Spencer, WI · standard
ZIP Code 54479
Marathon County, Wisconsin - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 4,119
- 20/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $77,371
- Median income Near-median income area
- $182,800
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 15.8%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Spencer pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 42%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 39th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 20
- people per sq mi
- 82%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 54479 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 54479 covers 207.0 square miles in Spencer, Marathon County, Wisconsin (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 4,119 residents on file, a density of 20 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 54479 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $77,371 (1% below the average Wisconsin ZIP), while per-capita income is $34,510. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 5.0% and unemployment is 1.5%. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $182,800 (27% below the average Wisconsin ZIP), and median rent is $577; owner occupancy is 81.9%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 15.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.7, and the average commute is 19 minutes. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Marathon County, so 54479 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 54479
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Spencer, WI
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 54479.
- Construction
Construction
17 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
17 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
13 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
8 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
7 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 54479, Spencer, WI · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
4,119
Population
207.0
Area (sq mi)
20
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 54479?
37.7
Median Age
54.2%
Male
45.8%
Female
2.4%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$77,371
Median Household Income
-1% vs state ZIP avg
$34,510
Per Capita Income
5.0%
Poverty Rate
1.5%
Unemployment Rate
18.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 54479 ranks among Wisconsin ZIPs
Spencer, WI household income vs. every Wisconsin ZIP code
Median household income among 755 reporting Wisconsin ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$77,371 Top 45% higher than 55% of 755 Wisconsin ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Wisconsin ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
1,494housing units
1,494
Total Housing Units
1,434
Occupied Units
60
Vacant Units
2.52
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$182,800
Median Home Value
-27% vs state ZIP avg
$577
Median Rent
1974
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+17.7%
YoY Change (2024)
221
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+121%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 54479 have increased 17.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +121% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +2.8% | 156 |
| 2020 | +3.7% | 161 |
| 2021 | +8.1% | 174 |
| 2022 | +17.7% | 205 |
| 2024 | – | 221 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 90 business establishments in ZIP 54479, employing approximately 1,373 people with a combined annual payroll of $72,450,000.
90
Businesses
1,373
Employees
$72.5M
Annual Payroll
9
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 17 | 18.9% |
| Manufacturing | 17 | 18.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 13 | 14.4% |
| Retail trade | 8 | 8.9% |
| Finance and insurance | 7 | 7.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 6 | 6.7% |
| Accommodation and food services | 6 | 6.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 5 | 5.6% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 3.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 54479 vs 54488 →
ZIP 54479 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 54449
Marshfield (54449)
26,418 residents
- 54479 4,119
Spencer (54479)
4,119 residents
- 54421 3,455
Colby (54421)
3,455 residents
- 54420 1,307
Chili (54420)
1,307 residents
- 54488 1,262
Unity (54488)
1,262 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 54479 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 54479 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 54420
Chili (54420)
$79,899 median income
- 54479
Spencer (54479)
$77,371 median income
- 54449
Marshfield (54449)
$67,551 median income
- 54488
Unity (54488)
$63,571 median income
- 54421
Colby (54421)
$60,820 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 54479 ranks #2 of 5 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 54479, both outside WI so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (4,119 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Marathon County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 54479 in?
ZIP code 54479 (Spencer) is located in Marathon County, Wisconsin. Marathon County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/marathon-wi.
What is the population of ZIP code 54479?
ZIP code 54479 in Spencer, WI has a population of 4,119 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 54479?
The median household income in ZIP 54479 is $77,371, which is 1% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 54479?
The median home value in ZIP 54479 is $182,800, which is 34% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 54479?
The largest racial group in ZIP 54479 is White at 94.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 54479?
ZIP code 54479 has 90 business establishments employing approximately 1,373 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 54479?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 54479 are: Construction (17), Manufacturing (17), Other services (except public administration) (13). There are 9 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 54479?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 54479 increased by 17.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 121%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 54479?
In ZIP code 54479, 54.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 15.8% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 54479?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 54479 is 18.7 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 54479?
In ZIP code 54479, approximately 81.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 18.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 54479?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 54479 is 5.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
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What to do with ZIP 54479's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 54479 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Spencer, WI ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.