53212 ZIP Code — Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

ZIP code 53212 is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, within Milwaukee County. It covers approximately 4.07 square miles and serves a population of 29,292 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 414.

About ZIP code 53212

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 $187,800. Renters make up the majority at 67%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $43,803. Poverty affects 27% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 30% 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 22 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 36% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 53212 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average and elevated reliance on food assistance.

29,292

population

4.07

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

53212 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 53212

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 53212. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Milwaukee	Acceptable
Milwaukee	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

53211 Milwaukee (1 mi) 53206 Milwaukee (1.4 mi) 53205 Milwaukee (2 mi) 53202 Milwaukee (2.3 mi) 53263 Milwaukee (2.5 mi) 53288 Milwaukee (2.5 mi) 53278 Milwaukee (2.5 mi) 53274 Milwaukee (2.5 mi) 53259 Milwaukee (2.5 mi) 53290 Milwaukee (2.5 mi) 53293 Milwaukee (2.5 mi) 53295 Milwaukee (2.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	29,292
Population density	7,197 / sq mi
State FIPS	55
County FIPS	079

Geography
Land area	4.07 sq mi
Water area	0.06 sq mi
Latitude	43.0747
Longitude	-87.9065
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	414

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	61.7%	48.0%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	25.6%	30.2%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	10.3%	17.8%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.5%	4.0%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

29,292

Population

7,197

People per sq mi

31.5

Median age

$43,803

Median household income

$30,689

Per capita income

$187,800

Median home value

$985

Median monthly rent

33.3%

Home ownership

26.6%

Poverty rate

7.8%

Unemployment

6,608

Housing units

35.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

971

Under 5

966

863

5–9

858

1,128

10–14

1,122

1,006

15–19

1,000

1,182

20–24

1,177

3,064

25–34

3,049

2,026

35–44

2,016

1,437

45–54

1,429

734

55–59

730

710

60–64

707

1,121

65–74

1,115

373

75–84

371

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,966	23.8%
18 and over	22,326	76.2%
65 and over	3,117	10.6%
Median age	31.5 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 47.3%

White 34.4%

Two or more races 7.4%

Hispanic or Latino 6.1%

Other race 3.3%

Asian 0.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	14,746	47.3%
White	10,729	34.4%
Two or more races	2,301	7.4%
Hispanic or Latino	1,896	6.1%
Other race	1,015	3.3%
Asian	264	0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	234	0.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	61.7%	48.0%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	25.6%	30.2%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	10.3%	17.8%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.5%	4.0%	5.2%

Under $10k 8.4%

$10k–$15k 8.5%

$15k–$25k 11.4%

$25k–$35k 13.7%

$35k–$50k 14.9%

$50k–$75k 15.9%

$75k–$100k 9.3%

$100k–$150k 11.4%

$150k–$200k 3.3%

$200k+ 3.4%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.4%
$10k–$15k	8.5%
$15k–$25k	11.4%
$25k–$35k	13.7%
$35k–$50k	14.9%
$50k–$75k	15.9%
$75k–$100k	9.3%
$100k–$150k	11.4%
$150k–$200k	3.3%
$200k+	3.4%
Median income	$43,803

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.1%

$50k–$100k 16.8%

$100k–$150k 12.3%

$150k–$200k 19.7%

$200k–$300k 32.4%

$300k–$500k 9.5%

$500k–$1M 2.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$187,800
Median rent / month	$985
Owner occupied	33.3%
Renter occupied	66.7%
Vacant	14.0%
Single-family detached	26.8%
Large apartment buildings	18.7%
Mobile homes	0.5%
Median rooms	4.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.13

