ZIP Code 53218: Population, Income, Housing

State: WI

Total population: 41,196 Household income: $45,642 Rent: $1,067

Overview

Total population

41,196

Rent

$1,067

Year built

1956

Household income

$45,642

Per capita income

$22,824

Poverty rate

25.9%

Unemployment rate

N/A

Household size

2.7 persons

Rent over 30% of income

53.1%

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Data are sourced from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, 2024 release — the latest dataset currently available. New 5-year estimates are published annually, about 6–12 months after the end of each reference year.

Demographics

State

Wisconsin

County

Milwaukee County

City

Milwaukee

Total population

41,196

Adults over 25

23,828

Total households

15,127

Household size

2.7 persons

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Income & Poverty

Household income

$45,642

Per capita income

$22,824

Poverty rate

25.9%

Unemployment rate

N/A

Rent over 30% of income

53.1%

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Housing

Rent

$1,067

Year built

1956

Households that rent

57.1%

Households that own

42.9%

Rooms per home (all homes)

4.9

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Race

White

9.7%

Black

71.6%

Asian

10.9%

Two or more races

3.8%

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Ethnicity

Hispanic or Latino

5.2%

Not Hispanic or Latino

94.8%

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Commute

Commute rate

14,140 (90.1%)

Commute time to work

23 mins

Work from home

1,552 (9.9%)

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Education

Less than high school

35.9%

High school graduate or GED

42.5%

Some college or associate degree

10.9%

Bachelor’s degree or higher

10.7%

Note: Rent, income, and year built are shown as median values, while household size is shown as an average (see explanations below).

ZIP data use Census ZCTAs, which closely match USPS ZIP Codes in most cases (see FAQ for details).

Comparison of ZIP Code 53218 with: Milwaukee County, WI Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee metro area, WI Wisconsin United States

ZIP 53218

Total population41,196

Rent$1,067

Year built1956

Household income$45,642

Per capita income$22,824

Poverty rate25.9%

Unemployment rateN/A

Milwaukee County, WI

Total population926,331

Rent$1,101

Year built1957

Household income$64,435

Per capita income$38,385

Poverty rate17.2%

Unemployment rate3.4%

Milwaukee, WI

Total population566,973

Rent$1,059

Year built1953

Household income$54,234

Per capita income$30,994

Poverty rate22.8%

Unemployment rate3.9%

Milwaukee Metro Area, WI

Total population1,568,938

Rent$1,139

Year built1967

Household income$78,218

Per capita income$45,732

Poverty rate12.3%

Unemployment rate3.2%

Wisconsin State

Total population5,914,872

Rent$1,087

Year built1975

Household income$77,485

Per capita income$43,373

Poverty rate10.6%

Unemployment rate3%

United States

Total population334,922,499

Rent$1,413

Year built1980

Household income$80,734

Per capita income$44,673

Poverty rate12.5%

Unemployment rate4%

Metric	ZIP53218	CountyMilwaukee, WI	CityMilwaukee, WI	Metro AreaMilwaukee metro area, WI	StateWisconsin	CountryUnited States
Total population	41,196	926,331	566,973	1,568,938	5,914,872	334,922,499
Rent	$1,067	$1,101	$1,059	$1,139	$1,087	$1,413
Year built	1956	1957	1953	1967	1975	1980
Household income	$45,642	$64,435	$54,234	$78,218	$77,485	$80,734
Per capita income	$22,824	$38,385	$30,994	$45,732	$43,373	$44,673
Poverty rate	25.9%	17.2%	22.8%	12.3%	10.6%	12.5%
Unemployment rate	N/A	3.4%	3.9%	3.2%	3%	4%

View the full multi-level comparison →

Summary for 53218

Rent & Income

In 53218, the typical monthly rent is $1,067 and the typical household income is $45,642. Rent here is similar to both Milwaukee and Wisconsin, and household income is lower than both Milwaukee and Wisconsin. The estimated poverty rate is 25.9%, which is higher than in both Milwaukee and Wisconsin.

Housing & Affordability

Renters make up about 57.1% of households, making this a predominantly renter area. About 53.1% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing, indicating high cost burden.

Education & Employment

Only about 10.7% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher, indicating lower levels of formal education.

ZIP 53218 — Rent vs Household Income

ZIP 53218 — Poverty

How ZIP 53218 compares in Wisconsin (45 ZIP Codes)

Metric	This ZIP	Rank	Starts from	State range
Rent	$1,067	22 / 45	from lower rent	$810 – $1,672
Household income	$45,642	45 / 45	from higher income	$45,642 – $135,023
Poverty rate	25.9%	43 / 45	from lower poverty	2.7% – 39.6%

Rankings are calculated among ZIP Codes in Wisconsin with total population > 30,000 (year 2024).

