Waupaca, WI · standard
ZIP Code 54981
Waupaca County, Wisconsin - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 15,426
- 45/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $72,640
- Median income Near-median income area
- $218,700
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 27.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Waupaca pairs an above-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 49%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 49th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 45
- people per sq mi
- 77%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 54981 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 54981 (Waupaca, WI) rose +14.0% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 218.8 in 2023 to 249.4 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 54981 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Waupaca, Waupaca County, Wisconsin, home to 15,426 residents across 345.9 square miles, a density of 45 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 54981 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $72,640 (7% below the average Wisconsin ZIP), while per-capita income is $42,946. The poverty rate is 8.2%, with unemployment at 3.4%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $218,700 (12% below the average Wisconsin ZIP) and median rent is $830; 76.5% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 27.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.3, and the average commute is 24 minutes. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Waupaca County, so 54981 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 54981
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Waupaca, WI
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 54981.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
74 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
59 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
45 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
45 establishments
- Construction
Construction
40 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 54981, Waupaca, 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
15,426
Population
345.9
Area (sq mi)
45
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 54981?
47.3
Median Age
52.9%
Male
47.1%
Female
1.2%
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?
$72,640
Median Household Income
-7% vs state ZIP avg
$42,946
Per Capita Income
8.2%
Poverty Rate
3.4%
Unemployment Rate
23.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 54981 ranks among Wisconsin ZIPs
Waupaca, 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)
$72,640 43rd percentile higher than 43% 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
8,295housing units
8,295
Total Housing Units
6,830
Occupied Units
1,465
Vacant Units
2.12
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$218,700
Median Home Value
-12% vs state ZIP avg
$830
Median Rent
1978
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
+14.0%
YoY Change (2024)
249
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+149%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 54981 have increased 14.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +149% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.9% | 160 |
| 2021 | +14.0% | 182 |
| 2022 | +13.3% | 206 |
| 2023 | +6.2% | 219 |
| 2024 | +14.0% | 249 |
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 438 business establishments in ZIP 54981, employing approximately 6,235 people with a combined annual payroll of $312,845,000.
438
Businesses
6,235
Employees
$312.8M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 74 | 16.9% |
| Health care and social assistance | 59 | 13.5% |
| Accommodation and food services | 45 | 10.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 45 | 10.3% |
| Construction | 40 | 9.1% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 29 | 6.6% |
| Manufacturing | 27 | 6.2% |
| Finance and insurance | 26 | 5.9% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 23 | 5.3% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 16 | 3.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 14 | 3.2% |
| Information | 13 | 3.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 11 | 2.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 8 | 1.8% |
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 54981 vs 54946 →
ZIP 54981 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 54981
Waupaca (54981)
15,426 residents
- 54984 2,989
Wild Rose (54984)
2,989 residents
- 54977 1,337
Scandinavia (54977)
1,337 residents
- 54946 108
King (54946)
108 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 54981 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 54981 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 54977
Scandinavia (54977)
$81,328 median income
- 54981
Waupaca (54981)
$72,640 median income
- 54984
Wild Rose (54984)
$64,120 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 54981 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 54981, 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 (15,426 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Waupaca County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 54981 in?
ZIP code 54981 (Waupaca) is located in Waupaca County, Wisconsin. Waupaca County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/waupaca-wi.
What is the population of ZIP code 54981?
ZIP code 54981 in Waupaca, WI has a population of 15,426 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 54981?
The median household income in ZIP 54981 is $72,640, which is 5% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 54981?
The median home value in ZIP 54981 is $218,700, which is 21% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 54981?
The largest racial group in ZIP 54981 is White at 94.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 54981?
ZIP code 54981 has 438 business establishments employing approximately 6,235 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 54981?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 54981 are: Retail trade (74), Health care and social assistance (59), Accommodation and food services (45). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 54981?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 54981 increased by 14.0% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 149%. 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 54981?
In ZIP code 54981, 66.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 27.4% 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 54981?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 54981 is 23.8 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 54981?
In ZIP code 54981, approximately 76.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 23.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 54981?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 54981 is 8.2% 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 54981's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 54981 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Waupaca, 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.