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	5.1%
2000–2009	5.3%
1990–1999	4.1%
1980–1989	2.1%
1970–1979	5.3%
1960–1969	5.8%
1950–1959	8.3%
1940–1949	8.9%
1939 or earlier	54.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.5%
1 bedroom	20.6%
2 bedrooms	38.0%
3 bedrooms	23.7%
4 bedrooms	11.4%
5+ bedrooms	2.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	20.5%
1 vehicle	52.4%
2 vehicles	22.7%
3 or more	4.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	80.8%
Electricity	17.0%
Propane / LP gas	1.2%
Fuel oil	0.1%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,156	16.2%
Cohabiting couple	1,252	9.4%
Male householder, no spouse	4,093	30.7%
Female householder, no spouse	5,826	43.7%
Households with children under 18	3,143	23.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,530	19.0%
Average household size	2.15

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	66.7%	62.2%
Married	21.4%	19.2%
Separated	1.2%	2.2%
Widowed	2.9%	5.2%
Divorced	7.7%	11.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.0%

Some HS, no diploma 8.6%

HS graduate 25.6%

Some college, no degree 21.8%

Associate's degree 6.5%

Bachelor's degree 22.4%

Graduate / professional 13.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.5%
Bachelor's or higher	35.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	274	3.7%
Kindergarten	746	10.1%
Elementary school	2,980	40.4%
High school	1,463	19.8%
College / grad school	1,922	26.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.6%

Professional & management 14.3%

Manufacturing 11.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.2%

Retail trade 10.0%

Transportation & utilities 5.6%

Construction 5.4%

Other services 4.9%

Finance & real estate 4.2%

Public administration 3.2%

Information 1.8%

Agriculture & mining 0.6%

Wholesale trade 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	41.6%
Service	21.5%
Sales & office	16.2%
Natural resources & construction	6.5%
Production & transportation	14.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.6%
Government	11.5%
Self-employed	4.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	64.6%
Carpool	7.9%
Public transit	8.8%
Walk	4.5%
Work from home	10.9%
Other means	3.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.2

Poverty

All people 26.6%

Under 18 years 40.8%

18 and over 22.2%

Married-couple families 3.6%

Female-led households 37.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	23.1%
Retirement income	11.0%
Supplemental Security	10.8%
Cash public assistance	5.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	30.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	42.4%
High blood pressure	32.5%
High cholesterol	27.4%
Diabetes	11.6%
Heart disease	4.8%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	11.9%
Arthritis	20.1%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	6.1%
Cancer	3.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.5%
Binge drinking	25.1%
No physical activity	26.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.6%
Depression	19.6%
Fair or poor health	18.9%
Poor mental health	16.7%
Poor physical health	11.6%
No health insurance	15.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.6%
Visited dentist	58.4%
Cholesterol screening	82.1%
Teeth loss	23.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	790	3.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.3%
Under 18	5.9%
18–64 years	14.1%
65 and over	44.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	52.4%
Public insurance	47.7%
No insurance	7.7%
Uninsured under 19	1.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	27,355	93.4%
Spanish	554	2.0%
Other Indo-European	456	1.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	39	0.1%
Other languages	10	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	28,677	97.9%
Born in same state	27,986	95.5%
Born in different state	19,819	67.7%
Foreign born	691	2.4%
Naturalized citizen	615	2.1%
Not a US citizen	312	50.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,336	8%
French	907	3.1%
Arab	530	1.8%
Polish	438	1.5%
English	227	0.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	108	0.4%
Irish	81	0.3%
Dutch	41	0.1%
Norwegian	10	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.5%
Internet access	89.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 53212

What city is ZIP code 53212 in?

ZIP code 53212 is primarily assigned to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

What county is ZIP code 53212 in?

ZIP code 53212 falls within Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

Is ZIP code 53212 mostly rentals?

67% of occupied units in ZIP code 53212 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 53212?

27% of residents in ZIP code 53212 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 53212?

The median household income in ZIP code 53212 is $43,803, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 53212?

The median home value in ZIP code 53212 is $187,800.

What timezone is ZIP code 53212 in?

ZIP code 53212 observes the CST timezone.