PlainZIP

Mears, MI · standard

ZIP Code 49436

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

1,622
20/sq mi
$67,279
Median income
$255,000
Median home value
26.9%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

42th pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 41%
home value, US ZIPs
20
people per sq mi
93%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 49436 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 49436 covers 81.1 square miles in Mears, Oceana County, Michigan (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,622 residents on file, a density of 20 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.

ZIP 49436 reports a modest median household income of $67,279 (8% below the Michigan average), while per-capita income is $40,070. Poverty here runs at 8.2%, with unemployment measured at 13.6%. The typical home here is valued at $255,000 (16% above the state average); renters pay a median of $1,013 monthly, and 92.6% of units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 26.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 59.9, and the average commute is 28 minutes. Beyond these figures, 3 nearby ZIP codes within about 10 miles are surfaced below, along with 6 more sharing Oceana County, letting you compare 49436 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 49436

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Mears, MI

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 49436.

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 49436, Mears, 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

1,622

Population

81.1

Area (sq mi)

20

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 49436?

59.9

Median Age

49.9%

Male

50.1%

Female

3.3%

Foreign-Born

White 89.8%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.3%
Hispanic or Latino 10.8%

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?

$67,279

Median Household Income

-8% vs state

$40,070

Per Capita Income

8.2%

Poverty Rate

13.6%

Unemployment Rate

27.6 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 49436 ranks nationally

Mears, MI household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$67,279 42nd percentile higher than 42% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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 57.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 26.9%

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

What does housing look like?

2,239

Total Housing Units

779

Occupied Units

1,460

Vacant Units

2.10

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 92.6%
Renter 7.4%

$255,000

Median Home Value

+16% vs state

$1,013

Median Rent

1981

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

+26.2%

YoY Change (2024)

334

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+234%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 49436 have increased 26.2% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +234% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2019 +5.8% 180
2020 +8.3% 196
2021 +8.8% 213
2022 +26.2% 268
2024 – 334

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 52 business establishments in ZIP 49436, employing approximately 152 people with a combined annual payroll of $10,612,000.

52

Businesses

152

Employees

$10.6M

Annual Payroll

6

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Accommodation and food services 20 38.5%
Retail trade 7 13.5%
Real estate and rental and leasing 6 11.5%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 5 9.6%
Other services (except public administration) 5 9.6%
Construction 4 7.7%

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 49436 vs 49455 →

ZIP 49436 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 49436 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 49436 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 49436 ranks #2 of 4 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
49455 Shelby, MI 5,034 6.8 mi
49446 New Era, MI 2,321 9.4 mi
49449 Pentwater, MI 2,675 9.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Oceana County

49420 standard
Hart, MI
Pop: 6,420
49421 standard
Hesperia, MI
Pop: 5,991
49455 standard
Shelby, MI
Pop: 5,034
49449 standard
Pentwater, MI
Pop: 2,675
49446 standard
New Era, MI
Pop: 2,321
49452 standard
Rothbury, MI
Pop: 1,952

Related Areas

Oceana County Mears, MI Michigan

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 49436 in? ▼
ZIP code 49436 (Mears) is located in Oceana County, Michigan. Oceana County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/oceana-mi.
What is the population of ZIP code 49436? ▼
ZIP code 49436 in Mears, MI has a population of 1,622 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 49436? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 49436 is $67,279, which is 12% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 49436? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 49436 is $255,000, which is 8% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 49436? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 49436 is White at 89.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 10.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 49436? ▼
ZIP code 49436 has 52 business establishments employing approximately 152 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 49436? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 49436 are: Accommodation and food services (20), Retail trade (7), Real estate and rental and leasing (6). There are 6 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 49436? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 49436 increased by 26.2% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 234%. 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 49436? ▼
In ZIP code 49436, 57.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 26.9% 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 49436? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 49436 is 27.6 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 49436? ▼
In ZIP code 49436, approximately 92.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 7.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 49436? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 49436 is 8.2% 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.