54871 ZIP Code — Shell Lake, WI

Washburn County, Wisconsin

ZIP code 54871 is located in Shell Lake, Wisconsin, within Washburn County. It covers approximately 115.70 square miles and serves a population of 3,296 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 715.

About ZIP code 54871

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $196,600. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $59,732. 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 23% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 54871 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,296

population

115.70

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

54871 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 54871

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 54871. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Shell Lake	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

54813 Barronett (6.7 mi) 54801 Spooner (10.7 mi) 54870 Sarona (12.1 mi) 54829 Cumberland (13.9 mi) 54841 Haugen (14.6 mi) 54893 Webster (15.6 mi) 54888 Trego (16.2 mi) 54826 Comstock (17.7 mi) 54837 Frederic (18.2 mi) 54872 Siren (18.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,296
Population density	28 / sq mi
State FIPS	55
County FIPS	129

Geography
Land area	115.70 sq mi
Water area	7.18 sq mi
Latitude	45.7422
Longitude	-92.0179
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	48.8%	46.7%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	32.9%	33.8%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	16.3%	17.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.0%	2.1%	5.2%

Demographics & statistics

3,296

Population

People per sq mi

43.4

Median age

$59,732

Median household income

$32,145

Per capita income

$196,600

Median home value

$833

Median monthly rent

81.3%

Home ownership

10.3%

Poverty rate

2.4%

Unemployment

1,604

Housing units

23.2%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

102

5–9

125

108

10–14

133

100

15–19

124

20–24

120

110

25–34

136

173

35–44

214

178

45–54

220

55–59

102

60–64

125

237

65–74

292

75–84

107

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	763	23.1%
18 and over	2,533	76.9%
65 and over	824	25.0%
Median age	43.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.2%

Two or more races 3.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2%

Hispanic or Latino 1.5%

Asian 1.2%

Black or African American 0.5%

Other race 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	3,051	91.2%
Two or more races	113	3.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	67	2%
Hispanic or Latino	50	1.5%
Asian	41	1.2%
Black or African American	17	0.5%
Other race	7	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.8%	46.7%	39.4%
$50k – $100k	32.9%	33.8%	33.0%
$100k – $200k	16.3%	17.4%	22.4%
Over $200k	2.0%	2.1%	5.2%

Under $10k 2.4%

$10k–$15k 6.5%

$15k–$25k 10.2%

$25k–$35k 10.3%

$35k–$50k 14.7%

$50k–$75k 14.5%

$75k–$100k 16.8%

$100k–$150k 16.0%

$150k–$200k 3.9%

$200k+ 4.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.4%
$10k–$15k	6.5%
$15k–$25k	10.2%
$25k–$35k	10.3%
$35k–$50k	14.7%
$50k–$75k	14.5%
$75k–$100k	16.8%
$100k–$150k	16.0%
$150k–$200k	3.9%
$200k+	4.7%
Median income	$59,732

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.3%

$50k–$100k 10.0%

$100k–$150k 19.6%

$150k–$200k 16.0%

$200k–$300k 27.0%

$300k–$500k 14.0%

$500k–$1M 6.3%

$1M+ 1.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$196,600
Median rent / month	$833
Owner occupied	81.3%
Renter occupied	18.7%
Vacant	32.2%
Single-family detached	84.2%
Large apartment buildings	3.7%
Mobile homes	5.8%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.72

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	5.3%
2000–2009	22.1%
1990–1999	10.8%
1980–1989	9.0%
1970–1979	20.5%
1960–1969	8.3%
1950–1959	7.3%
1940–1949	3.4%
1939 or earlier	13.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.7%
1 bedroom	9.8%
2 bedrooms	26.9%
3 bedrooms	38.3%
4 bedrooms	17.4%
5+ bedrooms	4.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.3%
1 vehicle	27.1%
2 vehicles	42.3%
3 or more	25.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	37.0%
Electricity	10.7%
Propane / LP gas	39.3%
Fuel oil	0.7%
Wood	10.4%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	665	53.4%
Cohabiting couple	95	7.6%
Male householder, no spouse	137	11.0%
Female householder, no spouse	348	28.0%
Households with children under 18	359	28.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	499	40.1%
Average household size	2.56

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.3%	23.7%
Married	59.8%	51.7%
Separated	0.8%	0.2%
Widowed	2.3%	13.0%
Divorced	10.7%	11.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.4%

Some HS, no diploma 4.4%

HS graduate 30.4%

Some college, no degree 26.7%

Associate's degree 13.8%

Bachelor's degree 15.4%

Graduate / professional 7.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	94.2%
Bachelor's or higher	23.2%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	48	5.9%
Kindergarten	79	9.8%
Elementary school	316	39.1%
High school	241	29.8%
College / grad school	125	15.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.7%

Manufacturing 15.3%

Retail trade 10.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.7%

Public administration 7.2%

Construction 7.0%

Transportation & utilities 5.6%

Finance & real estate 5.4%

Professional & management 4.4%

Agriculture & mining 3.9%

Other services 3.7%

Information 1.6%

Wholesale trade 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	29.5%
Service	20.0%
Sales & office	22.5%
Natural resources & construction	13.6%
Production & transportation	14.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.1%
Government	17.7%
Self-employed	8.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.3%
Carpool	10.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.6%
Work from home	8.7%
Other means	1.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.3

Poverty

All people 10.3%

Under 18 years 9.6%

18 and over 10.5%

Married-couple families 7.7%

Female-led households 9.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.7%
Retirement income	31.5%
Supplemental Security	6.3%
Cash public assistance	3.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	34.1%
High blood pressure	35.1%
High cholesterol	36.9%
Diabetes	10.8%
Heart disease	8.0%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	9.9%
Arthritis	29.1%
Kidney disease	3.5%
Pulmonary disease	7.7%
Cancer	8.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.3%
Binge drinking	21.6%
No physical activity	22.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.1%
Depression	20.4%
Fair or poor health	14.0%
Poor mental health	13.1%
Poor physical health	11.4%
No health insurance	9.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.0%
Visited dentist	67.6%
Cholesterol screening	89.1%
Teeth loss	13.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	240	9.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.4%
Under 18	2.0%
18–64 years	14.0%
65 and over	35.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	66.2%
Public insurance	45.8%
No insurance	5.0%
Uninsured under 19	3.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,139	95.2%
Spanish	7	0.2%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	3	0.1%
Other languages	4	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,232	98.1%
Born in same state	3,230	98.0%
Born in different state	2,143	65.0%
Foreign born	2	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	64	1.9%
Not a US citizen	54	84.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	382	11.6%
Italian	344	10.4%
French	215	6.5%
Arab	147	4.5%
Dutch	107	3.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	60	1.8%
German	44	1.3%
Irish	7	0.2%
Norwegian	1	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.8%
Internet access	91.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 54871

What city is ZIP code 54871 in?

ZIP code 54871 is primarily assigned to Shell Lake, Wisconsin.

What county is ZIP code 54871 in?

ZIP code 54871 falls within Washburn County, Wisconsin.

Does ZIP code 54871 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 54871 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 54871 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 54871 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 54871 have a large veteran population?

10% of civilians in ZIP code 54871 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 54871?

ZIP code 54871 has an estimated population of 3,296 residents, with a density of 28 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 54871 in?

ZIP code 54871 observes the CST timezone.