Palo, MI · standard
ZIP Code 48870
Ionia County, Michigan - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 148
- 966/sq mi High-density area
- $34,290
- Median income Below-median income area
- $93,500
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 0.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Palo pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a low-density, homeowner-dominated area.
- 3rd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 8th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 966
- people per sq mi
- 100%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 48870 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 48870 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Palo, Ionia County, Michigan, home to just 148 residents across 0.2 square miles, a density of 966 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.
ZIP 48870 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $34,290 (53% below the average Michigan ZIP), while per-capita income is $18,960. The poverty rate is 18.6%, with unemployment at 0.0%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $93,500 (57% below the average Michigan ZIP); owner occupancy is 100.0%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 0.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 28.5, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 8 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Ionia County, so 48870 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 →
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 48870, Palo, 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
148
Population
0.2
Area (sq mi)
966
People / sq mi
Detroit
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 48870?
28.5
Median Age
50.0%
Male
50.0%
Female
0.0%
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?
$34,290
Median Household Income
-53% vs state ZIP avg
$18,960
Per Capita Income
18.6%
Poverty Rate
0.0%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 48870 ranks among Michigan ZIPs
Palo, MI household income vs. every Michigan ZIP code
Median household income among 962 reporting Michigan ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$34,290 1st percentile higher than 1% of 962 Michigan ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Michigan 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?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
75housing units
75
Total Housing Units
75
Occupied Units
0
Vacant Units
2.59
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$93,500
Median Home Value
-57% vs state ZIP avg
1938
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 48870 vs 48834 →
ZIP 48870 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 48846
Ionia (48846)
20,269 residents
- 48811 5,641
Carson City (48811)
5,641 residents
- 48884 4,427
Sheridan (48884)
4,427 residents
- 48834 2,090
Fenwick (48834)
2,090 residents
- 48865 1,903
Orleans (48865)
1,903 residents
- 48873 1,615
Pewamo (48873)
1,615 residents
- 48860 1,334
Muir (48860)
1,334 residents
- 48845 1,003
Hubbardston (48845)
1,003 residents
- 48870 148
Palo (48870)
148 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 48870 ranks #9 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 48870 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 48873
Pewamo (48873)
$86,250 median income
- 48845
Hubbardston (48845)
$86,042 median income
- 48811
Carson City (48811)
$70,625 median income
- 48865
Orleans (48865)
$70,039 median income
- 48846
Ionia (48846)
$66,742 median income
- 48884
Sheridan (48884)
$62,750 median income
- 48834
Fenwick (48834)
$53,958 median income
- 48860
Muir (48860)
$50,600 median income
- 48870 $34,290
Palo (48870)
$34,290 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 48870 ranks #9 of 9 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 48870, both outside MI so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Ionia County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 48870 in?
ZIP code 48870 (Palo) is located in Ionia County, Michigan. Ionia County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/ionia-mi.
What is the population of ZIP code 48870?
ZIP code 48870 in Palo, MI has a population of 148 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 48870?
The median household income in ZIP 48870 is $34,290, which is 55% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 48870?
The median home value in ZIP 48870 is $93,500, which is 66% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 48870?
The largest racial group in ZIP 48870 is White at 97.9%.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 48870?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 48870 is 18.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 48870's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 48870 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Palo, MI ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.