PlainZIP

Luther, MI · standard

ZIP Code 49656

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

1,534
5/sq mi
$56,656
Median income
$135,500
Median home value
11.0%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Luther pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

24th pct
household income, US ZIPs
21th pct
home value, US ZIPs
5
people per sq mi
79%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 49656 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 49656 covers 326.4 square miles in Luther, Lake County, Michigan (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,534 residents on file, a density of 5 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.

ZIP 49656 reports a modest median household income of $56,656 (23% below the Michigan average), while per-capita income is $29,013. 17.3% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 2.5%. Housing costs here run $135,500 for a typical home value (38% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,007 a month; 79.1% of homes are owner-occupied.

Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 11.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 50.7, and the average commute is 36 minutes. Michigan and national benchmarks, shown above, are the best way to contextualize 49656, not the raw numbers 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 →

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 49656, Luther, 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

1,534

Population

326.4

Area (sq mi)

5

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 49656?

50.7

Median Age

53.6%

Male

46.4%

Female

0.7%

Foreign-Born

White 85.1%
African American 1.1%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 11.3%
Hispanic or Latino 21.3%

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?

$56,656

Median Household Income

-23% vs state

$29,013

Per Capita Income

17.3%

Poverty Rate

2.5%

Unemployment Rate

36.2 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 49656 ranks nationally

Luther, MI household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$56,656 24th percentile higher than 24% 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 64.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 11.0%

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

What does housing look like?

1,487

Total Housing Units

708

Occupied Units

779

Vacant Units

2.69

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 79.1%
Renter 20.9%

$135,500

Median Home Value

-38% vs state

$1,007

Median Rent

1976

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 17 business establishments in ZIP 49656, employing approximately 65 people with a combined annual payroll of $3,293,000.

17

Businesses

65

Employees

$3.3M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 4 23.5%
Construction 3 17.6%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

More ZIP Codes in Lake County

49304 standard
Baldwin, MI
Pop: 4,328
49644 standard
Irons, MI
Pop: 2,033
49623 standard
Chase, MI
Pop: 1,164
49642 standard
Idlewild, MI
Pop: 842

Related Areas

Lake County Luther, MI Michigan

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 49656 in? ▼
ZIP code 49656 (Luther) 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 49656? ▼
ZIP code 49656 in Luther, MI has a population of 1,534 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 49656? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 49656 is $56,656, which is 26% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 49656? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 49656 is $135,500, which is 51% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 49656? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 49656 is White at 85.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 21.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 49656? ▼
ZIP code 49656 has 17 business establishments employing approximately 65 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 49656? ▼
In ZIP code 49656, 64.7% 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 is the average commute time in ZIP 49656? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 49656 is 36.2 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 49656? ▼
In ZIP code 49656, approximately 79.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 20.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 49656? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 49656 is 17.3% 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.