Lac Du Flambeau, WI · standard
ZIP Code 54538
Vilas County, Wisconsin — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,137
- 11/sq mi
- $51,429
- Median income
- $320,300
- Median home value
- 28.8%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Lac Du Flambeau pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 16th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 31%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 11
- people per sq mi
- 72%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 54538 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 54538 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 290.5 square miles in Lac Du Flambeau, Vilas County, Wisconsin. The area is home to 3,137 residents, producing a population density of 11 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 54538 against Wisconsin and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 54538 sits at $51,429 (34% below the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $37,454. The poverty rate stands at 27.4% and the unemployment rate at 10.1%. On housing, the median home value is $320,300 (29% above the state average) with median rent at $543 per month, and 72.2% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 54538 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 28.8% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 44, and the average commute is 17 minutes. We also surface 1 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Vilas County, so you can benchmark 54538 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 54538
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 54538.
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
11 establishments
- Construction
Construction
6 establishments
- Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
5 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
5 establishments
- Retail trade 3
Retail trade
3 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 54538, Lac Du Flambeau, 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
3,137
Population
290.5
Area (sq mi)
11
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 54538?
44.0
Median Age
52.5%
Male
47.5%
Female
1.0%
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?
$51,429
Median Household Income
-34% vs state
$37,454
Per Capita Income
27.4%
Poverty Rate
10.1%
Unemployment Rate
16.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 54538 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$51,429 16th percentile higher than 16% 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?
2,792
Total Housing Units
1,258
Occupied Units
1,534
Vacant Units
2.37
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$320,300
Median Home Value
+29% vs state
$543
Median Rent
1983
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
+5.5%
YoY Change (2024)
226
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+126%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 54538 have increased 5.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +126% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +4.6% | 161 |
| 2020 | -2.1% | 158 |
| 2021 | +5.3% | 166 |
| 2022 | +5.5% | 175 |
| 2024 | — | 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 36 business establishments in ZIP 54538, employing approximately 490 people with a combined annual payroll of $19,261,000.
36
Businesses
490
Employees
$19.3M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 11 | 30.6% |
| Construction | 6 | 16.7% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 5 | 13.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 5 | 13.9% |
| Retail trade | 3 | 8.3% |
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 54538 vs 54548 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54548 | Minocqua, WI | 4,626 | 8.7 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Vilas County
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Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 54538 in? ▼
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What are the main industries in ZIP code 54538? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Lac Du Flambeau, 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.