53538 ZIP Code, Fort Atkinson, WI
53538 is a ZIP code in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin in Jefferson County. It covers 97 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 53549, 53563 and 53523. 18,813 people live here in 7,960 households. With about 194 people per square mile it is lightly settled, and most homes are owner-occupied (74%). Median household income is $82,783, close to the Wisconsin median of $77,485.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Fort Atkinson, WI
- County: Jefferson County
- Land area: 97 sq mi
- Population: 18,813
- Median household income: $82,783
- Carrier routes: 14 (8,121 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 18,813 |
| Households | 7,960 |
| Median household income | $82,783 |
| Income per person | $41,516 |
| Median age | 44.6 |
| Homeowners | 74.3% |
| Median home value | $245,900 |
| Median rent | $955 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.6% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 20.3 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 22.8% |
| Moved in the past year | 8.5% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% |
| Broadband internet | 90.9% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 10.6% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 4.3% |
| $10–15K | 3.2% |
| $15–25K | 3.5% |
| $25–35K | 7.1% |
| $35–50K | 10.4% |
| $50–75K | 16.4% |
| $75–100K | 17.0% |
| $100–150K | 22.5% |
| $150–200K | 8.4% |
| $200K+ | 7.1% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 9.3% |
| 10–19 | 13.0% |
| 20–24 | 4.8% |
| 25–34 | 11.0% |
| 35–44 | 12.5% |
| 45–54 | 13.1% |
| 55–64 | 16.9% |
| 65–74 | 11.2% |
| 75+ | 8.5% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 43.8% |
| Owned outright | 27.0% |
| Rented | 24.3% |
| Vacant | 4.9% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 73.9% |
| Townhome | 4.7% |
| 2–4 units | 5.8% |
| 5–19 units | 8.8% |
| 20+ units | 5.1% |
| Mobile / other | 1.7% |
Businesses in 53538
474 business establishments with 7,820 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Health Care and Social Assistance: 79
- Construction: 58
- Accommodation and Food Services: 54
- Retail Trade: 47
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 42
- Transportation and Warehousing: 28
- Finance and Insurance: 28
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 27
EDDM carrier routes
53538 has 14 USPS carrier routes with 8,121 residential and 435 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 53538
53538 has 14 USPS carrier routes (8 city (C), 6 rural (R)) with 8,121 residential and 435 business mailboxes. Routes range from 461 homes (C006) to 734 homes (C007); the median route has 584 homes. The Census counted 7,960 households in 53538 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 0 |
| 250–499 | 3 |
| 500–749 | 11 |
| 750–999 | 0 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 0 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 53538 for…
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route R005 — USPS business mailboxes 72, 590 homes
- Route R006 — USPS business mailboxes 63, 729 homes
- Route C001 — USPS business mailboxes 59, 570 homes
- Route C004 — USPS business mailboxes 51, 484 homes
- Route C008 — USPS business mailboxes 43, 474 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 53538
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C001 | City | 570 | 59 | $48,663 | — | — | — |
| C002 | City | 590 | 21 | $79,427 | — | — | — |
| C003 | City | 624 | 10 | $105,132 | — | — | — |
| C004 | City | 484 | 51 | $71,851 | — | — | — |
| C005 | City | 579 | 18 | $71,851 | — | — | — |
| C006 | City | 461 | 22 | $55,935 | — | — | — |
| C007 | City | 734 | 16 | $85,739 | — | — | — |
| C008 | City | 474 | 43 | $71,851 | — | — | — |
| R001 | Rural | 580 | 14 | $81,031 | — | — | — |
| R002 | Rural | 528 | 5 | $105,078 | — | — | — |
| R003 | Rural | 591 | 20 | $81,031 | — | — | — |
| R004 | Rural | 587 | 21 | $90,213 | — | — | — |
| R005 | Rural | 590 | 72 | $90,213 | — | — | — |
| R006 | Rural | 729 | 63 | $60,879 | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 53538 on the EDDM route map.
How route demographics are estimated
Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates
The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).
How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method
We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.
Margins of error
Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.
Different years
USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.
Why some routes show identical figures
Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.
Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Nearby ZIP codes
- 53549 — Jefferson city, WI (7.5 mi)
- 53563 — Milton city, WI (9.4 mi)
- 53523 — Lake Ripley CDP, WI (9.5 mi)
- 53190 — Whitewater city, WI (9.8 mi)
- 53534 — Edgerton city, WI (11.7 mi)
- 53551 — Lake Mills city, WI (12 mi)
- 53137 — Rome CDP, WI (12.3 mi)
- 53038 — Johnson Creek village, WI (12.8 mi)
Areas that include 53538
- Fort Atkinson, WI ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
- Lake Koshkonong, WI ZIP codes — 2 ZIP codes
- Hebron, WI ZIP codes — 1 ZIP code
- Jefferson County ZIP codes — 14 ZIP codes
- Wisconsin ZIP code data
Where it ranks
Mail every home in 53538
Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.
EDDM guides
ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 53538, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 53538 in?
- 53538 is a Fort Atkinson, WI mailing address. By land area, 12% lies inside Lake Koshkonong, 6% lies inside Fort Atkinson and 3% lies inside Hebron; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
- What county is 53538 in?
- 53538 is in Jefferson County.
- What is the population of 53538?
- About 18,813 people (±431), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 18,643.
- What is the median household income in 53538?
- $82,783 (±$5,900), compared with $77,485 for Wisconsin as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 53538?
- 14 USPS carrier routes with 8,121 residential and 435 business mailboxes (8,558 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 53538?
- The closest, measured center to center: 53549 (7.5 mi, Jefferson), 53563 (9.4 mi, Milton), 53523 (9.5 mi, Lake Ripley), 53190 (9.8 mi, Whitewater), 53534 (11.7 mi, Edgerton) and 53551 (12 mi, Lake Mills).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.