Rhinelander, WI · standard
ZIP Code 54501
Oneida County, Wisconsin — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 20,019
- 21/sq mi
- $68,163
- Median income
- $203,900
- Median home value
- 26.8%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Rhinelander pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 44th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 44th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 21
- people per sq mi
- 81%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 54501 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 54501 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 948.8 square miles in Rhinelander, Oneida County, Wisconsin. The area is home to 20,019 residents, producing a population density of 21 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 54501 against Wisconsin and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 54501 sits at $68,163 (13% below the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $38,947. The poverty rate stands at 8.8% and the unemployment rate at 2.0%. On housing, the median home value is $203,900 (18% below the state average) with median rent at $828 per month, and 80.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 54501 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 26.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.7, and the average commute is 20 minutes. We also surface 1 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Oneida County, so you can benchmark 54501 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 54501
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 54501.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
98 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
93 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
90 establishments
- Construction
Construction
81 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
73 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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 54501, Rhinelander, WI · 2023 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
20,019
Population
948.8
Area (sq mi)
21
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 54501?
46.7
Median Age
49.8%
Male
50.2%
Female
1.3%
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?
$68,163
Median Household Income
-13% vs state
$38,947
Per Capita Income
8.8%
Poverty Rate
2.0%
Unemployment Rate
19.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 54501 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$68,163 44th percentile higher than 44% 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
12,761
Total Housing Units
9,373
Occupied Units
3,388
Vacant Units
2.24
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$203,900
Median Home Value
-18% vs state
$828
Median Rent
1978
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
+9.0%
YoY Change (2024)
226
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+126%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 54501 have increased 9.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +126% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +2.2% | 143 |
| 2021 | +8.3% | 155 |
| 2022 | +25.1% | 194 |
| 2023 | +6.7% | 207 |
| 2024 | +9.0% | 226 |
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 691 business establishments in ZIP 54501, employing approximately 8,827 people with a combined annual payroll of $439,371,000.
691
Businesses
8,827
Employees
$439.4M
Annual Payroll
17
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 98 | 14.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 93 | 13.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 90 | 13.0% |
| Construction | 81 | 11.7% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 73 | 10.6% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 35 | 5.1% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 33 | 4.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 31 | 4.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 30 | 4.3% |
| Manufacturing | 28 | 4.0% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 28 | 4.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 26 | 3.8% |
| Information | 15 | 2.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 13 | 1.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 9 | 1.3% |
| Utilities | 3 | 0.4% |
| Educational services | 3 | 0.4% |
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 54501 vs 54463 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54463 | Pelican Lake, WI | 684 | 11.6 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Oneida County
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Frequently Asked Questions
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Rhinelander, WI
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.