Rice Lake, WI · standard

ZIP Code 54868

Barron 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

15,512
29/sq mi: $64,318
Median income: $227,800
Median home value: 26.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Rice Lake pairs a below-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

37th pct
household income, US ZIPs: Top 48%
home value, US ZIPs: 29
people per sq mi: 70%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 54868 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 54868 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 542.4 square miles in Rice Lake, Barron County, Wisconsin. The area is home to 15,512 residents, producing a population density of 29 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 54868 against Wisconsin and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 54868 sits at $64,318 (18% below the Wisconsin average), while per-capita income is $39,633. The poverty rate stands at 9.3% and the unemployment rate at 2.6%. On housing, the median home value is $227,800 (8% below the state average) with median rent at $872 per month, and 69.9% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 54868 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 26.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 40.4, and the average commute is 15 minutes. We also surface 3 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Barron County, so you can benchmark 54868 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 54868

Retail trade

108
Health care and social assistance

78
Other services (except public administration)

60
Accommodation and food services

59
Construction

57

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 54868, Rice Lake, 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

15,512

Population

542.4

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 54868?

40.4

Median Age

49.8%

Male

50.2%

Female

2.0%

Foreign-Born

White 91.4%

African American 2.0%

Asian 0.4%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 3.3%

Hispanic or Latino 4.2%

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?

$64,318

Median Household Income

-18% vs state

$39,633

Per Capita Income

9.3%

Poverty Rate

2.6%

Unemployment Rate

15.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 54868 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$64,318 37th percentile higher than 37% 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 58.9%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 26.1%

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

What does housing look like?

7,583

Total Housing Units

6,920

Occupied Units

663

Vacant Units

2.31

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 69.9%

Renter 30.1%

$227,800

Median Home Value

-8% vs state

$872

Median Rent

1977

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

+10.2%

YoY Change (2024)

238

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+138%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 54868 have increased 10.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +138% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+4.5%	159
2021	+11.4%	178
2022	+15.9%	206
2023	+4.7%	216
2024	+10.2%	238

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 601 business establishments in ZIP 54868, employing approximately 9,384 people with a combined annual payroll of $457,957,000.

601

Businesses

9,384

Employees

$458.0M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	108	18.0%
Health care and social assistance	78	13.0%
Other services (except public administration)	60	10.0%
Accommodation and food services	59	9.8%
Construction	57	9.5%
Finance and insurance	38	6.3%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	37	6.2%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	37	6.2%
Manufacturing	29	4.8%
Transportation and warehousing	21	3.5%
Wholesale trade	18	3.0%
Information	16	2.7%
Real estate and rental and leasing	16	2.7%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	15	2.5%
Utilities	4	0.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	3	0.5%

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 54868 vs 54841 →

54868

15,512
54822

4,516
54841

259
54857

62

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 54868 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

54857

$96,667
54841

$76,250
54822

$70,000
54868

$64,318

What this shows By household income, ZIP 54868 ranks #4 of 4 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
54841	Haugen, WI	259	6.4 mi
54822	Cameron, WI	4,516	9.2 mi
54857	Mikana, WI	62	7.2 mi

More ZIP Codes in Barron County

Barron County Rice Lake, WI Wisconsin

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 54868 in? ▼

ZIP code 54868 (Rice Lake) is located in Barron County, Wisconsin. Barron County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/barron-wi.

What is the population of ZIP code 54868? ▼

ZIP code 54868 in Rice Lake, WI has a population of 15,512 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 54868? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 54868 is $64,318, which is 16% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 54868? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 54868 is $227,800, which is 18% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 54868? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 54868 is White at 91.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.2% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 54868? ▼

ZIP code 54868 has 601 business establishments employing approximately 9,384 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 54868? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 54868 are: Retail trade (108), Health care and social assistance (78), Other services (except public administration) (60). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 54868? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 54868 increased by 10.2% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 138%. 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 54868? ▼

In ZIP code 54868, 58.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 26.1% 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 54868? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 54868 is 15.0 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 54868? ▼

In ZIP code 54868, approximately 69.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 30.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 54868? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 54868 is 9.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.