couple families 1.9%

Female-led households 22.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.2%
Retirement income	27.3%
Supplemental Security	3.1%
Cash public assistance	1.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.9%
High blood pressure	30.3%
High cholesterol	33.0%
Diabetes	8.9%
Heart disease	6.1%
Stroke	2.9%
Asthma	9.7%
Arthritis	25.1%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	6.3%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.3%
Binge drinking	25.0%
No physical activity	21.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.1%
Depression	21.2%
Fair or poor health	12.3%
Poor mental health	13.4%
Poor physical health	9.9%
No health insurance	11.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.5%
Visited dentist	67.4%
Cholesterol screening	87.5%
Teeth loss	12.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	841	5.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.8%
Under 18	4.1%
18–64 years	10.2%
65 and over	26.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	78.5%
Public insurance	32.3%
No insurance	5.1%
Uninsured under 19	1.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	17,818	96.1%
Spanish	496	2.8%
Other Indo-European	442	2.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	24	0.1%
Other languages	17	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	17,761	95.8%
Born in same state	17,713	95.6%
Born in different state	13,924	75.1%
Foreign born	48	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	774	4.2%
Not a US citizen	216	27.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,132	11.5%
Polish	1,536	8.3%
French	1,453	7.8%
Arab	461	2.5%
English	233	1.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	110	0.6%
Dutch	61	0.3%
Irish	40	0.2%
Norwegian	5	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.6%
Internet access	93.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 53538

What city is ZIP code 53538 in?

ZIP code 53538 is primarily assigned to Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.

What county is ZIP code 53538 in?

ZIP code 53538 falls within Jefferson County, Wisconsin.

Does ZIP code 53538 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 53538 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 53538?

ZIP code 53538 has an estimated population of 18,535 residents, with a density of 191 people per square mile.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 53538?

The median home value in ZIP code 53538 is $221,200.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 53538?

The median household income in ZIP code 53538 is $77,530, above the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 53538 in?

ZIP code 53538 observes the CST timezone.