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 Moderate-density area
- $71,616
- Median income Near-median income area
- $189,200
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 19.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Rensselaer pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 49th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 41st 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.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 47978 (Rensselaer, IN) rose +6.0% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 181.3 in 2023 to 192.3 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
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 average Indiana ZIP), while per-capita income is $33,531. The poverty rate is 10.2%, with unemployment at 4.4%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $189,200 (2% below the average Indiana ZIP) and median rent is $936; 73.7% of occupied 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. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the Indiana and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 47978.
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.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
45 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
34 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
30 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
28 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
27 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 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
Who lives in ZIP 47978?
38.1
Median Age
48.5%
Male
51.5%
Female
6.6%
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?
$71,616
Median Household Income
-3% vs state ZIP avg
$33,531
Per Capita Income
10.2%
Poverty Rate
4.4%
Unemployment Rate
25.2 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 47978 ranks among Indiana ZIPs
Rensselaer, 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)
$71,616 Top 49% higher than 51% 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
4,309housing units
4,309
Total Housing Units
3,959
Occupied Units
350
Vacant Units
2.49
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$189,200
Median Home Value
-2% vs state ZIP avg
$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.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 47978, 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 (11,793 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Jasper County
Related Areas
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.
Related
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What to do with ZIP 47978's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 47978 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
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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.