La Crosse, WI · standard
ZIP Code 54603
La Crosse County, Wisconsin — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 14,305
- 603/sq mi
- $52,012
- Median income
- $181,900
- Median home value
- 22.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
La Crosse pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- 17th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 38th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 603
- people per sq mi
- 52%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 54603 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 54603 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 23.7 square miles in La Crosse, La Crosse County, Wisconsin. The area is home to 14,305 residents, producing a population density of 603 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 54603 against Wisconsin and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 54603 sits at $52,012 (33% below the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $33,754. The poverty rate stands at 16.3% and the unemployment rate at 6.2%. On housing, the median home value is $181,900 (27% below the state average) with median rent at $966 per month, and 52.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 54603 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 22.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.6, and the average commute is 16 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing La Crosse County, so you can benchmark 54603 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 54603
Top 5 sectors by establishment count
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 54603.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
57 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
55 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
51 establishments
- Construction
Construction
44 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
44 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 54603, La Crosse, 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
14,305
Population
23.7
Area (sq mi)
603
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 54603?
38.6
Median Age
51.9%
Male
48.1%
Female
3.0%
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?
$52,012
Median Household Income
-33% vs state
$33,754
Per Capita Income
16.3%
Poverty Rate
6.2%
Unemployment Rate
16.3 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 54603 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$52,012 17th percentile higher than 17% 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?
7,246
Total Housing Units
6,799
Occupied Units
447
Vacant Units
2.02
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$181,900
Median Home Value
-27% vs state
$966
Median Rent
1966
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
+7.4%
YoY Change (2024)
247
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+147%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 54603 have increased 7.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +147% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +3.4% | 168 |
| 2021 | +8.9% | 183 |
| 2022 | +16.8% | 214 |
| 2023 | +7.6% | 230 |
| 2024 | +7.4% | 247 |
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 492 business establishments in ZIP 54603, employing approximately 13,406 people with a combined annual payroll of $754,741,000.
492
Businesses
13,406
Employees
$754.7M
Annual Payroll
16
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 57 | 11.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 55 | 11.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 51 | 10.4% |
| Construction | 44 | 8.9% |
| Wholesale trade | 44 | 8.9% |
| Manufacturing | 42 | 8.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 41 | 8.3% |
| Health care and social assistance | 36 | 7.3% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 34 | 6.9% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 26 | 5.3% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 22 | 4.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 11 | 2.2% |
| Educational services | 11 | 2.2% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 7 | 1.4% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 5 | 1.0% |
| Information | 4 | 0.8% |
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 54603 vs 54650 →
ZIP 54603 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 54601
La Crosse (54601)
49,282 residents
- 54650
Onalaska (54650)
23,377 residents
- 54603 14,305
La Crosse (54603)
14,305 residents
- 55947 7,513
La Crescent (55947)
7,513 residents
- 55941 969
Hokah (55941)
969 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 54603 ranks #3 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 54603 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 55947
La Crescent (55947)
$88,611 median income
- 54650
Onalaska (54650)
$85,548 median income
- 55941
Hokah (55941)
$72,500 median income
- 54601
La Crosse (54601)
$61,639 median income
- 54603
La Crosse (54603)
$52,012 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 54603 ranks #5 of 5 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
More ZIP Codes in La Crosse County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 54603 in? ▼
What is the population of ZIP code 54603? ▼
What is the median household income in ZIP 54603? ▼
What is the average home value in ZIP 54603? ▼
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 54603? ▼
How many businesses are in ZIP code 54603? ▼
What are the main industries in ZIP code 54603? ▼
How have home values changed in ZIP code 54603? ▼
What is the education level in ZIP code 54603? ▼
What is the average commute time in ZIP 54603? ▼
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 54603? ▼
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 54603? ▼
ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for La Crosse, 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.