Applegate, MI · standard
ZIP Code 48401
Sanilac County, Michigan - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,439
- 17/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $70,536
- Median income Near-median income area
- $162,700
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 13.9%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Applegate pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 47th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 31st pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 17
- people per sq mi
- 81%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 48401 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 48401 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Applegate, Sanilac County, Michigan, home to just 1,439 residents across 85.7 square miles, a density of 17 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.
ZIP 48401 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $70,536 (4% below the average Michigan ZIP), while per-capita income is $37,096. The poverty rate is 13.4%, with unemployment at 3.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $162,700 (26% below the average Michigan ZIP), and median rent is $938; owner occupancy is 81.2%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 13.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 56.1, and the average commute is 37 minutes. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Sanilac County, so 48401 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 →
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 48401, Applegate, 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
1,439
Population
85.7
Area (sq mi)
17
People / sq mi
Detroit
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 48401?
56.1
Median Age
50.9%
Male
49.1%
Female
0.5%
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?
$70,536
Median Household Income
-4% vs state ZIP avg
$37,096
Per Capita Income
13.4%
Poverty Rate
3.0%
Unemployment Rate
36.8 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 48401 ranks among Michigan ZIPs
Applegate, MI household income vs. every Michigan ZIP code
Median household income among 962 reporting Michigan ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$70,536 Top 47% higher than 53% of 962 Michigan ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Michigan 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
700housing units
700
Total Housing Units
623
Occupied Units
77
Vacant Units
2.12
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$162,700
Median Home Value
-26% vs state ZIP avg
$938
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
+19.3%
YoY Change (2021)
141
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+41%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 48401 have increased 19.3% over the past year (2021). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +41% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +20.6% | 106 |
| 2018 | +12.6% | 119 |
| 2019 | +1.5% | 121 |
| 2020 | -1.8% | 118 |
| 2021 | +19.3% | 141 |
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 2021. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 11 business establishments in ZIP 48401, employing approximately 39 people with a combined annual payroll of $1,261,000.
11
Businesses
39
Employees
$1.3M
Annual Payroll
1
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 3 | 27.3% |
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 48401 vs 48419 →
ZIP 48401 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 48422
Croswell (48422)
6,400 residents
- 48450
Lexington (48450)
4,780 residents
- 48419
Carsonville (48419)
2,740 residents
- 48466 1,578
Peck (48466)
1,578 residents
- 48401 1,439
Applegate (48401)
1,439 residents
- 48469 1,245
Port Sanilac (48469)
1,245 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 48401 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 48401 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 48401
Applegate (48401)
$70,536 median income
- 48419
Carsonville (48419)
$59,485 median income
- 48466
Peck (48466)
$59,241 median income
- 48422
Croswell (48422)
$57,899 median income
- 48469
Port Sanilac (48469)
$56,023 median income
- 48450
Lexington (48450)
$52,962 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 48401 ranks the highest 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 48401, both outside MI so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (1,439 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Sanilac County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 48401 in?
ZIP code 48401 (Applegate) is located in Sanilac County, Michigan. Sanilac County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/sanilac-mi.
What is the population of ZIP code 48401?
ZIP code 48401 in Applegate, MI has a population of 1,439 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 48401?
The median household income in ZIP 48401 is $70,536, which is 8% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 48401?
The median home value in ZIP 48401 is $162,700, which is 42% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 48401?
The largest racial group in ZIP 48401 is White at 96.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.4% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 48401?
ZIP code 48401 has 11 business establishments employing approximately 39 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 48401?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 48401 increased by 19.3% in 2021. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 41%. 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 48401?
In ZIP code 48401, 61.2% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 13.9% 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 48401?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 48401 is 36.8 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 48401?
In ZIP code 48401, approximately 81.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 18.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 48401?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 48401 is 13.4% 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 48401's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 48401 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Applegate, MI ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.