PlainZIP

Middleton, MI · standard

ZIP Code 48856

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

966
14/sq mi
$91,413
Median income
$183,300
Median home value
11.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

Top 26%
household income, US ZIPs
39th pct
home value, US ZIPs
14
people per sq mi
73%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 48856 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 48856 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Middleton, Gratiot County, Michigan, home to just 966 residents across 71.0 square miles, a density of 14 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.

ZIP 48856 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $91,413 (25% above the Michigan average), while per-capita income is $31,558. Poverty here runs at 5.7%, with unemployment measured at 0.4%. Median home value sits at $183,300 (17% below the state average), median rent at $717 a month, and owner-occupancy at 72.7%.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.4, and the average commute is 23 minutes. To put 48856 in local context, 6 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles appear further down this page alongside 6 additional ZIPs in Gratiot County, for a geography-aware comparison.

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 48856

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Middleton, MI

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 48856.

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 48856, Middleton, 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

966

Population

71.0

Area (sq mi)

14

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 48856?

42.4

Median Age

52.7%

Male

47.3%

Female

4.1%

Foreign-Born

White 67.4%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 27.7%
Hispanic or Latino 28.9%

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?

$91,413

Median Household Income

+25% vs state

$31,558

Per Capita Income

5.7%

Poverty Rate

0.4%

Unemployment Rate

23.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 48856 ranks nationally

Middleton, MI household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$91,413 Top 26% higher than 74% 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%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). This entry sits in this band. $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 44.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 11.1%

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

What does housing look like?

373

Total Housing Units

330

Occupied Units

43

Vacant Units

2.93

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 72.7%
Renter 27.3%

$183,300

Median Home Value

-17% vs state

$717

Median Rent

1940

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 22 business establishments in ZIP 48856, employing approximately 159 people with a combined annual payroll of $9,450,000.

22

Businesses

159

Employees

$9.4M

Annual Payroll

3

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 5 22.7%
Retail trade 4 18.2%
Transportation and warehousing 4 18.2%

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 48856 vs 48871 →

ZIP 48856 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 48856 ranks #5 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 48856 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 48856 ranks the highest of 7 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
48871 Perrinton, MI 1,952 4.4 mi
48811 Carson City, MI 5,641 6.1 mi
48853 Maple Rapids, MI 671 7.2 mi
48889 Sumner, MI 1,322 7.0 mi
48874 Pompeii, MI 180 7.2 mi
48845 Hubbardston, MI 1,003 8.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Gratiot County

48801 standard
Alma, MI
Pop: 12,923
48847 standard
Ithaca, MI
Pop: 6,041
48615 standard
Breckenridge, MI
Pop: 3,058
48877 standard
Riverdale, MI
Pop: 2,392
48871 standard
Perrinton, MI
Pop: 1,952
48806 standard
Ashley, MI
Pop: 1,676

Related Areas

Gratiot County Middleton, MI Michigan

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 48856 in? ▼
ZIP code 48856 (Middleton) is located in Gratiot County, Michigan. Gratiot County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/gratiot-mi.
What is the population of ZIP code 48856? ▼
ZIP code 48856 in Middleton, MI has a population of 966 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 48856? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 48856 is $91,413, which is 20% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 48856? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 48856 is $183,300, which is 34% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 48856? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 48856 is White at 67.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 28.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 48856? ▼
ZIP code 48856 has 22 business establishments employing approximately 159 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 48856? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 48856 are: Construction (5), Retail trade (4), Transportation and warehousing (4). There are 3 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 48856? ▼
In ZIP code 48856, 44.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.1% 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 48856? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 48856 is 23.2 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 48856? ▼
In ZIP code 48856, approximately 72.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 27.3% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 48856? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 48856 is 5.7% 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.