Shelburn, IN · standard
ZIP Code 47879
Sullivan County, Indiana - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,302
- 22/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $54,750
- Median income Below-median income area
- $93,500
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 12.7%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Shelburn pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 21st pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 8th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 22
- people per sq mi
- 78%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 47879 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 47879 covers 153.6 square miles in Shelburn, Sullivan County, Indiana (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,302 residents on file, a density of 22 people per square mile, in the Indiana/Indianapolis time zone.
ZIP 47879 reports a modest median household income of $54,750 (26% below the average Indiana ZIP), while per-capita income is $31,542. The poverty rate is 15.5%, with unemployment at 5.3%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $93,500 (52% below the average Indiana ZIP), and median rent is $762; owner occupancy is 77.9%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 46.3, and the average commute is 29 minutes. The page also surfaces 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Sullivan County, so 47879 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 47879
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Shelburn, IN
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 47879.
- Wholesale trade
Wholesale trade
5 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
4 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
4 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
4 establishments
- Construction
Construction
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 47879, Shelburn, 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
3,302
Population
153.6
Area (sq mi)
22
People / sq mi
Indiana/Indianapolis
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 47879?
46.3
Median Age
47.7%
Male
52.3%
Female
0.8%
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?
$54,750
Median Household Income
-26% vs state ZIP avg
$31,542
Per Capita Income
15.5%
Poverty Rate
5.3%
Unemployment Rate
28.7 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 47879 ranks among Indiana ZIPs
Shelburn, 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)
$54,750 15th percentile higher than 15% 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
1,330housing units
1,330
Total Housing Units
1,215
Occupied Units
115
Vacant Units
2.17
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$93,500
Median Home Value
-52% vs state ZIP avg
$762
Median Rent
1980
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 47879, employing approximately 154 people with a combined annual payroll of $5,964,000.
27
Businesses
154
Employees
$6.0M
Annual Payroll
5
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale trade | 5 | 18.5% |
| Retail trade | 4 | 14.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 4 | 14.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 4 | 14.8% |
| Construction | 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 47879 vs 47855 →
ZIP 47879 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
- 47879 3,302
Shelburn (47879)
3,302 residents
- 47850 2,456
Farmersburg (47850)
2,456 residents
- 47858 698
Lewis (47858)
698 residents
- 47855 546
Hymera (47855)
546 residents
- 47866 347
Pimento (47866)
347 residents
- 47869 137
Prairie Creek (47869)
137 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 47879 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 47879 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 47866
Pimento (47866)
$81,681 median income
- 47882
Sullivan (47882)
$57,637 median income
- 47879
Shelburn (47879)
$54,750 median income
- 47850
Farmersburg (47850)
$54,050 median income
- 47858
Lewis (47858)
$49,473 median income
- 47855
Hymera (47855)
$47,102 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 47879 ranks #3 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 47879, 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 (3,302 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 47879 in?
ZIP code 47879 (Shelburn) 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 47879?
ZIP code 47879 in Shelburn, IN has a population of 3,302 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 47879?
The median household income in ZIP 47879 is $54,750, which is 28% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 47879?
The median home value in ZIP 47879 is $93,500, which is 66% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 47879?
The largest racial group in ZIP 47879 is White at 98.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 47879?
ZIP code 47879 has 27 business establishments employing approximately 154 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 47879?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 47879 are: Wholesale trade (5), Retail trade (4), Transportation and warehousing (4). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 47879?
In ZIP code 47879, 50.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 12.7% 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 47879?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 47879 is 28.7 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 47879?
In ZIP code 47879, approximately 77.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 22.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 47879?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 47879 is 15.5% 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 47879's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 47879 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Shelburn, 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.