Houghton Lake, MI · standard
ZIP Code 48629
Roscommon County, Michigan - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 7,854
- 38/sq mi
- $56,520
- Median income
- $156,000
- Median home value
- 17.6%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Houghton Lake pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 23rd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 28th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 38
- people per sq mi
- 84%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 48629 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 48629 (Houghton Lake, MI) rose +8.4% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 187.7 in 2023 to 203.5 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 48629 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Houghton Lake, Roscommon County, Michigan, home to 7,854 residents across 208.3 square miles, a density of 38 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.
ZIP 48629 reports a modest median household income of $56,520 (23% below the average Michigan ZIP), while per-capita income is $36,531. The poverty rate is 12.6%, with unemployment at 3.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $156,000 (29% below the average Michigan ZIP), and median rent is $828; owner occupancy is 84.4%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 17.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 58.8, and the average commute is 26 minutes. The page also surfaces 2 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 more in Roscommon County, so 48629 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 48629
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Houghton Lake, MI
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 48629.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
52 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
33 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
31 establishments
- Construction
Construction
29 establishments
- Health care and social assistance 17
Health care and social assistance
17 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 48629, Houghton Lake, 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
7,854
Population
208.3
Area (sq mi)
38
People / sq mi
Detroit
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 48629?
58.8
Median Age
49.7%
Male
50.3%
Female
1.3%
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?
$56,520
Median Household Income
-23% vs state ZIP avg
$36,531
Per Capita Income
12.6%
Poverty Rate
3.0%
Unemployment Rate
25.6 min
Mean Commute Time
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
7,328housing units
7,328
Total Housing Units
3,882
Occupied Units
3,446
Vacant Units
2.03
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$156,000
Median Home Value
-29% vs state ZIP avg
$828
Median Rent
1977
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
+8.4%
YoY Change (2024)
203
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+103%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 48629 have increased 8.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +103% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +4.4% | 128 |
| 2021 | +18.2% | 152 |
| 2022 | +18.1% | 179 |
| 2023 | +4.8% | 188 |
| 2024 | +8.4% | 203 |
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 223 business establishments in ZIP 48629, employing approximately 2,060 people with a combined annual payroll of $85,152,000.
223
Businesses
2,060
Employees
$85.2M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 52 | 23.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 33 | 14.8% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 31 | 13.9% |
| Construction | 29 | 13.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 17 | 7.6% |
| Finance and insurance | 14 | 6.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 8 | 3.6% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 8 | 3.6% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 6 | 2.7% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 6 | 2.7% |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 5 | 2.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 5 | 2.2% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 1.4% |
| Information | 3 | 1.4% |
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 48629 vs 48630 →
ZIP 48629 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 48629
Houghton Lake (48629)
7,854 residents
- 49667 549
Merritt (49667)
549 residents
- 48630 69
Houghton Lake Heights (48630)
69 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 48629 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 48629 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 48630
Houghton Lake Heights (48630)
$62,019 median income
- 48629
Houghton Lake (48629)
$56,520 median income
- 49667
Merritt (49667)
$45,500 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 48629 ranks #2 of 3 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 48629, 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 (7,854 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.