West Branch, MI · standard

ZIP Code 48661

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

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 13, 2026

10,691
16/sq mi: $61,377
Median income: $177,000
Median home value: 21.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

32th pct
household income, US ZIPs: 37th pct
home value, US ZIPs: 16
people per sq mi: 79%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 48661 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 48661 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 689.7 square miles in West Branch, Ogemaw County, Michigan. The area is home to 10,691 residents, producing a population density of 16 people per square mile, and falls within the Detroit time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 48661 against Michigan and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 48661 sits at $61,377 (16% below the Michigan average), while per-capita income is $34,290. The poverty rate stands at 10.8% and the unemployment rate at 4.6%. On housing, the median home value is $177,000 (19% below the state average) with median rent at $840 per month, and 79.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 48661 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 21.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 50, and the average commute is 23 minutes. We also surface 1 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 3 additional ZIPs sharing Ogemaw County, so you can benchmark 48661 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →

Top industries in ZIP 48661

Retail trade

80
Health care and social assistance

63
Accommodation and food services

41
Construction

38
Other services (except public administration)

38

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 + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 48661, West Branch, MI · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-13 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

10,691

Population

689.7

Area (sq mi)

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 48661?

50.0

Median Age

49.4%

Male

50.6%

Female

2.7%

Foreign-Born

White 92.4%

African American 0.6%

Asian 1.2%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 4.8%

Hispanic or Latino 2.3%

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?

$61,377

Median Household Income

-16% vs state

$34,290

Per Capita Income

10.8%

Poverty Rate

4.6%

Unemployment Rate

22.7 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 48661 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$61,377 32nd percentile higher than 32% of 30,318 US ZIPs

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 55.4%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 21.1%

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

What does housing look like?

6,466

Total Housing Units

4,726

Occupied Units

1,740

Vacant Units

2.21

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 79.1%

Renter 20.9%

$177,000

Median Home Value

-19% vs state

$840

Median Rent

1978

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

+11.6%

YoY Change (2024)

188

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+88%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 48661 have increased 11.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +88% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+4.6%	117
2021	+17.8%	138
2022	+19.9%	165
2023	+1.8%	168
2024	+11.6%	188

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 401 business establishments in ZIP 48661, employing approximately 4,523 people with a combined annual payroll of $195,589,000.

401

Businesses

4,523

Employees

$195.6M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Retail trade	80	19.9%
Health care and social assistance	63	15.7%
Accommodation and food services	41	10.2%
Construction	38	9.5%
Other services (except public administration)	38	9.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	25	6.2%
Finance and insurance	24	6.0%
Manufacturing	15	3.7%
Transportation and warehousing	14	3.5%
Real estate and rental and leasing	13	3.2%
Wholesale trade	12	3.0%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	10	2.5%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	10	2.5%
Information	7	1.8%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction	6	1.5%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	3	0.8%

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 48661 vs 48654 →

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
48654	Rose City, MI	2,521	10.3 mi

More ZIP Codes in Ogemaw County

Ogemaw County West Branch, MI Michigan

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 48661 in? ▼

ZIP code 48661 (West Branch) is located in Ogemaw County, Michigan. Ogemaw County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/ogemaw-mi.

What is the population of ZIP code 48661? ▼

ZIP code 48661 in West Branch, MI has a population of 10,691 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 48661? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 48661 is $61,377, which is 20% below the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 48661? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 48661 is $177,000, which is 36% below the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 48661? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 48661 is White at 92.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.3% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 48661? ▼

ZIP code 48661 has 401 business establishments employing approximately 4,523 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 48661? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 48661 are: Retail trade (80), Health care and social assistance (63), Accommodation and food services (41). There are 16 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 48661? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 48661 increased by 11.6% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 88%. 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 48661? ▼

In ZIP code 48661, 55.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 21.1% 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 48661? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 48661 is 22.7 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 48661? ▼

In ZIP code 48661, approximately 79.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 20.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 48661? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 48661 is 10.8% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.