PlainZIP

Watervliet, MI · standard

ZIP Code 49098

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

5,966
71/sq mi
$59,047
Median income
$164,200
Median home value
19.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

27th pct
household income, US ZIPs
32th pct
home value, US ZIPs
71
people per sq mi
73%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 49098 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 49098 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Watervliet, Berrien County, Michigan, home to 5,966 residents across 84.0 square miles, a density of 71 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.

ZIP 49098 reports a modest median household income of $59,047 (20% below the Michigan average), while per-capita income is $30,476. Local economic indicators show a 17.9% poverty rate alongside 2.3% unemployment. Median home value sits at $164,200 (25% below the state average), median rent at $917 a month, and owner-occupancy at 73.3%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 19.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.5, and the average commute is 23 minutes. Beyond these figures, 8 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Berrien County, letting you compare 49098 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 49098

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Watervliet, MI

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 49098.

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 49098, Watervliet, 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

5,966

Population

84.0

Area (sq mi)

71

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 49098?

38.5

Median Age

46.9%

Male

53.1%

Female

3.1%

Foreign-Born

White 90.6%
African American 0.6%
Asian 1.3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.6%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 3.7%
Hispanic or Latino 9.9%

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?

$59,047

Median Household Income

-20% vs state

$30,476

Per Capita Income

17.9%

Poverty Rate

2.3%

Unemployment Rate

22.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 49098 ranks nationally

Watervliet, MI household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$59,047 27th percentile higher than 27% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Above this entry. $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 46.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 19.1%

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

What does housing look like?

3,137

Total Housing Units

2,417

Occupied Units

720

Vacant Units

2.56

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 73.3%
Renter 26.7%

$164,200

Median Home Value

-25% vs state

$917

Median Rent

1968

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

+15.8%

YoY Change (2024)

248

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+148%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 49098 have increased 15.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +148% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +7.2% 165
2021 +17.4% 194
2022 +10.3% 214
2023 +0.3% 215
2024 +15.8% 248

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 105 business establishments in ZIP 49098, employing approximately 1,367 people with a combined annual payroll of $57,885,000.

105

Businesses

1,367

Employees

$57.9M

Annual Payroll

11

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 19 18.1%
Health care and social assistance 19 18.1%
Accommodation and food services 15 14.3%
Construction 14 13.3%
Other services (except public administration) 12 11.4%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 5 4.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 4 3.8%
Manufacturing 3 2.9%
Information 3 2.9%
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 2.9%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 3 2.9%

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 49098 vs 49057 →

ZIP 49098 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 49098 ranks #4 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 49098 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 49098 ranks #4 of 9 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
49057 Hartford, MI 6,795 4.2 mi
49038 Coloma, MI 9,310 4.9 mi
49043 Covert, MI 2,462 8.2 mi
49084 Riverside, MI 36 7.2 mi
49022 Benton Harbor, MI 31,814 7.4 mi
49111 Eau Claire, MI 3,346 10.2 mi
49126 Sodus, MI 1,341 11.8 mi
49013 Bangor, MI 5,508 11.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Berrien County

49120 standard
Niles, MI
Pop: 37,122
49022 standard
Benton Harbor, MI
Pop: 31,814
49085 standard
Saint Joseph, MI
Pop: 23,804
49103 standard
Berrien Springs, MI
Pop: 11,082
49127 standard
Stevensville, MI
Pop: 10,694
49107 standard
Buchanan, MI
Pop: 10,382

Related Areas

Berrien County Watervliet, MI Michigan

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 49098 in? ▼
ZIP code 49098 (Watervliet) is located in Berrien County, Michigan. Berrien County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/berrien-mi.
What is the population of ZIP code 49098? ▼
ZIP code 49098 in Watervliet, MI has a population of 5,966 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 49098? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 49098 is $59,047, which is 23% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 49098? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 49098 is $164,200, which is 41% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 49098? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 49098 is White at 90.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 9.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 49098? ▼
ZIP code 49098 has 105 business establishments employing approximately 1,367 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 49098? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 49098 are: Retail trade (19), Health care and social assistance (19), Accommodation and food services (15). There are 11 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 49098? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 49098 increased by 15.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 148%. 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 49098? ▼
In ZIP code 49098, 46.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 19.1% 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 49098? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 49098 is 22.9 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 49098? ▼
In ZIP code 49098, approximately 73.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 26.7% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 49098? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 49098 is 17.9% 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.