Housing in Riverwest at a glance
- Population
- about 10,310
- Housing units
- about 6,232
- Median value, owner-occupied homes
- $239,000Milwaukee: $184,000 (+30%)
- Median gross rent
- $1,140 a monthMilwaukee: $1,059 (+8%)
- Owner-occupied homes
- 40.3%Milwaukee: 41.8%
- Homes built before 1980
- 85.1%
- Median year built
- 1939 or earlier
Riverwest, in north-east Milwaukee, ranks near the top on most measures. Its homes are valued at $239,000, 30% above the city overall and third of nine sectors, rent of $1,140 is 8% above and second of ten, and an owner share of 40.3% is only 1.5 points below the city and also third. The housing is old, with 85.1% of homes predating 1980 and a typical building from 1939 or earlier. It counts 2,266 owning households and 3,350 renting ones, in a sector of 10,310 residents and 6,232 housing units. Harambee, next door, is far lower, at $117,000, while the Lower East Side reaches $360,000 with just 18.6% owners. Avenues West, a third neighbour, rents for only $830 and has just 2.8% owners, so Riverwest's ownership level is higher than that of any neighbour. Harambee's rent is $990 and the Lower East Side's $1,100, both below Riverwest's $1,140.
Questions about Riverwest
What is the median home value in Riverwest, Milwaukee?
$239,000 for owner-occupied homes, against $184,000 for Milwaukee as a whole (Payotte estimate from Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year data for the census tracts within the official boundary). It is the owners' own estimate of their home's value, not a sale price.
What is the median rent in Riverwest?
$1,140 a month in gross rent (rent plus utilities paid by the renter), against $1,059 in Milwaukee (Payotte estimate from Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year data for the census tracts within the official boundary).
Do most people in Riverwest own or rent?
Most rent: 40.3% of occupied homes are owner-occupied, against 41.8% in Milwaukee (Payotte estimate from Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year data for the census tracts within the official boundary).
Data and method
Data as of: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (retrieved 2026-11-02).
Estimate from the 5 census tracts whose internal point lies within the official boundary: counts are summed, and each median is recomputed from the summed value, rent and year-built brackets (grouped median, linear interpolation). The gap with the city is measured with the same method on the whole city.
Riverwest is one of the 10 most populous of 190 neighborhoods of Milwaukee: estimated population about 10,310 (Payotte estimate: Census ACS 2020-2024 populations of the census tracts whose internal point lies inside the boundary; boundaries from City of Milwaukee GIS, Neighborhoods, consulted 2026-11-02).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, tables B01003, B25001, B25003, B25034, B25063, B25064, B25075, B25077; U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer files (census tract internal points). City figures: the same survey, published for Milwaukee as a whole. Home values are owners' estimates, not sale prices.
Near Riverwest
The closest sectors of Milwaukee, by distance between population centres.
Other sectors of Milwaukee
Five trades, one spot each
Payotte lists one professional per trade in Riverwest. No one is listed yet: every spot is open.
- Real estate agentOpen spot
- Mortgage loan officerOpen spot
- Home inspectorOpen spot
- Real estate attorneyOpen spot
- AppraiserOpen spot
Work in one of these trades in Riverwest? Ask for your spot.