Carlisle, IN · standard
ZIP Code 47838
Sullivan County, Indiana - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 4,081
- 15/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $61,875
- Median income Below-median income area
- $129,000
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 8.1%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Carlisle pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 33rd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 20th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 15
- people per sq mi
- 86%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 47838 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 47838 covers 273.9 square miles in Carlisle, Sullivan County, Indiana (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 4,081 residents on file, a density of 15 people per square mile, in the Indiana/Indianapolis time zone.
ZIP 47838 reports a modest median household income of $61,875 (16% below the average Indiana ZIP), while per-capita income is $22,295. The poverty rate is 18.0%, with unemployment at 9.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $129,000 (33% below the average Indiana ZIP), and median rent is $671; owner occupancy is 85.9%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 8.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.4, and the average commute is 25 minutes. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Sullivan County, so 47838 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 47838
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Carlisle, IN
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 47838.
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
6 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
5 establishments
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
4 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
4 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
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 47838, Carlisle, 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
4,081
Population
273.9
Area (sq mi)
15
People / sq mi
Indiana/Indianapolis
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 47838?
39.4
Median Age
72.8%
Male
27.2%
Female
0.9%
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?
$61,875
Median Household Income
-16% vs state ZIP avg
$22,295
Per Capita Income
18.0%
Poverty Rate
9.0%
Unemployment Rate
24.9 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 47838 ranks among Indiana ZIPs
Carlisle, 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)
$61,875 30th percentile higher than 30% 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
906housing units
906
Total Housing Units
786
Occupied Units
120
Vacant Units
2.76
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$129,000
Median Home Value
-33% vs state ZIP avg
$671
Median Rent
1973
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 32 business establishments in ZIP 47838, employing approximately 659 people with a combined annual payroll of $52,425,000.
32
Businesses
659
Employees
$52.4M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 6 | 18.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 5 | 15.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 4 | 12.5% |
| Retail trade | 4 | 12.5% |
| Health care and social assistance | 4 | 12.5% |
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 47838 vs 47865 →
ZIP 47838 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 47882
Sullivan (47882)
8,430 residents
- 47838
Carlisle (47838)
4,081 residents
- 47848 1,691
Dugger (47848)
1,691 residents
- 47561 1,588
Oaktown (47561)
1,588 residents
- 47535 566
Freelandville (47535)
566 residents
- 47528 476
Edwardsport (47528)
476 residents
- 47865 79
Paxton (47865)
79 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 47838 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 47838 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 47535
Freelandville (47535)
$70,236 median income
- 47838
Carlisle (47838)
$61,875 median income
- 47848
Dugger (47848)
$60,581 median income
- 47528
Edwardsport (47528)
$57,692 median income
- 47882
Sullivan (47882)
$57,637 median income
- 47561
Oaktown (47561)
$45,911 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 47838 ranks #2 of 6 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 47838, 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 (4,081 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Sullivan County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 47838 in?
ZIP code 47838 (Carlisle) is located in Sullivan County, Indiana. Sullivan County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/sullivan-in.
What is the population of ZIP code 47838?
ZIP code 47838 in Carlisle, IN has a population of 4,081 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 47838?
The median household income in ZIP 47838 is $61,875, which is 19% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 47838?
The median home value in ZIP 47838 is $129,000, which is 54% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 47838?
The largest racial group in ZIP 47838 is White at 75.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 3.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 47838?
ZIP code 47838 has 32 business establishments employing approximately 659 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 47838?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 47838 are: Accommodation and food services (6), Transportation and warehousing (5), Wholesale trade (4). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 47838?
In ZIP code 47838, 61.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 8.1% 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 47838?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 47838 is 24.9 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend less time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 47838?
In ZIP code 47838, approximately 85.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 14.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 47838?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 47838 is 18.0% 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 47838's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 47838 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Carlisle, 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.