Eagle River, WI · standard

ZIP Code 54521

Vilas 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

7,509
13/sq mi: $74,071
Median income: $305,100
Median home value: 29.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Eagle River pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 47%
household income, US ZIPs: Top 33%
home value, US ZIPs: 13
people per sq mi: 84%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 54521 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 54521 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 586.6 square miles in Eagle River, Vilas County, Wisconsin. The area is home to 7,509 residents, producing a population density of 13 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 54521 against Wisconsin and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 54521 sits at $74,071 (5% below the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $43,934. The poverty rate stands at 9.0% and the unemployment rate at 2.1%. On housing, the median home value is $305,100 (23% above the state average) with median rent at $935 per month, and 83.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 54521 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 29.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 55.7, and the average commute is 21 minutes. We also surface 1 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Vilas County, so you can benchmark 54521 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 54521

Construction

74
Accommodation and food services

72
Retail trade

64
Other services (except public administration)

32
Health care and social assistance

30

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 54521, Eagle River, 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

7,509

Population

586.6

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 54521?

55.7

Median Age

52.2%

Male

47.8%

Female

2.0%

Foreign-Born

White 91.7%

African American 0.5%

Asian 0.2%

American Indian or Alaska Native 1.0%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 5.6%

Hispanic or Latino 2.3%

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?

$74,071

Median Household Income

-5% vs state

$43,934

Per Capita Income

9.0%

Poverty Rate

2.1%

Unemployment Rate

20.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 54521 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$74,071 Top 47% higher than 53% 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 60.5%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 29.5%

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

What does housing look like?

7,684

Total Housing Units

4,020

Occupied Units

3,664

Vacant Units

2.10

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 83.7%

Renter 16.3%

$305,100

Median Home Value

+23% vs state

$935

Median Rent

1981

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

+11.2%

YoY Change (2024)

264

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+164%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 54521 have increased 11.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +164% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+1.2%	148
2021	+14.3%	170
2022	+26.4%	214
2023	+10.7%	237
2024	+11.2%	264

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 424 business establishments in ZIP 54521, employing approximately 2,864 people with a combined annual payroll of $128,163,000.

424

Businesses

2,864

Employees

$128.2M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Construction	74	17.4%
Accommodation and food services	72	17.0%
Retail trade	64	15.1%
Other services (except public administration)	32	7.5%
Health care and social assistance	30	7.1%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	26	6.1%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	21	5.0%
Transportation and warehousing	19	4.5%
Finance and insurance	19	4.5%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	16	3.8%
Real estate and rental and leasing	15	3.5%
Manufacturing	12	2.8%
Information	11	2.6%
Wholesale trade	6	1.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	3	0.7%

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 54521 vs 54519 →

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
54519	Conover, WI	1,231	8.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Vilas County

Vilas County Eagle River, WI Wisconsin

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 54521 in? ▼

ZIP code 54521 (Eagle River) is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin. Vilas County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/vilas-wi.

What is the population of ZIP code 54521? ▼

ZIP code 54521 in Eagle River, WI has a population of 7,509 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 54521? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 54521 is $74,071, which is 3% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 54521? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 54521 is $305,100, which is 10% above the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 54521? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 54521 is White at 91.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.3% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 54521? ▼

ZIP code 54521 has 424 business establishments employing approximately 2,864 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 54521? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 54521 are: Construction (74), Accommodation and food services (72), Retail trade (64). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 54521? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 54521 increased by 11.2% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 164%. 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 54521? ▼

In ZIP code 54521, 60.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 29.5% 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 54521? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 54521 is 20.5 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 54521? ▼

In ZIP code 54521, approximately 83.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 16.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 54521? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 54521 is 9.0% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.