Idlewild, MI · standard
ZIP Code 49642
Lake County, Michigan - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 842
- 18/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $26,950
- Median income Below-median income area
- $116,100
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 12.4%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Idlewild pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 1st pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 15th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 18
- people per sq mi
- 82%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 49642 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 49642 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Idlewild, Lake County, Michigan, home to just 842 residents across 47.0 square miles, a density of 18 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.
ZIP 49642 sits on the lower end of the income spectrum: median household income is $26,950 (63% below the average Michigan ZIP), while per-capita income is $21,211. The poverty rate is 37.6%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $116,100 (47% below the average Michigan ZIP), and median rent is $763; owner occupancy is 81.9%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 12.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42.2, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 4 more in Lake County, so 49642 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 49642, Idlewild, 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
842
Population
47.0
Area (sq mi)
18
People / sq mi
Detroit
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 49642?
42.2
Median Age
64.5%
Male
35.5%
Female
0.3%
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?
$26,950
Median Household Income
-63% vs state ZIP avg
$21,211
Per Capita Income
37.6%
Poverty Rate
1.6%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 49642 ranks among Michigan ZIPs
Idlewild, 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)
$26,950 0th percentile higher than 0% 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
1,086housing units
1,086
Total Housing Units
382
Occupied Units
704
Vacant Units
2.58
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$116,100
Median Home Value
-47% vs state ZIP avg
$763
Median Rent
1975
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 3 business establishments in ZIP 49642, employing approximately 10 people with a combined annual payroll of $609,000.
3
Businesses
10
Employees
$609K
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 49642 vs 49623 →
ZIP 49642 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 49304
Baldwin (49304)
4,328 residents
- 49309
Bitely (49309)
1,843 residents
- 49623 1,164
Chase (49623)
1,164 residents
- 49642 842
Idlewild (49642)
842 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 49642 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 49642 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 49623
Chase (49623)
$60,147 median income
- 49304
Baldwin (49304)
$45,991 median income
- 49309
Bitely (49309)
$42,566 median income
- 49642
Idlewild (49642)
$26,950 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 49642 ranks #4 of 4 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 49642, 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 Lake County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 49642 in?
ZIP code 49642 (Idlewild) is located in Lake County, Michigan. Lake County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/lake-mi.
What is the population of ZIP code 49642?
ZIP code 49642 in Idlewild, MI has a population of 842 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 49642?
The median household income in ZIP 49642 is $26,950, which is 65% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 49642?
The median home value in ZIP 49642 is $116,100, which is 58% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 49642?
The largest racial group in ZIP 49642 is White at 51.3%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 49642?
ZIP code 49642 has 3 business establishments employing approximately 10 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 49642?
In ZIP code 49642, 49.1% 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 percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 49642?
In ZIP code 49642, approximately 81.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 18.1% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 49642?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 49642 is 37.6% 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 49642's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 49642 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Idlewild, 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.