Detailed Ranking Explanation for ZIP Code 53218

Rent

Rent-wise, this area comes 22nd out of 45 ZIP Codes in Wisconsin. At the state level, values extend from $810 in ZIP 54220 up to $1,672 in ZIP 53593.

Household income

Looking at income levels, ZIP Code 53218 holds the 45th out of 45 ZIP Codes. In Wisconsin as a whole, the range goes from $45,642 in ZIP 53218 up to $135,023 in ZIP 53593.

Poverty rate

Regarding poverty rate, ZIP Code 53218 ranks 43rd out of 45 ZIP Codes. Statewide, values range from 2.7% in ZIP 53593 up to 39.6% in ZIP 53703.

💰 Rent in ZIP Code 53218 (with Utilities)

Estimated Monthly Rent: $1,067 ℹ️ What’s Included:
✅ Base rent, electricity, gas, water/sewer, and heating fuels
❌ Not included: internet, cable TV, renter's insurance, parking

💡 What does this rent estimate mean?

Explanation: This estimate shows what renters typically pay each month for housing — including the apartment or home and essential utilities like heat, water, and electricity.

Included in this number: Rent plus electricity, gas, water/sewer, and heating fuel.

Not included: Internet, cable, parking, renter’s insurance, or furniture rental.

Note: This cost does not depend on the number of people living in the home.

👨‍👧‍👦 Household Income in ZIP Code 53218

Annual Household Income: $45,642

💡 What does Household Income mean?

Definition: This represents the middle value of all household incomes in the ZIP code — half of households earn less, and half earn more.

Includes: wages, salaries, self-employment income, Social Security, pensions, investments, unemployment, public assistance, and rental income.

Does NOT include: capital gains, non-cash benefits (like food stamps), or tax refunds.

Household = any group of people (or a single person) living in the same housing unit.

Example: A couple earning $40,000 and $30,000 together have a household income of $70,000. If that's in the middle of all local incomes, it's the value shown here.

📉 Poverty Rate in ZIP Code 53218

Estimated Rate: 25.9%

💡 What does the Poverty Rate represent?

Definition: The percentage of people in this area living below the federal poverty threshold.

How it works: The threshold is a dollar amount set by the U.S. Census Bureau that varies by family size and age. If a household's income is below that level, everyone in it is included in this rate.

Example: In a town of 10,000 people, if 1,500 have incomes below the poverty line, the poverty rate is 15%.

Note: This statistic only includes people living in households; it does not count those in student housing, military barracks, or nursing homes.

🏘️ Renter vs. Owner Households in ZIP Code 53218

In ZIP Code 53218, households that rent: 8,637 (57.1%)

📊 What does the renter household percentage reveal about this ZIP Code?

Household Type	Count	Share
Renter-Occupied	8,637	57.1%
Owner-Occupied	6,490	42.9%

Definition: This is the percentage of households that rent their home rather than own it. It includes only occupied housing units.

Why it matters: Areas with a high share of renter households often have younger populations, higher mobility, and different housing needs compared to mostly owner-occupied areas.

Example: If 65% of homes in an area are renter-occupied, it means 65 out of every 100 households rent their home.

📉 Renters Spending Over 30% of Income on Rent in ZIP Code 53218

In ZIP Code 53218, cost-burdened renters (households spending over 30% of income on housing): 4,590 (53.1%)

🏚️ What Does It Mean When Renters Spend Over 30% of Their Income on Housing?

Household Group	Households	Share
Cost-burdened renters (over 30%)	4,590	53.1%
Other renter households	4,047	46.9%
Total renter households	8,637	100%

Shares are calculated as a percentage of renter households.

This shows how many renters in the ZIP code are considered cost-burdened — meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing (rent and basic utilities).

It’s a sign that housing might be unaffordable in the area or that lower-income residents may be struggling with rent.

Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

📊 Education Levels in ZIP Code 53218

Less than High School: 8,556 people (35.9%)

Includes adults who did not complete high school.

High School Graduate or GED: 10,116 people (42.5%)

Includes adults whose highest education is a high school diploma or GED.

Some College or Associate Degree: 2,595 people (10.9%)

Includes adults who attended college without completing a bachelor’s degree (some college or associate degree).

Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: 2,561 people (10.7%)

Includes adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (bachelor’s, master’s, professional, or doctoral degree).

👥 Total Adults (25+): 23,828

ℹ️ Have questions about how these statistics are calculated? See our data methodology & FAQs

Source: ACS 5-Year Estimates (U.S. Census Bureau) — unemployment rate from BLS. Some values are derived metrics.