PlainZIP

Detroit, MI · standard

ZIP Code 48217

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

8,210
1,389/sq mi
$44,447
Median income
$65,500
Median home value
12.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Detroit pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.

9th pct
household income, US ZIPs
2th pct
home value, US ZIPs
1,389
people per sq mi
63%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 48217 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 48217 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, home to 8,210 residents across 5.9 square miles, a density of 1,389 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.

ZIP 48217 reports a modest median household income of $44,447 (39% below the Michigan average), while per-capita income is $24,277. Poverty here runs at 20.0%, with unemployment measured at 7.1%. The typical home here is valued at $65,500 (70% below the state average); renters pay a median of $966 monthly, and 63.3% of units are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 33.4, and the average commute is 30 minutes. To put 48217 in local context, 10 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Wayne County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 48217

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Detroit, MI

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 48217.

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 48217, Detroit, 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

8,210

Population

5.9

Area (sq mi)

1,389

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 48217?

33.4

Median Age

49.5%

Male

50.5%

Female

3.4%

Foreign-Born

White 6.2%
African American 70.6%
Asian 0.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 16.3%
Hispanic or Latino 16.8%

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?

$44,447

Median Household Income

-39% vs state

$24,277

Per Capita Income

20.0%

Poverty Rate

7.1%

Unemployment Rate

29.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 48217 ranks nationally

Detroit, MI household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$44,447 9th percentile higher than 9% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 51.0%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 12.5%

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

What does housing look like?

3,139

Total Housing Units

2,677

Occupied Units

462

Vacant Units

2.45

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 63.3%
Renter 36.7%

$65,500

Median Home Value

-70% vs state

$966

Median Rent

1951

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 91 business establishments in ZIP 48217, employing approximately 1,605 people with a combined annual payroll of $129,986,000.

91

Businesses

1,605

Employees

$130.0M

Annual Payroll

9

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 20 22.0%
Other services (except public administration) 18 19.8%
Transportation and warehousing 10 11.0%
Wholesale trade 8 8.8%
Construction 7 7.7%
Manufacturing 7 7.7%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 5 5.5%
Health care and social assistance 4 4.4%
Management of companies and enterprises 3 3.3%

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 48217 vs 48122 →

ZIP 48217 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 48217 ranks #0 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 48217 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 48217 ranks #5 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
48122 Melvindale, MI 10,727 1.2 mi
48218 River Rouge, MI 7,903 1.4 mi
48229 Ecorse, MI 9,556 2.0 mi
48120 Dearborn, MI 8,274 2.2 mi
48146 Lincoln Park, MI 38,098 2.8 mi
48209 Detroit, MI 32,262 2.7 mi
48101 Allen Park, MI 28,200 3.2 mi
48126 Dearborn, MI 47,465 3.6 mi
48192 Wyandotte, MI 25,883 4.8 mi
48210 Detroit, MI 31,017 4.2 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 Detroit, MI Michigan

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 48217 in? ▼
ZIP code 48217 (Detroit) 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 48217? ▼
ZIP code 48217 in Detroit, MI has a population of 8,210 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 48217? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 48217 is $44,447, which is 42% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 48217? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 48217 is $65,500, which is 76% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 48217? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 48217 is African American at 70.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 16.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 48217? ▼
ZIP code 48217 has 91 business establishments employing approximately 1,605 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 48217? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 48217 are: Retail trade (20), Other services (except public administration) (18), Transportation and warehousing (10). There are 9 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 48217? ▼
In ZIP code 48217, 51.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 12.5% 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 48217? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 48217 is 29.9 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 48217? ▼
In ZIP code 48217, approximately 63.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 36.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 48217? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 48217 is 20.0% 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.