53208 ZIP Code — Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

ZIP code 53208 is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, within Milwaukee County. It covers approximately 4.23 square miles and serves a population of 27,660 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 414/262.

About ZIP code 53208

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $178,300. Renters make up the majority at 60%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $44,348. Poverty affects 28% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 29% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 21 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 31% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 53208 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average and elevated reliance on food assistance.

27,660

population

4.23

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

53208 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 53208

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 53208. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Milwaukee	Acceptable
Milwaukee	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

53213 Milwaukee (1.7 mi) 53233 Milwaukee (1.8 mi) 53210 Milwaukee (1.8 mi) 53205 Milwaukee (1.9 mi) 53204 Milwaukee (2.6 mi) 53203 Milwaukee (2.7 mi) 53214 Milwaukee (2.8 mi) 53206 Milwaukee (2.8 mi) 53215 Milwaukee (2.9 mi) 53263 Milwaukee (3.1 mi) 53259 Milwaukee (3.1 mi) 53274 Milwaukee (3.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	27,660
Population density	6,539 / sq mi
State FIPS	55
County FIPS	079

Geography
Land area	4.23 sq mi
Water area	0.02 sq mi
Latitude	43.0423
Longitude	-87.9673
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	414/262

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	58.9%	48.0%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	25.6%	30.2%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	14.2%	17.8%	22.4%
Over $200k	1.3%	4.0%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

27,660

Population

6,539

People per sq mi

31.9

Median age

$44,348

Median household income

$28,355

Per capita income

$178,300

Median home value

$868

Median monthly rent

40.0%

Home ownership

27.7%

Poverty rate

6.9%

Unemployment

6,931

Housing units

30.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,099

Under 5

1,154

896

5–9

942

1,105

10–14

1,160

823

15–19

865

986

20–24

1,035

2,402

25–34

2,523

1,842

35–44

1,935

1,535

45–54

1,612

722

55–59

758

728

60–64

764

1,018

65–74

1,070

258

75–84

272

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	7,521	27.2%
18 and over	20,139	72.8%
65 and over	2,774	10.0%
Median age	31.9 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 39.3%

White 34.3%

Asian 9.9%

Hispanic or Latino 6.3%

Two or more races 5.9%

Other race 3.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	11,604	39.3%
White	10,139	34.3%
Asian	2,921	9.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1,870	6.3%
Two or more races	1,738	5.9%
Other race	1,159	3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	97	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	58.9%	48.0%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	25.6%	30.2%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	14.2%	17.8%	22.4%
Over $200k	1.3%	4.0%	5.2%

Under $10k 9.8%

$10k–$15k 10.7%

$15k–$25k 9.0%

$25k–$35k 12.0%

$35k–$50k 12.8%

$50k–$75k 13.7%

$75k–$100k 11.8%

$100k–$150k 11.8%

$150k–$200k 5.0%

$200k+ 3.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.8%
$10k–$15k	10.7%
$15k–$25k	9.0%
$25k–$35k	12.0%
$35k–$50k	12.8%
$50k–$75k	13.7%
$75k–$100k	11.8%
$100k–$150k	11.8%
$150k–$200k	5.0%
$200k+	3.4%
Median income	$44,348

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 6.6%

$50k–$100k 16.9%

$100k–$150k 15.3%

$150k–$200k 16.6%

$200k–$300k 34.2%

$300k–$500k 8.8%

$500k–$1M 1.3%

$1M+ 0.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$178,300
Median rent / month	$868
Owner occupied	40.0%
Renter occupied	60.0%
Vacant	16.3%
Single-family detached	30.4%
Large apartment buildings	18.2%
Mobile homes	0.3%
Median rooms	5.2
Avg household size (owned)	2.72

