Royal Center, IN · standard
ZIP Code 46978
Cass County, Indiana - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,059
- 13/sq mi Low-density area
- $78,750
- Median income Near-median income area
- $130,000
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 19.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Royal Center pairs an above-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 40%
- household income, US ZIPs
- 20th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 13
- people per sq mi
- 86%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 46978 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 46978 covers 164.7 square miles in Royal Center, Cass County, Indiana (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,059 residents on file, a density of 13 people per square mile, in the Indiana/Indianapolis time zone.
ZIP 46978 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $78,750 (7% above the average Indiana ZIP), while per-capita income is $32,171. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 6.5% and unemployment is 3.0%. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $130,000 (33% below the average Indiana ZIP), and median rent is $828; owner occupancy is 86.0%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 19.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.5, and the average commute is 33 minutes. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Cass County, so 46978 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 46978
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Royal Center, IN
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 46978.
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
5 establishments
- Construction
Construction
4 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
4 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
3 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
3 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 46978, Royal Center, IN · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
2,059
Population
164.7
Area (sq mi)
13
People / sq mi
Indiana/Indianapolis
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 46978?
41.5
Median Age
49.4%
Male
50.6%
Female
1.9%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$78,750
Median Household Income
+7% vs state ZIP avg
$32,171
Per Capita Income
6.5%
Poverty Rate
3.0%
Unemployment Rate
32.5 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 46978 ranks among Indiana ZIPs
Royal Center, IN household income vs. every Indiana ZIP code
Median household income among 721 reporting Indiana ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$78,750 Top 33% higher than 67% of 721 Indiana ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Indiana ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
977housing units
977
Total Housing Units
826
Occupied Units
151
Vacant Units
2.46
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$130,000
Median Home Value
-33% vs state ZIP avg
$828
Median Rent
1949
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 27 business establishments in ZIP 46978, employing approximately 196 people with a combined annual payroll of $8,055,000.
27
Businesses
196
Employees
$8.1M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Other services (except public administration) | 5 | 18.5% |
| Construction | 4 | 14.8% |
| Retail trade | 4 | 14.8% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 3 | 11.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 3 | 11.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 46978 vs 46985 →
ZIP 46978 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 46947
Logansport (46947)
28,866 residents
- 46939 2,101
Kewanna (46939)
2,101 residents
- 46978 2,059
Royal Center (46978)
2,059 residents
- 46985 1,441
Star City (46985)
1,441 residents
- 47926 1,097
Burnettsville (47926)
1,097 residents
- 47950 912
Idaville (47950)
912 residents
- 46950 643
Lucerne (46950)
643 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 46978 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 46978 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 46978
Royal Center (46978)
$78,750 median income
- 47926
Burnettsville (47926)
$77,917 median income
- 46939
Kewanna (46939)
$69,000 median income
- 46985
Star City (46985)
$59,063 median income
- 46947
Logansport (46947)
$54,791 median income
- 47950
Idaville (47950)
$49,271 median income
- 46950
Lucerne (46950)
$48,816 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 46978 ranks the highest of 7 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 46978, both outside IN so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (2,059 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Cass County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 46978 in?
ZIP code 46978 (Royal Center) is located in Cass County, Indiana. Cass County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/cass-in.
What is the population of ZIP code 46978?
ZIP code 46978 in Royal Center, IN has a population of 2,059 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 46978?
The median household income in ZIP 46978 is $78,750, which is 3% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 46978?
The median home value in ZIP 46978 is $130,000, which is 53% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 46978?
The largest racial group in ZIP 46978 is White at 91.5%.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 46978?
ZIP code 46978 has 27 business establishments employing approximately 196 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 46978?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 46978 are: Other services (except public administration) (5), Construction (4), Retail trade (4). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 46978?
In ZIP code 46978, 60.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 19.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 46978?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 46978 is 32.5 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 46978?
In ZIP code 46978, approximately 86.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 14.0% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 46978?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 46978 is 6.5% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 46978's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 46978 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Royal Center, IN ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.