Dowling, MI · standard
ZIP Code 49050
Barry County, Michigan - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,557
- 24/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $75,089
- Median income Near-median income area
- $275,400
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 11.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Dowling pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 45%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 38%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 24
- people per sq mi
- 91%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 49050 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 49050 (Dowling, MI) rose +11.7% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 156.6 in 2023 to 175.0 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 49050 covers 64.3 square miles in Dowling, Barry County, Michigan (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,557 residents on file, a density of 24 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.
ZIP 49050 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $75,089 (2% above the average Michigan ZIP), while per-capita income is $36,036. The poverty rate is 9.3%, with unemployment at 1.1%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing is both higher-cost and owner-heavy: median home value is $275,400 (25% above the average Michigan ZIP), while 90.9% of occupied homes are owner-occupied and median rent is $575.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 49.2, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 4 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Barry County, so 49050 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 49050, Dowling, 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
1,557
Population
64.3
Area (sq mi)
24
People / sq mi
Detroit
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 49050?
49.2
Median Age
57.3%
Male
42.7%
Female
0.2%
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?
$75,089
Median Household Income
+2% vs state ZIP avg
$36,036
Per Capita Income
9.3%
Poverty Rate
1.1%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 49050 ranks among Michigan ZIPs
Dowling, 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)
$75,089 Top 37% higher than 63% 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
592housing units
592
Total Housing Units
547
Occupied Units
45
Vacant Units
2.68
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$275,400
Median Home Value
+25% vs state ZIP avg
$575
Median Rent
1973
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
+11.7%
YoY Change (2024)
175
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+75%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 49050 have increased 11.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +75% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +0.6% | 128 |
| 2021 | +20.1% | 153 |
| 2022 | +18.0% | 181 |
| 2023 | -13.3% | 157 |
| 2024 | +11.7% | 175 |
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 8 business establishments in ZIP 49050, employing approximately 103 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,499,000.
8
Businesses
103
Employees
$3.5M
Annual Payroll
0
Industry Sectors
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 49050 vs 49017 →
ZIP 49050 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 49017
Battle Creek (49017)
20,785 residents
- 49058
Hastings (49058)
19,127 residents
- 49073 4,951
Nashville (49073)
4,951 residents
- 49012 3,339
Augusta (49012)
3,339 residents
- 49050 1,557
Dowling (49050)
1,557 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 49050 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 49050 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 49050
Dowling (49050)
$75,089 median income
- 49012
Augusta (49012)
$73,125 median income
- 49058
Hastings (49058)
$68,214 median income
- 49073
Nashville (49073)
$67,604 median income
- 49017
Battle Creek (49017)
$60,885 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 49050 ranks the highest of 5 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 49050, 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 (1,557 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Barry County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 49050 in?
ZIP code 49050 (Dowling) is located in Barry County, Michigan. Barry County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/barry-mi.
What is the population of ZIP code 49050?
ZIP code 49050 in Dowling, MI has a population of 1,557 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 49050?
The median household income in ZIP 49050 is $75,089, which is 2% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 49050?
The median home value in ZIP 49050 is $275,400, which is 1% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 49050?
The largest racial group in ZIP 49050 is White at 92.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 49050?
ZIP code 49050 has 8 business establishments employing approximately 103 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 49050?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 49050 increased by 11.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 75%. 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 49050?
In ZIP code 49050, 43.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 11.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 49050?
In ZIP code 49050, approximately 90.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 9.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 49050?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 49050 is 9.3% 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 49050's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 49050 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Dowling, 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.