PlainZIP

Ruth, MI · standard

ZIP Code 48470

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

784
8/sq mi
$58,594
Median income
$188,500
Median home value
15.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

27th pct
household income, US ZIPs
40th pct
home value, US ZIPs
8
people per sq mi
84%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 48470 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 48470 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Ruth, Huron County, Michigan, home to just 784 residents across 103.2 square miles, a density of 8 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.

ZIP 48470 reports a modest median household income of $58,594 (20% below the Michigan average), while per-capita income is $33,107. Poverty here runs at 15.8%, with unemployment measured at 1.9%. Housing costs here run $188,500 for a typical home value (14% below the state average), with rent averaging $930 a month; 84.1% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 15.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 50.6, and the average commute is 21 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 4 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 48470, plus 6 more within Huron 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 →

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 48470, Ruth, 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

784

Population

103.2

Area (sq mi)

8

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 48470?

50.6

Median Age

52.2%

Male

47.8%

Female

0.3%

Foreign-Born

White 96.0%
African American 0.2%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.3%
Hispanic or Latino 0.3%

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?

$58,594

Median Household Income

-20% vs state

$33,107

Per Capita Income

15.8%

Poverty Rate

1.9%

Unemployment Rate

20.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 48470 ranks nationally

Ruth, MI household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$58,594 27th percentile higher than 27% 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 69.3%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 15.5%

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

What does housing look like?

300

Total Housing Units

277

Occupied Units

23

Vacant Units

2.16

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 84.1%
Renter 15.9%

$188,500

Median Home Value

-14% vs state

$930

Median Rent

1957

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 18 business establishments in ZIP 48470, employing approximately 82 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,945,000.

18

Businesses

82

Employees

$2.9M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 5 27.8%
Transportation and warehousing 4 22.2%

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 48470 vs 48456 →

ZIP 48470 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 48470 ranks #3 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 48470 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 48470 ranks #3 of 5 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
48456 Minden City, MI 858 4.3 mi
48441 Harbor Beach, MI 4,085 5.5 mi
48465 Palms, MI 629 8.5 mi
48434 Forestville, MI 104 8.8 mi

More ZIP Codes in Huron County

48413 standard
Bad Axe, MI
Pop: 7,551
48441 standard
Harbor Beach, MI
Pop: 4,085
48759 standard
Sebewaing, MI
Pop: 3,293
48755 standard
Pigeon, MI
Pop: 3,110
48475 standard
Ubly, MI
Pop: 2,766
48725 standard
Caseville, MI
Pop: 2,464

Related Areas

Huron County Ruth, MI Michigan

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 48470 in? ▼
ZIP code 48470 (Ruth) is located in Huron County, Michigan. Huron County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/huron-mi.
What is the population of ZIP code 48470? ▼
ZIP code 48470 in Ruth, MI has a population of 784 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 48470? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 48470 is $58,594, which is 23% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 48470? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 48470 is $188,500, which is 32% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 48470? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 48470 is White at 96.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 48470? ▼
ZIP code 48470 has 18 business establishments employing approximately 82 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 48470? ▼
In ZIP code 48470, 69.3% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 15.5% 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 48470? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 48470 is 20.9 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 48470? ▼
In ZIP code 48470, approximately 84.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 15.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 48470? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 48470 is 15.8% 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.