53965 ZIP Code — Wisconsin Dells, WI

Columbia County, Wisconsin

ZIP code 53965 is located in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, within Columbia County. It covers approximately 168.72 square miles and serves a population of 11,244 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 608.

About ZIP code 53965

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $194,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 76%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $65,861. 37% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 22 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 21% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 53965 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

11,244

population

168.72

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

53965 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 53965

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 53965. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wisconsin Dells	Acceptable
Wisconsin Dells	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

53920 Briggsville (7.6 mi) 53944 Lyndon Station (8.8 mi) 53952 Oxford (11 mi) 53936 Grand Marsh (12.7 mi) 53930 Endeavor (14 mi) 53910 Adams (14 mi) 53948 Mauston (14.8 mi) 53959 Reedsburg (15 mi) 53913 Baraboo (16 mi) 53958 Reedsburg (16.8 mi) 53901 Portage (18 mi) 53964 Westfield (18.1 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	11,244
Population density	67 / sq mi
State FIPS	55
County FIPS	021

Geography
Land area	168.72 sq mi
Water area	5.98 sq mi
Latitude	43.6965
Longitude	-89.7602
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	608

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	41.5%	34.5%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	38.8%	36.8%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	16.0%	24.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	3.8%	4.3%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

11,244

Population

People per sq mi

47.8

Median age

$65,861

Median household income

$35,089

Per capita income

$194,200

Median home value

$872

Median monthly rent

76.4%

Home ownership

10.7%

Poverty rate

4.9%

Unemployment

5,649

Housing units

20.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

175

Under 5

190

283

5–9

308

298

10–14

326

299

15–19

326

329

20–24

358

468

25–34

510

660

35–44

719

594

45–54

648

481

55–59

524

522

60–64

569

884

65–74

963

283

75–84

308

105

85+

114

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,072	18.4%
18 and over	9,172	81.6%
65 and over	2,657	23.6%
Median age	47.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 84.8%

Hispanic or Latino 3.7%

Black or African American 3.3%

Two or more races 3.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.9%

Other race 1.9%

Asian 1.2%

Group	Count	%
White	9,906	84.8%
Hispanic or Latino	431	3.7%
Black or African American	383	3.3%
Two or more races	374	3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	225	1.9%
Other race	219	1.9%
Asian	137	1.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	41.5%	34.5%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	38.8%	36.8%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	16.0%	24.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	3.8%	4.3%	5.2%

Under $10k 6.7%

$10k–$15k 3.0%

$15k–$25k 8.0%

$25k–$35k 7.5%

$35k–$50k 11.3%

$50k–$75k 18.6%

$75k–$100k 19.3%

$100k–$150k 15.3%

$150k–$200k 5.0%

$200k+ 5.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.7%
$10k–$15k	3.0%
$15k–$25k	8.0%
$25k–$35k	7.5%
$35k–$50k	11.3%
$50k–$75k	18.6%
$75k–$100k	19.3%
$100k–$150k	15.3%
$150k–$200k	5.0%
$200k+	5.3%
Median income	$65,861

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.2%

$50k–$100k 6.8%

$100k–$150k 12.9%

$150k–$200k 26.8%

$200k–$300k 30.0%

$300k–$500k 13.7%

$500k–$1M 3.0%

$1M+ 1.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$194,200
Median rent / month	$872
Owner occupied	76.4%
Renter occupied	23.6%
Vacant	27.7%
Single-family detached	66.3%
Large apartment buildings	4.0%
Mobile homes	10.0%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.41

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.7%
2010–2019	3.9%
2000–2009	17.2%
1990–1999	17.2%
1980–1989	13.9%
1970–1979	15.3%
1960–1969	7.0%
1950–1959	11.0%
1940–1949	3.5%
1939 or earlier	10.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	4.2%
1 bedroom	9.7%
2 bedrooms	29.8%
3 bedrooms	39.1%
4 bedrooms	12.5%
5+ bedrooms	4.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.8%
1 vehicle	29.6%
2 vehicles	37.1%
3 or more	27.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	39.3%
Electricity	13.1%
Propane / LP gas	39.5%
Fuel oil	1.7%
Wood	4.8%
No fuel used	0.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,359	47.9%
Cohabiting couple	314	6.4%
Male householder, no spouse	1,036	21.0%
Female householder, no spouse	1,213	24.6%
Households with children under 18	1,102	22.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,866	37.9%
Average household size	2.26

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	25.4%	23.3%
Married	56.1%	53.1%
Separated	0.9%	0.4%
Widowed	3.7%	10.7%
Divorced	13.9%	12.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.5%

Some HS, no diploma 4.1%

HS graduate 35.2%

Some college, no degree 26.6%

Associate's degree 12.0%

Bachelor's degree 14.8%

Graduate / professional 5.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.5%
Bachelor's or higher	20.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	83	4.0%
Kindergarten	79	3.8%
Elementary school	1,013	48.4%
High school	617	29.5%
College / grad school	300	14.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 25.4%

Education & healthcare 16.4%

Retail trade 11.4%

Manufacturing 9.5%

Professional & management 7.5%

Other services 6.2%

Public administration 5.0%

Transportation & utilities 4.1%

Construction 3.9%

Finance & real estate 3.6%

Wholesale trade 3.2%

Agriculture & mining 3.0%

Information 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	32.0%
Service	28.3%
Sales & office	19.1%
Natural resources & construction	6.6%
Production & transportation	14.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.6%
Government	13.1%
Self-employed	7.1%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.0%
Carpool	11.0%
Public transit	0.5%
Walk	2.7%
Work from home	5.1%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	22.4

Poverty

All people 10.7%

Under 18 years 9.7%

18 and over 10.9%

Married-couple families 5.6%

Female-led households 13.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	37.2%
Retirement income	23.3%
Supplemental Security	5.0%
Cash public assistance	2.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.9%
High blood pressure	32.3%
High cholesterol	35.0%
Diabetes	9.7%
Heart disease	6.4%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	25.2%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	6.6%
Cancer	7.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.4%
Binge drinking	24.4%
No physical activity	21.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.4%
Depression	20.2%
Fair or poor health	13.0%
Poor mental health	13.6%
Poor physical health	10.4%
No health insurance	11.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.7%
Visited dentist	67.6%
Cholesterol screening	86.9%
Teeth loss	12.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	707	7.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.1%
Under 18	2.8%
18–64 years	8.9%
65 and over	27.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.3%
Public insurance	38.3%
No insurance	9.0%
Uninsured under 19	5.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	10,879	96.8%
Spanish	402	3.7%
Other Indo-European	298	2.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	91	0.8%
Other languages	7	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	10,489	93.3%
Born in same state	10,475	93.2%
Born in different state	8,104	72.1%
Foreign born	14	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	755	6.7%
Not a US citizen	314	41.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	1,328	11.8%
Italian	1,285	11.4%
French	712	6.3%
Arab	420	3.7%
English	128	1.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	80	0.7%
Dutch	64	0.6%
Norwegian	43	0.4%
Irish	20	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.8%
Internet access	91.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 53965

What city is ZIP code 53965 in?

ZIP code 53965 is primarily assigned to Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.

What county is ZIP code 53965 in?

ZIP code 53965 falls within Sauk County, Wisconsin.

Does ZIP code 53965 have a large retiree population?

37% of households in ZIP code 53965 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 53965?

The median home value in ZIP code 53965 is $194,200.

What is the population of ZIP code 53965?

ZIP code 53965 has an estimated population of 11,244 residents, with a density of 67 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 53965?

The median household income in ZIP code 53965 is $65,861, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 53965 in?

ZIP code 53965 observes the CST timezone.