PlainZIP

Greenville, MI · standard

ZIP Code 48838

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

17,863
75/sq mi
$70,176
Median income
$211,500
Median home value
20.7%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

47th pct
household income, US ZIPs
47th pct
home value, US ZIPs
75
people per sq mi
74%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 48838 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 48838 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Greenville, Montcalm County, Michigan, home to 17,863 residents across 239.5 square miles, a density of 75 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.

ZIP 48838 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $70,176 (4% below the Michigan average), while per-capita income is $34,047. The poverty rate stands at 10.8% and the unemployment rate at 4.3%. Housing costs here run $211,500 for a typical home value (4% below the state average), with rent averaging $907 a month; 73.6% of homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 20.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 39.1, and the average commute is 26 minutes. Beyond these figures, 4 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Montcalm County, letting you compare 48838 to its immediate surroundings rather than a national baseline 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 →

Top industries in ZIP 48838

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Greenville, MI

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 48838.

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 48838, Greenville, 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

17,863

Population

239.5

Area (sq mi)

75

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 48838?

39.1

Median Age

49.8%

Male

50.2%

Female

2.9%

Foreign-Born

White 88.0%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 9.2%
Hispanic or Latino 6.3%

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?

$70,176

Median Household Income

-4% vs state

$34,047

Per Capita Income

10.8%

Poverty Rate

4.3%

Unemployment Rate

26.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 48838 ranks nationally

Greenville, MI household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$70,176 47th percentile higher than 47% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $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 52.1%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 20.7%

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

What does housing look like?

7,920

Total Housing Units

7,278

Occupied Units

642

Vacant Units

2.47

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 73.6%
Renter 26.4%

$211,500

Median Home Value

-4% vs state

$907

Median Rent

1976

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

+9.2%

YoY Change (2024)

224

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+124%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 48838 have increased 9.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +124% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +5.7% 148
2021 +12.4% 167
2022 +16.3% 194
2023 +5.7% 205
2024 +9.2% 224

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 434 business establishments in ZIP 48838, employing approximately 7,419 people with a combined annual payroll of $338,037,000.

434

Businesses

7,419

Employees

$338.0M

Annual Payroll

14

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 86 19.8%
Health care and social assistance 56 12.9%
Other services (except public administration) 54 12.4%
Construction 40 9.2%
Manufacturing 36 8.3%
Accommodation and food services 36 8.3%
Finance and insurance 25 5.8%
Wholesale trade 20 4.6%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 20 4.6%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 17 3.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing 13 3.0%
Transportation and warehousing 9 2.1%
Information 8 1.8%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 8 1.8%

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 48838 vs 48809 →

ZIP 48838 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 48838 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 48838 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 48838 ranks #5 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
48809 Belding, MI 11,015 8.2 mi
49326 Gowen, MI 3,752 5.6 mi
48885 Sidney, MI 927 7.3 mi
49347 Trufant, MI 1,257 10.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Montcalm County

49329 standard
Howard City, MI
Pop: 8,641
48888 standard
Stanton, MI
Pop: 6,366
48811 standard
Carson City, MI
Pop: 5,641
48850 standard
Lakeview, MI
Pop: 4,474
48884 standard
Sheridan, MI
Pop: 4,427
48829 standard
Edmore, MI
Pop: 3,254

Related Areas

Montcalm County Greenville, MI Michigan

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 48838 in? ▼
ZIP code 48838 (Greenville) is located in Montcalm County, Michigan. Montcalm County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/montcalm-mi.
What is the population of ZIP code 48838? ▼
ZIP code 48838 in Greenville, MI has a population of 17,863 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 48838? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 48838 is $70,176, which is 8% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 48838? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 48838 is $211,500, which is 24% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 48838? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 48838 is White at 88.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 6.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 48838? ▼
ZIP code 48838 has 434 business establishments employing approximately 7,419 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 48838? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 48838 are: Retail trade (86), Health care and social assistance (56), Other services (except public administration) (54). There are 14 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 48838? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 48838 increased by 9.2% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 124%. 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 48838? ▼
In ZIP code 48838, 52.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 20.7% 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 48838? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 48838 is 26.1 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 48838? ▼
In ZIP code 48838, approximately 73.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 26.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 48838? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 48838 is 10.8% 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.