Santa Claus, IN · standard
ZIP Code 47579
Spencer County, Indiana - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,659
- 89/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $87,926
- Median income Above-median income area
- $258,300
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 41.3%
- Bachelor's or higher Above-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Santa Claus pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 29%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 41%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 89
- people per sq mi
- 91%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 47579 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 47579 covers 30.0 square miles in Santa Claus, Spencer County, Indiana (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,659 residents on file, a density of 89 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 47579 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $87,926 (19% above the average Indiana ZIP), while per-capita income is $41,037. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 3.6% and unemployment is 1.8%. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $258,300 (33% above the average Indiana ZIP), while 90.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $1,115.
A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 41.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.6, and the average commute is 28 minutes. The page also surfaces 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Spencer County, so 47579 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 47579
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Santa Claus, IN
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 47579.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
15 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
9 establishments
- Finance and insurance
Finance and insurance
7 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
7 establishments
- Real estate and rental and leasing 4
Real estate and rental and leasing
4 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 47579, Santa Claus, 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
2,659
Population
30.0
Area (sq mi)
89
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 47579?
43.6
Median Age
51.7%
Male
48.3%
Female
0.4%
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?
$87,926
Median Household Income
+19% vs state ZIP avg
$41,037
Per Capita Income
3.6%
Poverty Rate
1.8%
Unemployment Rate
28.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 47579 ranks among Indiana ZIPs
Santa Claus, 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)
$87,926 Top 20% higher than 80% 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
1,164housing units
1,164
Total Housing Units
1,101
Occupied Units
63
Vacant Units
2.62
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$258,300
Median Home Value
+33% vs state ZIP avg
$1,115
Median Rent
1994
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 65 business establishments in ZIP 47579, employing approximately 1,189 people with a combined annual payroll of $44,841,000.
65
Businesses
1,189
Employees
$44.8M
Annual Payroll
9
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 15 | 23.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 9 | 13.8% |
| Finance and insurance | 7 | 10.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7 | 10.8% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 4 | 6.2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 4 | 6.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 4 | 6.2% |
| Construction | 3 | 4.6% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 3 | 4.6% |
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 47579 vs 47550 →
ZIP 47579 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 47532
Ferdinand (47532)
4,627 residents
- 47523
Dale (47523)
3,435 residents
- 47579
Santa Claus (47579)
2,659 residents
- 47615 1,611
Grandview (47615)
1,611 residents
- 47611 1,257
Chrisney (47611)
1,257 residents
- 47577 1,143
Saint Meinrad (47577)
1,143 residents
- 47531 1,004
Evanston (47531)
1,004 residents
- 47550 854
Lamar (47550)
854 residents
- 47588 698
Troy (47588)
698 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 47579 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 47579 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 47552
Lincoln City (47552)
$146,141 median income
- 47531
Evanston (47531)
$140,595 median income
- 47579
Santa Claus (47579)
$87,926 median income
- 47532
Ferdinand (47532)
$84,750 median income
- 47550
Lamar (47550)
$80,625 median income
- 47523
Dale (47523)
$66,548 median income
- 47615
Grandview (47615)
$66,458 median income
- 47588 $57,315
Troy (47588)
$57,315 median income
- 47611 $56,875
Chrisney (47611)
$56,875 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 47579 ranks #3 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 47550 | Lamar, IN | 854 | 3.4 mi |
| 47552 | Lincoln City, IN | 182 | 4.3 mi |
| 47536 | Fulda, IN | 40 | 4.5 mi |
| 47531 | Evanston, IN | 1,004 | 6.3 mi |
| 47577 | Saint Meinrad, IN | 1,143 | 6.6 mi |
| 47532 | Ferdinand, IN | 4,627 | 8.0 mi |
| 47523 | Dale, IN | 3,435 | 7.2 mi |
| 47588 | Troy, IN | 698 | 8.2 mi |
| 47615 | Grandview, IN | 1,611 | 10.1 mi |
| 47611 | Chrisney, IN | 1,257 | 9.4 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 47579, 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 (2,659 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Spencer County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 47579 in?
ZIP code 47579 (Santa Claus) is located in Spencer County, Indiana. Spencer County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/spencer-in.
What is the population of ZIP code 47579?
ZIP code 47579 in Santa Claus, IN has a population of 2,659 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 47579?
The median household income in ZIP 47579 is $87,926, which is 15% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 47579?
The median home value in ZIP 47579 is $258,300, which is 7% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 47579?
The largest racial group in ZIP 47579 is White at 95.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 47579?
ZIP code 47579 has 65 business establishments employing approximately 1,189 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 47579?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 47579 are: Retail trade (15), Accommodation and food services (9), Finance and insurance (7). There are 9 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 47579?
In ZIP code 47579, 68.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 41.3% 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 47579?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 47579 is 28.2 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 47579?
In ZIP code 47579, approximately 90.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 9.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 47579?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 47579 is 3.6% 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 47579's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 47579 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Santa Claus, IN ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.