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	2.5%
2000–2009	2.0%
1990–1999	0.6%
1980–1989	1.2%
1970–1979	4.2%
1960–1969	5.4%
1950–1959	8.6%
1940–1949	9.5%
1939 or earlier	65.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	6.5%
1 bedroom	20.9%
2 bedrooms	27.7%
3 bedrooms	29.8%
4 bedrooms	11.6%
5+ bedrooms	3.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	22.8%
1 vehicle	42.6%
2 vehicles	25.2%
3 or more	9.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	84.0%
Electricity	12.9%
Propane / LP gas	1.2%
Fuel oil	0.5%
Wood	0.1%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,742	23.6%
Cohabiting couple	1,047	9.0%
Male householder, no spouse	3,316	28.5%
Female householder, no spouse	4,531	38.9%
Households with children under 18	3,468	29.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,200	18.9%
Average household size	2.34

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	60.5%	55.2%
Married	29.6%	26.7%
Separated	1.5%	3.0%
Widowed	0.9%	4.9%
Divorced	7.6%	10.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.2%

Some HS, no diploma 7.6%

HS graduate 29.8%

Some college, no degree 20.1%

Associate's degree 7.4%

Bachelor's degree 19.9%

Graduate / professional 10.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.2%
Bachelor's or higher	30.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	227	3.1%
Kindergarten	781	10.6%
Elementary school	3,199	43.5%
High school	1,676	22.8%
College / grad school	1,477	20.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.5%

Manufacturing 13.5%

Professional & management 12.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.4%

Retail trade 9.4%

Other services 5.2%

Transportation & utilities 4.8%

Finance & real estate 4.6%

Information 3.6%

Construction 3.1%

Public administration 2.2%

Wholesale trade 1.7%

Agriculture & mining 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	41.1%
Service	20.1%
Sales & office	17.7%
Natural resources & construction	3.4%
Production & transportation	17.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.6%
Government	12.4%
Self-employed	4.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	66.4%
Carpool	10.8%
Public transit	8.9%
Walk	2.6%
Work from home	8.8%
Other means	2.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.0

Poverty

All people 27.7%

Under 18 years 39.8%

18 and over 23.2%

Married-couple families 8.1%

Female-led households 32.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	21.2%
Retirement income	10.9%
Supplemental Security	10.3%
Cash public assistance	4.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	29.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	42.7%
High blood pressure	34.5%
High cholesterol	29.6%
Diabetes	12.3%
Heart disease	5.1%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	11.9%
Arthritis	21.7%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	6.7%
Cancer	4.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.3%
Binge drinking	22.7%
No physical activity	28.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	37.7%
Depression	19.1%
Fair or poor health	20.1%
Poor mental health	16.5%
Poor physical health	12.3%
No health insurance	16.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.7%
Visited dentist	56.6%
Cholesterol screening	83.2%
Teeth loss	19.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	666	3.3%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.5%
Under 18	4.4%
18–64 years	13.8%
65 and over	27.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	54.9%
Public insurance	46.2%
No insurance	8.4%
Uninsured under 19	0.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	25,407	91.9%
Spanish	2,361	9.3%
Other Indo-European	547	2.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	111	0.4%
Other languages	1,245	4.9%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	24,856	89.9%
Born in same state	24,577	88.9%
Born in different state	18,816	68.0%
Foreign born	279	1.0%
Naturalized citizen	2,804	10.1%
Not a US citizen	1,153	41.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,646	6%
French	705	2.5%
Arab	454	1.6%
Polish	311	1.1%
English	209	0.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	100	0.4%
Irish	82	0.3%
German	74	0.3%
Norwegian	55	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.1%
Internet access	90.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 53208

What city is ZIP code 53208 in?

ZIP code 53208 is primarily assigned to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

What county is ZIP code 53208 in?

ZIP code 53208 falls within Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 53208?

28% of residents in ZIP code 53208 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 53208 mostly rentals?

60% of occupied units in ZIP code 53208 are renter-occupied.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 53208?

The median home value in ZIP code 53208 is $178,300.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 53208?

The median household income in ZIP code 53208 is $44,348, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 53208 in?

ZIP code 53208 observes the CST timezone.