54521 ZIP Code — Eagle River, WI

Vilas County, Wisconsin

ZIP code 54521 is located in Eagle River, Wisconsin, within Vilas County. It covers approximately 188.36 square miles and serves a population of 8,424 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 715.

About ZIP code 54521

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $246,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 84%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $68,850. 47% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 20 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 26% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 11% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 54521 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

8,424

population

188.36

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

54521 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 54521

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 54521. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Eagle River	Acceptable
Eagle River	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

54519 Conover (6.5 mi) 54562 Three Lakes (11.3 mi) 54558 Saint Germain (11.8 mi) 54554 Phelps (12.5 mi) 54560 Sayner (13.9 mi) 54540 Land O Lakes (14.8 mi) 49969 Watersmeet (18.3 mi) 54539 Lake Tomahawk (18.5 mi) 54501 Rhinelander (19.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	8,424
Population density	45 / sq mi
State FIPS	55
County FIPS	125

Geography
Land area	188.36 sq mi
Water area	25.39 sq mi
Latitude	45.9514
Longitude	-89.2601
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	715

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.2%	49.0%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	31.8%	32.3%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	16.7%	14.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	5.4%	4.3%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

8,424

Population

People per sq mi

54.5

Median age

$68,850

Median household income

$40,935

Per capita income

$246,000

Median home value

$861

Median monthly rent

83.6%

Home ownership

9.5%

Poverty rate

3.7%

Unemployment

6,953

Housing units

26.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

153

Under 5

146

174

5–9

165

217

10–14

206

201

15–19

191

199

20–24

190

368

25–34

350

316

35–44

300

554

45–54

528

363

55–59

345

482

60–64

458

815

65–74

775

321

75–84

305

155

85+

147

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,324	15.7%
18 and over	7,100	84.3%
65 and over	2,518	29.9%
Median age	54.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.8%

Two or more races 3.5%

Hispanic or Latino 2.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.2%

Other race 0.5%

Black or African American 0.4%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	7,920	91.8%
Two or more races	298	3.5%
Hispanic or Latino	201	2.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	107	1.2%
Other race	47	0.5%
Black or African American	32	0.4%
Asian	20	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.2%	49.0%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	31.8%	32.3%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	16.7%	14.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	5.4%	4.3%	5.2%

Under $10k 3.6%

$10k–$15k 2.6%

$15k–$25k 5.6%

$25k–$35k 9.5%

$35k–$50k 14.8%

$50k–$75k 18.8%

$75k–$100k 15.3%

$100k–$150k 18.2%

$150k–$200k 6.4%

$200k+ 5.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.6%
$10k–$15k	2.6%
$15k–$25k	5.6%
$25k–$35k	9.5%
$35k–$50k	14.8%
$50k–$75k	18.8%
$75k–$100k	15.3%
$100k–$150k	18.2%
$150k–$200k	6.4%
$200k+	5.1%
Median income	$68,850

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.4%

$50k–$100k 6.7%

$100k–$150k 14.0%

$150k–$200k 15.3%

$200k–$300k 20.5%

$300k–$500k 27.7%

$500k–$1M 10.1%

$1M+ 1.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$246,000
Median rent / month	$861
Owner occupied	83.6%
Renter occupied	16.4%
Vacant	49.0%
Single-family detached	84.4%
Large apartment buildings	1.0%
Mobile homes	6.2%
Median rooms	5.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.13

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	5.5%
2000–2009	14.3%
1990–1999	14.5%
1980–1989	15.0%
1970–1979	19.6%
1960–1969	9.3%
1950–1959	8.4%
1940–1949	4.8%
1939 or earlier	8.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.2%
1 bedroom	7.2%
2 bedrooms	38.3%
3 bedrooms	36.0%
4 bedrooms	12.4%
5+ bedrooms	3.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.6%
1 vehicle	28.3%
2 vehicles	44.3%
3 or more	22.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	57.8%
Electricity	10.2%
Propane / LP gas	25.3%
Fuel oil	0.5%
Wood	5.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,110	54.6%
Cohabiting couple	322	8.3%
Male householder, no spouse	784	20.3%
Female householder, no spouse	651	16.8%
Households with children under 18	736	19.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,725	44.6%
Average household size	2.15

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	25.3%	12.7%
Married	56.8%	65.0%
Separated	0.3%	0.4%
Widowed	5.5%	11.0%
Divorced	12.1%	11.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.8%

Some HS, no diploma 4.1%

HS graduate 33.1%

Some college, no degree 23.4%

Associate's degree 12.5%

Bachelor's degree 18.0%

Graduate / professional 8.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.1%
Bachelor's or higher	26.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	67	5.9%
Kindergarten	80	7.1%
Elementary school	556	49.3%
High school	304	27.0%
College / grad school	120	10.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 18.4%

Retail trade 14.8%

Construction 12.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 12.0%

Professional & management 8.4%

Manufacturing 5.9%

Other services 5.5%

Finance & real estate 5.2%

Transportation & utilities 3.9%

Agriculture & mining 3.7%

Information 3.3%

Public administration 3.2%

Wholesale trade 2.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	28.9%
Service	19.4%
Sales & office	24.8%
Natural resources & construction	13.2%
Production & transportation	13.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.5%
Government	13.9%
Self-employed	13.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.2%
Carpool	9.2%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	7.2%
Work from home	8.1%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.6

Poverty

All people 9.5%

Under 18 years 14.8%

18 and over 8.5%

Married-couple families 3.2%

Female-led households 35.2%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	47.1%
Retirement income	38.7%
Supplemental Security	3.7%
Cash public assistance	1.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.3%
High blood pressure	38.0%
High cholesterol	37.9%
Diabetes	11.4%
Heart disease	8.2%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	30.5%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	7.8%
Cancer	8.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.8%
Binge drinking	21.0%
No physical activity	21.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.0%
Depression	19.4%
Fair or poor health	14.0%
Poor mental health	12.5%
Poor physical health	11.3%
No health insurance	9.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.5%
Visited dentist	69.4%
Cholesterol screening	90.2%
Teeth loss	12.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	793	11.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.6%
Under 18	5.6%
18–64 years	11.3%
65 and over	28.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	70.8%
Public insurance	47.0%
No insurance	5.5%
Uninsured under 19	0.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	8,125	96.5%
Spanish	54	0.7%
Other Indo-European	43	0.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	11	0.1%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	8,250	97.9%
Born in same state	8,238	97.8%
Born in different state	5,522	65.6%
Foreign born	12	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	174	2.1%
Not a US citizen	147	84.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,007	12%
French	615	7.3%
Arab	355	4.2%
Polish	327	3.9%
English	135	1.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	118	1.4%
Dutch	109	1.3%
Irish	98	1.2%
Norwegian	12	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.9%
Internet access	92.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 54521

What city is ZIP code 54521 in?

ZIP code 54521 is primarily assigned to Eagle River, Wisconsin.

What county is ZIP code 54521 in?

ZIP code 54521 falls within Vilas County, Wisconsin.

Does ZIP code 54521 have an older population?

30% of residents in ZIP code 54521 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 54521 have a large retiree population?

47% of households in ZIP code 54521 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 54521 mostly owner-occupied?

84% of occupied units in ZIP code 54521 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 54521 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 54521 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 54521 in?

ZIP code 54521 observes the CST timezone.