54642 ZIP Code — Melrose, WI

Jackson County, Wisconsin

ZIP code 54642 is located in Melrose, Wisconsin, within Jackson County. It covers approximately 92.21 square miles and serves a population of 2,354 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 608.

About ZIP code 54642

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $174,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 85%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($69,472) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 35% 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 32 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 18% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 54642 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,354

population

92.21

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

54642 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 54642

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 54642. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Melrose	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

54627 Ettrick (7.3 mi) 54659 Taylor (8.8 mi) 54644 Mindoro (9.3 mi) 54630 Galesville (13.2 mi) 54616 Blair (13.4 mi) 54636 Holmen (13.8 mi) 54615 Black River Falls (16.7 mi) 54669 West Salem (17.5 mi) 54635 Hixton (17.7 mi) 54656 Sparta (18.5 mi) 54614 Bangor (18.7 mi) 54661 Trempealeau (19 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	2,354
Population density	26 / sq mi
State FIPS	55
County FIPS	053

Geography
Land area	92.21 sq mi
Water area	0.54 sq mi
Latitude	44.1579
Longitude	-91.0862
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	608

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	37.7%	45.8%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	39.3%	34.5%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	20.3%	16.9%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.6%	2.8%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

2,354

Population

People per sq mi

35.7

Median age

$69,472

Median household income

$34,309

Per capita income

$174,400

Median home value

$944

Median monthly rent

85.4%

Home ownership

13.5%

Poverty rate

3.4%

Unemployment

803

Housing units

18.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

108

5–9

10–14

102

15–19

20–24

183

25–34

161

129

35–44

113

144

45–54

126

55–59

60–64

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	631	26.8%
18 and over	1,723	73.2%
65 and over	332	14.1%
Median age	35.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.5%

Two or more races 5.4%

Hispanic or Latino 1.7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.9%

Black or African American 0.6%

Asian 0.5%

Other race 0.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	2,167	90.5%
Two or more races	129	5.4%
Hispanic or Latino	41	1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	22	0.9%
Black or African American	14	0.6%
Asian	12	0.5%
Other race	8	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	37.7%	45.8%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	39.3%	34.5%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	20.3%	16.9%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.6%	2.8%	5.2%

Under $10k 2.3%

$10k–$15k 3.0%

$15k–$25k 7.2%

$25k–$35k 10.2%

$35k–$50k 9.8%

$50k–$75k 22.7%

$75k–$100k 13.2%

$100k–$150k 19.3%

$150k–$200k 7.1%

$200k+ 5.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.3%
$10k–$15k	3.0%
$15k–$25k	7.2%
$25k–$35k	10.2%
$35k–$50k	9.8%
$50k–$75k	22.7%
$75k–$100k	13.2%
$100k–$150k	19.3%
$150k–$200k	7.1%
$200k+	5.2%
Median income	$69,472

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 3.4%

$50k–$100k 10.6%

$100k–$150k 18.1%

$150k–$200k 25.1%

$200k–$300k 19.4%

$300k–$500k 13.0%

$500k–$1M 7.7%

$1M+ 2.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$174,400
Median rent / month	$944
Owner occupied	85.4%
Renter occupied	14.6%
Vacant	11.2%
Single-family detached	86.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	10.1%
Median rooms	6.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.94

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	1.6%
2010–2019	6.7%
2000–2009	14.8%
1990–1999	12.9%
1980–1989	9.8%
1970–1979	8.0%
1960–1969	9.0%
1950–1959	7.7%
1940–1949	4.0%
1939 or earlier	25.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.3%
1 bedroom	5.1%
2 bedrooms	19.2%
3 bedrooms	42.5%
4 bedrooms	22.3%
5+ bedrooms	8.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.4%
1 vehicle	15.6%
2 vehicles	43.9%
3 or more	36.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.8%
Electricity	8.7%
Propane / LP gas	60.4%
Fuel oil	10.7%
Wood	16.2%
No fuel used	0.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	516	62.9%
Cohabiting couple	73	8.9%
Male householder, no spouse	132	16.1%
Female householder, no spouse	99	12.1%
Households with children under 18	258	31.5%
Households with seniors (65+)	242	29.5%
Average household size	2.87

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.3%	28.2%
Married	56.4%	52.2%
Separated	0.8%	3.6%
Widowed	2.6%	4.8%
Divorced	9.8%	11.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.7%

Some HS, no diploma 3.5%

HS graduate 43.5%

Some college, no degree 15.1%

Associate's degree 17.1%

Bachelor's degree 12.5%

Graduate / professional 5.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.8%
Bachelor's or higher	18.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	42	7.3%
Kindergarten	42	7.3%
Elementary school	275	47.7%
High school	137	23.8%
College / grad school	80	13.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 16.8%

Agriculture & mining 15.1%

Manufacturing 14.0%

Construction 10.2%

Retail trade 9.2%

Transportation & utilities 8.4%

Professional & management 6.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.2%

Public administration 4.1%

Other services 3.4%

Finance & real estate 3.0%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Information 1.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.8%
Service	14.6%
Sales & office	12.8%
Natural resources & construction	20.7%
Production & transportation	20.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	69.0%
Government	12.3%
Self-employed	13.7%
Unpaid family workers	5.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	70.6%
Carpool	10.4%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	6.2%
Work from home	11.3%
Other means	1.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	32.3

Poverty

All people 13.5%

Under 18 years 13.9%

18 and over 13.4%

Married-couple families 5.0%

Female-led households 26.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.1%
Retirement income	22.2%
Supplemental Security	7.4%
Cash public assistance	3.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.5%
High blood pressure	33.2%
High cholesterol	33.9%
Diabetes	10.0%
Heart disease	6.8%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	10.0%
Arthritis	26.3%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.2%
Cancer	7.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	19.8%
Binge drinking	23.5%
No physical activity	23.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.6%
Depression	21.5%
Fair or poor health	13.8%
Poor mental health	14.1%
Poor physical health	11.0%
No health insurance	11.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.9%
Visited dentist	65.3%
Cholesterol screening	86.6%
Teeth loss	14.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	114	6.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.7%
Under 18	3.0%
18–64 years	9.5%
65 and over	37.3%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.0%
Public insurance	35.3%
No insurance	10.9%
Uninsured under 19	10.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,189	93.0%
Spanish	57	2.6%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	57	2.6%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,340	99.4%
Born in same state	2,331	99.0%
Born in different state	2,011	85.4%
Foreign born	9	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	14	0.6%
Not a US citizen	14	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	574	24.4%
Italian	250	10.6%
French	74	3.1%
Arab	58	2.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	16	0.7%
German	10	0.4%
Dutch	5	0.2%
Irish	1	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	34.8%
Internet access	87.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 54642

What city is ZIP code 54642 in?

ZIP code 54642 is primarily assigned to Melrose, Wisconsin.

What county is ZIP code 54642 in?

ZIP code 54642 falls within Jackson County, Wisconsin.

Is ZIP code 54642 mostly owner-occupied?

85% of occupied units in ZIP code 54642 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 54642 have a large retiree population?

35% of households in ZIP code 54642 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 54642?

The median home value in ZIP code 54642 is $174,400.

What is the population of ZIP code 54642?

ZIP code 54642 has an estimated population of 2,354 residents, with a density of 26 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 54642 in?

ZIP code 54642 observes the CST timezone.