ZIP 49012 vs ZIP 49060

This side-by-side compares ZIP 49012 (Augusta, MI) and ZIP 49060 (Hickory Corners, MI) using the same Census ACS 5-Year table fields for both — no averages swapped in, no national proxies. ZIP 49012 has a population of 3,339 at 42 people per square mile, while ZIP 49060 has 1,738 at 36 per square mile. That difference in population size and density alone reshapes how every other metric should be interpreted — a higher-income ZIP with 1,200 residents behaves very differently from one with 45,000.

On income and education, ZIP 49012 reports a median household income of $73,125 against $134,861 in ZIP 49060, with per-capita income of $41,628 vs $129,447. The share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher is 34.8% in 49012 and 69.3% in 49060. Poverty rate reads 8.9% vs 0.6%, and unemployment 5.9% vs 5.1% — these four fields alone drive most of the difference in the scorecard grades you will see for each ZIP.

Housing separates these two ZIPs further: median home value sits at $253,900 in 49012 versus — in 49060, with median rent of $932 and $347 per month respectively. Homeownership rate is 85.0% vs 83.2%. When reading the comparison table below, focus on paired metrics rather than single winners — a ZIP with lower home values and lower income is not strictly "worse" if rent-to-income ratios and commute times land in the same zone. Every value is pulled from the exact same ACS table so the two columns are genuinely comparable.