Melrose, WI · standard
ZIP Code 54642
Jackson County, Wisconsin - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,125
- 9/sq mi Low-density area
- $73,452
- Median income Near-median income area
- $210,600
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 18.3%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Melrose pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 48%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 47th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 9
- people per sq mi
- 84%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 54642 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 54642 covers 244.3 square miles in Melrose, Jackson County, Wisconsin (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,125 residents on file, a density of 9 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 54642 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $73,452 (6% below the average Wisconsin ZIP), while per-capita income is $37,757. The poverty rate is 15.5%, with unemployment at 3.6%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $210,600 (15% below the average Wisconsin ZIP), and median rent is $872; owner occupancy is 84.1%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 18.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.4, and the average commute is 32 minutes. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Jackson County, so 54642 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 54642
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Melrose, WI
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 54642.
- Construction
Construction
5 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
5 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
4 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
4 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
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 + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 54642, Melrose, WI · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
2,125
Population
244.3
Area (sq mi)
9
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 54642?
39.4
Median Age
53.2%
Male
46.8%
Female
0.8%
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?
$73,452
Median Household Income
-6% vs state ZIP avg
$37,757
Per Capita Income
15.5%
Poverty Rate
3.6%
Unemployment Rate
32.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 54642 ranks among Wisconsin ZIPs
Melrose, WI household income vs. every Wisconsin ZIP code
Median household income among 755 reporting Wisconsin ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$73,452 46th percentile higher than 46% of 755 Wisconsin ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Wisconsin 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?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
910housing units
910
Total Housing Units
842
Occupied Units
68
Vacant Units
2.68
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$210,600
Median Home Value
-15% vs state ZIP avg
$872
Median Rent
1974
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 29 business establishments in ZIP 54642, employing approximately 98 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,496,000.
29
Businesses
98
Employees
$3.5M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 5 | 17.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 5 | 17.2% |
| Retail trade | 4 | 13.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 4 | 13.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 10.3% |
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 54642 vs 54644 →
ZIP 54642 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 54642
Melrose (54642)
2,125 residents
- 54644
Mindoro (54644)
1,434 residents
- 54659
Taylor (54659)
1,409 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 54642 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 54642 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 54644
Mindoro (54644)
$77,143 median income
- 54642
Melrose (54642)
$73,452 median income
- 54659
Taylor (54659)
$71,477 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 54642 ranks #2 of 3 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 54642, both outside WI so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (2,125 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Jackson County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 54642 in?
ZIP code 54642 (Melrose) is located in Jackson County, Wisconsin. Jackson County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/jackson-wi.
What is the population of ZIP code 54642?
ZIP code 54642 in Melrose, WI has a population of 2,125 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 54642?
The median household income in ZIP 54642 is $73,452, which is 4% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 54642?
The median home value in ZIP 54642 is $210,600, which is 24% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 54642?
The largest racial group in ZIP 54642 is White at 91.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.6% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 54642?
ZIP code 54642 has 29 business establishments employing approximately 98 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 54642?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 54642 are: Construction (5), Other services (except public administration) (5), Retail trade (4). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 54642?
In ZIP code 54642, 60.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 18.3% 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 54642?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 54642 is 32.2 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 54642?
In ZIP code 54642, approximately 84.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 54642?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 54642 is 15.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 54642's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 54642 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Melrose, WI ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.