PlainZIP

Rensselaer, IN · standard

ZIP Code 47978

Jasper County, Indiana - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

11,793
18/sq mi
$71,616
Median income
$189,200
Median home value
19.2%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Rensselaer pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

49th pct
household income, US ZIPs
41th pct
home value, US ZIPs
18
people per sq mi
74%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 47978 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 47978 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Rensselaer, Jasper County, Indiana, home to 11,793 residents across 666.3 square miles, a density of 18 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.

ZIP 47978 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $71,616 (3% below the Indiana average), while per-capita income is $33,531. 10.2% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 4.4%. Housing costs here run $189,200 for a typical home value (2% below the state average), with rent averaging $936 a month; 73.7% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 19.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.1, and the average commute is 25 minutes. Use the benchmarks above to see where 47978 sits relative to Indiana and the national baseline rather than viewing the numbers in isolation.

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 47978

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Rensselaer, IN

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 47978.

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 · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

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 47978, Rensselaer, 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

11,793

Population

666.3

Area (sq mi)

18

People / sq mi

Chicago

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 47978?

38.1

Median Age

48.5%

Male

51.5%

Female

6.6%

Foreign-Born

White 82.9%
African American 1.5%
Asian 0.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 7.5%
Hispanic or Latino 11.1%

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?

$71,616

Median Household Income

-3% vs state

$33,531

Per Capita Income

10.2%

Poverty Rate

4.4%

Unemployment Rate

25.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 47978 ranks nationally

Rensselaer, IN household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$71,616 49th percentile higher than 49% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 55.2%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 19.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

4,309

Total Housing Units

3,959

Occupied Units

350

Vacant Units

2.49

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 73.7%
Renter 26.3%

$189,200

Median Home Value

-2% vs state

$936

Median Rent

1972

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+6.0%

YoY Change (2024)

192

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+92%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 47978 have increased 6.0% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +92% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +3.0% 139
2021 +9.3% 152
2022 +11.4% 169
2023 +7.3% 181
2024 +6.0% 192

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 313 business establishments in ZIP 47978, employing approximately 3,585 people with a combined annual payroll of $188,289,000.

313

Businesses

3,585

Employees

$188.3M

Annual Payroll

14

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 45 14.4%
Other services (except public administration) 34 10.9%
Health care and social assistance 30 9.6%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 28 8.9%
Accommodation and food services 27 8.6%
Wholesale trade 25 8.0%
Transportation and warehousing 23 7.3%
Manufacturing 22 7.0%
Finance and insurance 21 6.7%
Construction 19 6.1%
Information 10 3.2%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 9 2.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing 7 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 7 2.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

More ZIP Codes in Jasper County

46310 standard
Demotte, IN
Pop: 13,565
46392 standard
Wheatfield, IN
Pop: 7,957
47977 standard
Remington, IN
Pop: 2,206
47943 standard
Fair Oaks, IN
Pop: 932

Related Areas

Jasper County Rensselaer, IN Indiana

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 47978 in? ▼
ZIP code 47978 (Rensselaer) is located in Jasper County, Indiana. Jasper County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/jasper-in.
What is the population of ZIP code 47978? ▼
ZIP code 47978 in Rensselaer, IN has a population of 11,793 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 47978? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 47978 is $71,616, which is 6% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 47978? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 47978 is $189,200, which is 32% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 47978? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 47978 is White at 82.9%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 47978? ▼
ZIP code 47978 has 313 business establishments employing approximately 3,585 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 47978? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 47978 are: Retail trade (45), Other services (except public administration) (34), Health care and social assistance (30). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 47978? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 47978 increased by 6.0% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 92%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 47978? ▼
In ZIP code 47978, 55.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 19.2% 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 47978? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 47978 is 25.2 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 47978? ▼
In ZIP code 47978, approximately 73.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 26.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 47978? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 47978 is 10.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.