54501 ZIP Code — Rhinelander, WI

Oneida County, Wisconsin

ZIP code 54501 is located in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, within Oneida County. It covers approximately 366.33 square miles and serves a population of 21,174 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 715.

About ZIP code 54501

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 $172,200. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $64,114. 43% 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 21 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 25% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 54501 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

21,174

population

366.33

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

54501 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 54501

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 54501. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Rhinelander	Acceptable
Rhinelander	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

54539 Lake Tomahawk (13.7 mi) 54463 Pelican Lake (14 mi) 54529 Harshaw (16.1 mi) 54562 Three Lakes (16.2 mi) 54558 Saint Germain (18.8 mi) 54428 Elcho (18.9 mi) 54521 Eagle River (19.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	21,174
Population density	58 / sq mi
State FIPS	55
County FIPS	085

Geography
Land area	366.33 sq mi
Water area	26.27 sq mi
Latitude	45.6748
Longitude	-89.3457
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	43.4%	43.9%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	34.8%	33.0%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	17.5%	17.7%	22.4%
Over $200k	4.3%	5.4%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

21,174

Population

People per sq mi

48.0

Median age

$64,114

Median household income

$36,599

Per capita income

$172,200

Median home value

$811

Median monthly rent

81.4%

Home ownership

11.0%

Poverty rate

2.5%

Unemployment

10,948

Housing units

24.6%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

557

Under 5

547

488

5–9

479

653

10–14

640

585

15–19

573

536

20–24

526

1,181

25–34

1,157

1,087

35–44

1,066

1,294

45–54

1,269

849

55–59

832

1,073

60–64

1,051

1,487

65–74

1,457

617

75–84

605

285

85+

280

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,085	19.3%
18 and over	17,089	80.7%
65 and over	4,731	22.3%
Median age	48.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 92.3%

Two or more races 2.4%

Hispanic or Latino 2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.3%

Other race 1.2%

Black or African American 0.5%

Asian 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	19,942	92.3%
Two or more races	529	2.4%
Hispanic or Latino	440	2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	271	1.3%
Other race	260	1.2%
Black or African American	109	0.5%
Asian	63	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	43.4%	43.9%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	34.8%	33.0%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	17.5%	17.7%	22.4%
Over $200k	4.3%	5.4%	5.2%

Under $10k 3.4%

$10k–$15k 4.5%

$15k–$25k 8.5%

$25k–$35k 12.1%

$35k–$50k 11.3%

$50k–$75k 20.3%

$75k–$100k 12.7%

$100k–$150k 17.2%

$150k–$200k 5.1%

$200k+ 4.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.4%
$10k–$15k	4.5%
$15k–$25k	8.5%
$25k–$35k	12.1%
$35k–$50k	11.3%
$50k–$75k	20.3%
$75k–$100k	12.7%
$100k–$150k	17.2%
$150k–$200k	5.1%
$200k+	4.8%
Median income	$64,114

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.8%

$50k–$100k 14.8%

$100k–$150k 19.6%

$150k–$200k 16.7%

$200k–$300k 23.8%

$300k–$500k 13.1%

$500k–$1M 5.6%

$1M+ 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$172,200
Median rent / month	$811
Owner occupied	81.4%
Renter occupied	18.6%
Vacant	29.8%
Single-family detached	81.2%
Large apartment buildings	1.6%
Mobile homes	5.2%
Median rooms	5.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.37

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	5.1%
2000–2009	12.8%
1990–1999	15.1%
1980–1989	13.1%
1970–1979	16.4%
1960–1969	6.7%
1950–1959	11.6%
1940–1949	6.7%
1939 or earlier	12.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.9%
1 bedroom	6.1%
2 bedrooms	35.0%
3 bedrooms	42.3%
4 bedrooms	12.6%
5+ bedrooms	3.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.2%
1 vehicle	32.7%
2 vehicles	43.6%
3 or more	20.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	71.0%
Electricity	7.9%
Propane / LP gas	13.7%
Fuel oil	0.6%
Wood	6.0%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,469	50.5%
Cohabiting couple	674	7.6%
Male householder, no spouse	1,581	17.9%
Female householder, no spouse	2,120	24.0%
Households with children under 18	1,821	20.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,442	38.9%
Average household size	2.35

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.3%	24.3%
Married	51.2%	51.5%
Separated	0.7%	0.3%
Widowed	4.0%	9.0%
Divorced	12.8%	14.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.9%

Some HS, no diploma 4.1%

HS graduate 31.4%

Some college, no degree 25.3%

Associate's degree 13.7%

Bachelor's degree 15.8%

Graduate / professional 8.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.9%
Bachelor's or higher	24.6%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	226	5.8%
Kindergarten	256	6.5%
Elementary school	1,738	44.3%
High school	1,100	28.0%
College / grad school	602	15.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 20.8%

Manufacturing 18.6%

Retail trade 13.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.1%

Professional & management 7.8%

Construction 5.9%

Finance & real estate 5.7%

Other services 4.9%

Public administration 4.3%

Wholesale trade 3.4%

Transportation & utilities 2.9%

Agriculture & mining 2.3%

Information 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.4%
Service	17.3%
Sales & office	18.9%
Natural resources & construction	11.9%
Production & transportation	20.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.6%
Government	12.2%
Self-employed	7.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.7%
Carpool	9.2%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	2.9%
Work from home	7.8%
Other means	1.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.1

Poverty

All people 11.0%

Under 18 years 13.1%

18 and over 10.5%

Married-couple families 3.3%

Female-led households 15.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.9%
Retirement income	32.9%
Supplemental Security	5.8%
Cash public assistance	0.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	9.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	31.3%
High blood pressure	33.2%
High cholesterol	34.0%
Diabetes	10.0%
Heart disease	6.9%
Stroke	3.2%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	26.4%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	6.8%
Cancer	7.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.5%
Binge drinking	23.5%
No physical activity	20.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	31.4%
Depression	20.3%
Fair or poor health	12.8%
Poor mental health	13.3%
Poor physical health	10.5%
No health insurance	10.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.8%
Visited dentist	67.6%
Cholesterol screening	88.1%
Teeth loss	12.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,491	8.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.1%
Under 18	5.4%
18–64 years	13.2%
65 and over	28.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	67.8%
Public insurance	44.1%
No insurance	6.0%
Uninsured under 19	4.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	20,070	94.8%
Spanish	113	0.6%
Other Indo-European	82	0.4%
Asian & Pacific Islander	20	0.1%
Other languages	8	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	20,989	99.1%
Born in same state	20,909	98.7%
Born in different state	16,460	77.7%
Foreign born	80	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	185	0.9%
Not a US citizen	112	60.5%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	2,624	12.4%
French	1,328	6.3%
Polish	993	4.7%
Arab	895	4.2%
German	385	1.8%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	298	1.4%
Dutch	224	1.1%
Norwegian	102	0.5%
Irish	92	0.4%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.8%
Internet access	93.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 54501

What city is ZIP code 54501 in?

ZIP code 54501 is primarily assigned to Rhinelander, Wisconsin.

What county is ZIP code 54501 in?

ZIP code 54501 falls within Oneida County, Wisconsin.

Does ZIP code 54501 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 54501 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 54501 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 54501 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 54501?

The median home value in ZIP code 54501 is $172,200.

What is the population of ZIP code 54501?

ZIP code 54501 has an estimated population of 21,174 residents, with a density of 58 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 54501 in?

ZIP code 54501 observes the CST timezone.