City profile · Wisconsin · Census ACS 2023

Rhinelander, WI

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Rhinelander — drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

8,248
Residents
$53,561
Median income
$123,300
Median home
$1,097
Median rent

Data Snapshot: Rhinelander, WI

Rhinelander is a city in Wisconsin with a population of 8,248 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $53,561 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 6.1%. Typical homes in Rhinelander are valued around $123,300, and the median resident age is 38.9 years. About 21.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 57.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 6 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 100% from five years earlier. FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1815.5 incidents per 1,000 residents, above the national average, indicating elevated public-safety concerns. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 40.0°F with 34.4 inches of precipitation per year and 62.2 inches of snowfall.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Wisconsin registers 94.1 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,097 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $225 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Rhinelander report an average commute of 13.7 minutes, with 77.9% driving alone and 4.3% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 59.1 out of 100 (Moderate).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

8,248 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Wisconsin

Median Household Income

$53,561 /yr

Poverty 6.1%

Cost of Living Index

94.1 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does Rhinelander compare to other US cities?

Where Rhinelander sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 25% higher than other cities
Home value 19% pricier than other cities
Median rent 29% pricier than other cities
Safety 36% safer than other cities

Percentiles compare Rhinelander against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — Rhinelander, WI Quintile shares of aggregate household income for Rhinelander, WI. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Rhinelander, WI — median $53,561/yr — Census ACS quintile shares QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Household income distribution for Rhinelander, WI — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 21.7%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 6.1%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 57.2%

Census ACS S2301 — share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
8,248
Median Income
$53,561
Median Home Value
$123,300
Median Age
38.9
Poverty Rate
6.1%
Labor force participation
57.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
21.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1815.5
per 1,000 residents
Violent Crime
98.1
per 1,000 residents
Property Crime
1717.4
per 1,000 residents

Climate

Avg Temperature
40.0°F
Annual Precipitation
34.4"
Annual Snowfall
62.2"

Schools

Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) — annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
6
housing units authorized
Single-Family
6
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.7
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 3
2020 0
2021 19
2022 2
2023 24
2024 6

Permit volume increased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
13.7 minutes
Drive Alone
77.9%
Carpool
9.8%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
5.3%
Work from Home
4.3%
Other
2.7%

Based on 3,783 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Wisconsin — EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$100
avg/month
Natural Gas
$80
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$45
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Wisconsin state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Wisconsin state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
94.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,097/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
59.1 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — Rhinelander, WI Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Rhinelander, WI — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How Rhinelander compares to nearby Wisconsin cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (Rhinelander) plus the nearest peer cities in Wisconsin, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

WI

Rhinelander

53.56% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$53,561
Brackets
8
Selected

WI

Somers

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$820
Brackets
8
Selected

WI

Sheboygan Falls

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$820
Brackets
8
Selected

WI

Mukwonago

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$840
Brackets
8
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WI FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Rhinelander, WI?

What is the population of Rhinelander, WI? +

Rhinelander, WI has a population of 8,248 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Rhinelander, WI? +

The median household income in Rhinelander is $53,561 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Rhinelander? +

Rhinelander has a cost of living index of 94.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

Is Rhinelander, WI safe? +

Rhinelander has a total crime rate of 1815.5 per 1,000 residents, which is above the national average. Source: FBI UCR data.

What is the median home value in Rhinelander, WI? +

The median home value in Rhinelander is $123,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Rhinelander? +

Rhinelander has an average annual temperature of 40.0°F, 34.4 inches of precipitation, and 62.2 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →