PlainZIP

Romulus, MI · standard

ZIP Code 48174

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

31,515
297/sq mi
$67,056
Median income
$162,100
Median home value
16.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Romulus pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

42th pct
household income, US ZIPs
31th pct
home value, US ZIPs
297
people per sq mi
74%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 48174 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 48174 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Romulus, Wayne County, Michigan, with 31,515 residents across 106.2 square miles, a density of 297 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.

ZIP 48174 reports a modest median household income of $67,056 (9% below the Michigan average), while per-capita income is $31,379. The poverty rate stands at 13.3% and the unemployment rate at 5.8%. The typical home here is valued at $162,100 (26% below the state average); renters pay a median of $1,058 monthly, and 74.2% of units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.4, and the average commute is 26 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 48174, plus 6 more within Wayne County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

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 48174

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Romulus, MI

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 48174.

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 48174, Romulus, MI · 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

31,515

Population

106.2

Area (sq mi)

297

People / sq mi

Detroit

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 48174?

37.4

Median Age

50.2%

Male

49.8%

Female

3.2%

Foreign-Born

White 51.4%
African American 36.7%
Asian 1.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 9.7%
Hispanic or Latino 2.8%

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?

$67,056

Median Household Income

-9% vs state

$31,379

Per Capita Income

13.3%

Poverty Rate

5.8%

Unemployment Rate

25.5 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 48174 ranks nationally

Romulus, MI household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$67,056 42nd percentile higher than 42% 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 53.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 16.7%

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

What does housing look like?

13,403

Total Housing Units

12,362

Occupied Units

1,041

Vacant Units

2.59

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 74.2%
Renter 25.8%

$162,100

Median Home Value

-26% vs state

$1,058

Median Rent

1975

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

+9.5%

YoY Change (2024)

174

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+74%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 48174 have increased 9.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +74% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +3.4% 116
2021 +10.6% 128
2022 +23.2% 158
2023 +0.6% 159
2024 +9.5% 174

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 849 business establishments in ZIP 48174, employing approximately 27,008 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,540,098,000.

849

Businesses

27,008

Employees

$1.5B

Annual Payroll

16

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Transportation and warehousing 198 23.3%
Retail trade 89 10.5%
Accommodation and food services 82 9.7%
Construction 74 8.7%
Manufacturing 74 8.7%
Other services (except public administration) 66 7.8%
Wholesale trade 63 7.4%
Health care and social assistance 60 7.1%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 53 6.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing 32 3.8%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 27 3.2%
Finance and insurance 8 0.9%
Management of companies and enterprises 7 0.8%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 6 0.7%
Educational services 5 0.6%
Information 4 0.5%

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 48174 vs 48242 →

ZIP 48174 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 48174 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 48174 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 48174 ranks #3 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
48242 Detroit, MI 0 0.2 mi
48180 Taylor, MI 63,131 4.5 mi
48184 Wayne, MI 17,643 5.0 mi
48186 Westland, MI 36,506 6.0 mi
48164 New Boston, MI 9,175 5.9 mi
48141 Inkster, MI 25,366 6.2 mi
48135 Garden City, MI 27,665 8.0 mi
48195 Southgate, MI 30,047 7.6 mi
48185 Westland, MI 47,618 8.9 mi
48125 Dearborn Heights, MI 21,273 6.6 mi

More ZIP Codes in Wayne County

48180 standard
Taylor, MI
Pop: 63,131
48228 standard
Detroit, MI
Pop: 52,130
48187 standard
Canton, MI
Pop: 49,148
48185 standard
Westland, MI
Pop: 47,618
48126 standard
Dearborn, MI
Pop: 47,465
48219 standard
Detroit, MI
Pop: 46,931

Related Areas

Wayne County Romulus, MI Michigan

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 48174 in? ▼
ZIP code 48174 (Romulus) is located in Wayne County, Michigan. Wayne County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/wayne-mi.
What is the population of ZIP code 48174? ▼
ZIP code 48174 in Romulus, MI has a population of 31,515 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 48174? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 48174 is $67,056, which is 12% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 48174? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 48174 is $162,100, which is 42% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 48174? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 48174 is White at 51.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 48174? ▼
ZIP code 48174 has 849 business establishments employing approximately 27,008 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 48174? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 48174 are: Transportation and warehousing (198), Retail trade (89), Accommodation and food services (82). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 48174? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 48174 increased by 9.5% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 74%. 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 48174? ▼
In ZIP code 48174, 53.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.7% 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 48174? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 48174 is 25.5 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 48174? ▼
In ZIP code 48174, approximately 74.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 25.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 48174? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 48174 is 13.3% 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.