Waldron, MI · standard
ZIP Code 49288
Hillsdale County, Michigan - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 1,384
- 14/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $66,833
- Median income Near-median income area
- $147,500
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 12.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Waldron pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 42nd pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 25th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 14
- people per sq mi
- 78%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 49288 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 49288 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Waldron, Hillsdale County, Michigan, home to just 1,384 residents across 97.5 square miles, a density of 14 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.
ZIP 49288 reports a modest median household income of $66,833 (9% below the average Michigan ZIP), while per-capita income is $27,588. The poverty rate is 7.9%, with unemployment at 9.9%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $147,500 (33% below the average Michigan ZIP), and median rent is $1,023; owner occupancy is 78.2%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 38.1, and the average commute is 29 minutes. The page also surfaces 8 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Hillsdale County, so 49288 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 49288, Waldron, 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
1,384
Population
97.5
Area (sq mi)
14
People / sq mi
Detroit
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 49288?
38.1
Median Age
52.9%
Male
47.1%
Female
1.6%
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?
$66,833
Median Household Income
-9% vs state ZIP avg
$27,588
Per Capita Income
7.9%
Poverty Rate
9.9%
Unemployment Rate
29.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 49288 ranks among Michigan ZIPs
Waldron, 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)
$66,833 47th percentile higher than 47% 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
662housing units
662
Total Housing Units
592
Occupied Units
70
Vacant Units
2.51
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$147,500
Median Home Value
-33% vs state ZIP avg
$1,023
Median Rent
1938
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
+8.9%
YoY Change (2021)
134
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+34%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 49288 have increased 8.9% over the past year (2021). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +34% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | – | 94 |
| 2018 | +7.0% | 101 |
| 2019 | -0.4% | 100 |
| 2020 | +22.5% | 123 |
| 2021 | +8.9% | 134 |
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 2021. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 17 business establishments in ZIP 49288, employing approximately 77 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,874,000.
17
Businesses
77
Employees
$2.9M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale trade | 3 | 17.6% |
| Retail trade | 3 | 17.6% |
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 49288 vs 43501 →
ZIP 49288 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 49247
Hudson (49247)
5,768 residents
- 43570
West Unity (43570)
3,106 residents
- 49266
Osseo (49266)
2,942 residents
- 43521
Fayette (43521)
2,811 residents
- 43554
Pioneer (43554)
2,408 residents
- 49271 2,256
Pittsford (49271)
2,256 residents
- 49288 1,384
Waldron (49288)
1,384 residents
- 43501 788
Alvordton (43501)
788 residents
- 43531 216
Kunkle (43531)
216 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 49288 ranks #7 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 49288 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 43570
West Unity (43570)
$68,500 median income
- 43501
Alvordton (43501)
$68,203 median income
- 49288
Waldron (49288)
$66,833 median income
- 49266
Osseo (49266)
$66,173 median income
- 43521
Fayette (43521)
$60,550 median income
- 49247
Hudson (49247)
$59,787 median income
- 49271
Pittsford (49271)
$56,389 median income
- 43554
Pioneer (43554)
$52,917 median income
- 43531
Kunkle (43531)
$36,200 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 49288 ranks #3 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 49288, 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 (1,384 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Hillsdale County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 49288 in?
ZIP code 49288 (Waldron) is located in Hillsdale County, Michigan. Hillsdale County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/hillsdale-mi.
What is the population of ZIP code 49288?
ZIP code 49288 in Waldron, MI has a population of 1,384 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 49288?
The median household income in ZIP 49288 is $66,833, which is 12% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 49288?
The median home value in ZIP 49288 is $147,500, which is 47% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 49288?
The largest racial group in ZIP 49288 is White at 96.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 0.9% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 49288?
ZIP code 49288 has 17 business establishments employing approximately 77 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 49288?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 49288 increased by 8.9% in 2021. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 34%. 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 49288?
In ZIP code 49288, 63.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 12.4% 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 49288?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 49288 is 29.4 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 49288?
In ZIP code 49288, approximately 78.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 21.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 49288?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 49288 is 7.9% 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 49288's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 49288 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Waldron, MI ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.