Wisconsin Rapids, WI · standard

ZIP Code 54494

Wood County, Wisconsin — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 11, 2026

27,126
79/sq mi: $72,595
Median income: $181,700
Median home value: 22.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Wisconsin Rapids pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 49%
household income, US ZIPs: 38th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 79
people per sq mi: 78%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 54494 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 54494 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 345.1 square miles in Wisconsin Rapids, Wood County, Wisconsin. The area is home to 27,126 residents, producing a population density of 79 people per square mile, and falls within the Chicago time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 54494 against Wisconsin and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 54494 sits at $72,595 (7% below the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $39,828. The poverty rate stands at 8.6% and the unemployment rate at 4.2%. On housing, the median home value is $181,700 (27% below the state average) with median rent at $931 per month, and 77.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 54494 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 22.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.1, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 2 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Wood County, so you can benchmark 54494 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →

Top industries in ZIP 54494

Retail trade

100
Health care and social assistance

84
Accommodation and food services

82
Other services (except public administration)

74
Construction

54

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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 54494, Wisconsin Rapids, WI · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-11 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

27,126

Population

345.1

Area (sq mi)

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard

Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.

View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 54494?

46.1

Median Age

51.4%

Male

48.6%

Female

1.3%

Foreign-Born

White 93.0%

African American 0.5%

Asian 1.0%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 4.9%

Hispanic or Latino 2.7%

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?

$72,595

Median Household Income

-7% vs state

$39,828

Per Capita Income

8.6%

Poverty Rate

4.2%

Unemployment Rate

23.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 54494 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$72,595 Top 49% higher than 51% of 30,318 US ZIPs

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 59.0%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 22.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

13,109

Total Housing Units

12,029

Occupied Units

1,080

Vacant Units

2.26

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 77.7%

Renter 22.3%

$181,700

Median Home Value

-27% vs state

$931

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

+5.0%

YoY Change (2024)

222

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+122%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 54494 have increased 5.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +122% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+2.6%	144
2021	+11.8%	162
2022	+14.0%	184
2023	+14.8%	211
2024	+5.0%	222

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 620 business establishments in ZIP 54494, employing approximately 7,907 people with a combined annual payroll of $341,626,000.

620

Businesses

7,907

Employees

$341.6M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	100	16.1%
Health care and social assistance	84	13.6%
Accommodation and food services	82	13.2%
Other services (except public administration)	74	11.9%
Construction	54	8.7%
Finance and insurance	42	6.8%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	35	5.7%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	31	5.0%
Transportation and warehousing	30	4.8%
Manufacturing	21	3.4%
Wholesale trade	18	2.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing	18	2.9%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	12	1.9%
Information	8	1.3%
Educational services	7	1.1%
Utilities	3	0.5%

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 54494 vs 54469 →

54494

27,126
54469

1,792
54475

1,482

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 54494 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

54475

$79,500
54469

$74,038
54494

$72,595

What this shows By household income, ZIP 54494 ranks #3 of 3 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
54469	Port Edwards, WI	1,792	6.6 mi
54475	Rudolph, WI	1,482	10.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Wood County

Wood County Wisconsin Rapids, WI Wisconsin

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 54494 in? ▼

ZIP code 54494 (Wisconsin Rapids) is located in Wood County, Wisconsin. Wood County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/wood-wi.

What is the population of ZIP code 54494? ▼

ZIP code 54494 in Wisconsin Rapids, WI has a population of 27,126 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 54494? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 54494 is $72,595, which is 5% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 54494? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 54494 is $181,700, which is 35% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 54494? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 54494 is White at 93.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.7% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 54494? ▼

ZIP code 54494 has 620 business establishments employing approximately 7,907 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 54494? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 54494 are: Retail trade (100), Health care and social assistance (84), Accommodation and food services (82). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 54494? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 54494 increased by 5.0% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 122%. 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 54494? ▼

In ZIP code 54494, 59.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 22.9% 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 54494? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 54494 is 23.2 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 54494? ▼

In ZIP code 54494, approximately 77.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 22.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 54494? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 54494 is 8.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.