53209 ZIP Code — Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

ZIP code 53209 is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, within Milwaukee County. It covers approximately 10.89 square miles and serves a population of 46,441 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 414/262.

About ZIP code 53209

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 $123,200. Renters make up the majority at 58%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $42,436. Poverty affects 26% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 35% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 34% 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 26% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (45%), smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 53209 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

46,441

population

10.89

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

53209 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 53209

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 53209. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Milwaukee	Acceptable
Milwaukee	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

53217 Milwaukee (1.2 mi) 53223 Milwaukee (3.1 mi) 53218 Milwaukee (3.2 mi) 53216 Milwaukee (4.1 mi) 53206 Milwaukee (4.6 mi) 53211 Milwaukee (4.8 mi) 53212 Milwaukee (4.9 mi) 53224 Milwaukee (5.1 mi) 53210 Milwaukee (5.3 mi) 53225 Milwaukee (5.4 mi) 53092 Mequon (5.6 mi) 53205 Milwaukee (6.1 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	46,441
Population density	4,265 / sq mi
State FIPS	55
County FIPS	079

Geography
Land area	10.89 sq mi
Water area	0.11 sq mi
Latitude	43.1409
Longitude	-87.9417
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	62.5%	48.0%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	23.6%	30.2%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	12.2%	17.8%	22.4%
Over $200k	1.6%	4.0%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

46,441

Population

4,265

People per sq mi

35.6

Median age

$42,436

Median household income

$25,638

Per capita income

$123,200

Median home value

$952

Median monthly rent

42.3%

Home ownership

26.0%

Poverty rate

8.1%

Unemployment

10,619

Housing units

25.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,908

Under 5

2,247

1,409

5–9

1,660

1,592

10–14

1,875

1,299

15–19

1,530

1,331

20–24

1,567

2,876

25–34

3,388

2,638

35–44

3,107

2,384

45–54

2,809

1,165

55–59

1,372

1,141

60–64

1,343

1,935

65–74

2,279

1,195

75–84

1,407

452

85+

532

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	12,456	26.8%
18 and over	33,985	73.2%
65 and over	7,800	16.8%
Median age	35.6 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 64.6%

White 23.3%

Two or more races 4.6%

Hispanic or Latino 3.2%

Asian 2%

Other race 1.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.4%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	30,993	64.6%
White	11,187	23.3%
Two or more races	2,190	4.6%
Hispanic or Latino	1,512	3.2%
Asian	959	2%
Other race	935	1.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	177	0.4%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	62.5%	48.0%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	23.6%	30.2%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	12.2%	17.8%	22.4%
Over $200k	1.6%	4.0%	5.2%

Under $10k 9.5%

$10k–$15k 10.0%

$15k–$25k 12.1%

$25k–$35k 11.2%

$35k–$50k 12.6%

$50k–$75k 18.6%

$75k–$100k 9.5%

$100k–$150k 10.2%

$150k–$200k 3.2%

$200k+ 3.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.5%
$10k–$15k	10.0%
$15k–$25k	12.1%
$25k–$35k	11.2%
$35k–$50k	12.6%
$50k–$75k	18.6%
$75k–$100k	9.5%
$100k–$150k	10.2%
$150k–$200k	3.2%
$200k+	3.3%
Median income	$42,436

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.3%

$50k–$100k 30.6%

$100k–$150k 17.6%

$150k–$200k 13.1%

$200k–$300k 18.1%

$300k–$500k 9.8%

$500k–$1M 1.3%

$1M+ 0.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$123,200
Median rent / month	$952
Owner occupied	42.3%
Renter occupied	57.7%
Vacant	11.0%
Single-family detached	50.7%
Large apartment buildings	11.3%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	5.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.29

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	1.4%
2000–2009	2.8%
1990–1999	4.0%
1980–1989	4.0%
1970–1979	10.6%
1960–1969	11.4%
1950–1959	25.2%
1940–1949	14.7%
1939 or earlier	25.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.5%
1 bedroom	15.3%
2 bedrooms	37.1%
3 bedrooms	33.5%
4 bedrooms	10.7%
5+ bedrooms	1.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	20.1%
1 vehicle	46.1%
2 vehicles	28.0%
3 or more	5.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	81.3%
Electricity	14.3%
Propane / LP gas	1.3%
Fuel oil	1.8%
Wood	0.1%
No fuel used	1.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	5,021	25.8%
Cohabiting couple	1,117	5.7%
Male householder, no spouse	4,332	22.3%
Female householder, no spouse	8,973	46.2%
Households with children under 18	6,298	32.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	5,938	30.5%
Average household size	2.37

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	49.8%	50.6%
Married	35.8%	26.2%
Separated	1.1%	1.5%
Widowed	2.8%	8.7%
Divorced	10.4%	13.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.9%

Some HS, no diploma 8.6%

HS graduate 33.0%

Some college, no degree 23.2%

Associate's degree 6.6%

Bachelor's degree 15.9%

Graduate / professional 9.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.5%
Bachelor's or higher	25.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	476	4.3%
Kindergarten	756	6.9%
Elementary school	5,321	48.6%
High school	2,623	24.0%
College / grad school	1,769	16.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 30.3%

Manufacturing 14.2%

Professional & management 11.3%

Retail trade 10.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.8%

Transportation & utilities 6.2%

Public administration 5.3%

Finance & real estate 5.2%

Other services 3.0%

Construction 2.8%

Wholesale trade 1.6%

Information 1.6%

Agriculture & mining 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.4%
Service	26.8%
Sales & office	19.9%
Natural resources & construction	4.6%
Production & transportation	19.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.1%
Government	13.6%
Self-employed	5.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	73.4%
Carpool	5.6%
Public transit	7.7%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	11.7%
Other means	1.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.4

Poverty

All people 26.0%

Under 18 years 36.8%

18 and over 22.0%

Married-couple families 8.3%

Female-led households 31.4%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	34.0%
Retirement income	20.5%
Supplemental Security	9.1%
Cash public assistance	2.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	35.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	44.6%
High blood pressure	40.0%
High cholesterol	32.6%
Diabetes	14.0%
Heart disease	6.1%
Stroke	4.4%
Asthma	12.1%
Arthritis	25.8%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	6.9%
Cancer	5.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.3%
Binge drinking	20.2%
No physical activity	28.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.1%
Depression	18.0%
Fair or poor health	20.1%
Poor mental health	15.5%
Poor physical health	12.4%
No health insurance	15.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	79.5%
Visited dentist	59.5%
Cholesterol screening	87.3%
Teeth loss	16.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,283	3.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.7%
Under 18	5.2%
18–64 years	15.7%
65 and over	38.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	47.6%
Public insurance	54.7%
No insurance	6.8%
Uninsured under 19	4.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	42,286	91.1%
Spanish	1,261	3.0%
Other Indo-European	618	1.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	262	0.6%
Other languages	235	0.6%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	44,355	95.5%
Born in same state	43,767	94.2%
Born in different state	31,399	67.6%
Foreign born	588	1.3%
Naturalized citizen	2,086	4.5%
Not a US citizen	1,287	61.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,756	3.8%
French	899	1.9%
Arab	429	0.9%
Polish	394	0.8%
English	361	0.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	112	0.2%
Irish	83	0.2%
Dutch	63	0.1%
Norwegian	61	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.9%
Internet access	87.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 53209

What city is ZIP code 53209 in?

ZIP code 53209 is primarily assigned to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

What county is ZIP code 53209 in?

ZIP code 53209 falls within Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 53209?

26% of residents in ZIP code 53209 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 53209 mostly rentals?

58% of occupied units in ZIP code 53209 are renter-occupied.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 53209?

The median home value in ZIP code 53209 is $123,200.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 53209?

Health data for ZIP code 53209 shows elevated rates of obesity (45%) and smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 53209 in?

ZIP code 53209 observes the CST timezone.