PlainZIP

Wellston, MI · standard

ZIP Code 49689

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

1,560
8/sq mi
$64,070
Median income
$155,200
Median home value
26.1%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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

37th pct
household income, US ZIPs
27th pct
home value, US ZIPs
8
people per sq mi
93%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 49689 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 49689 covers 202.6 square miles in Wellston, Manistee County, Michigan (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 1,560 residents on file, a density of 8 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.

ZIP 49689 reports a modest median household income of $64,070 (13% below the Michigan average), while per-capita income is $32,404. 10.1% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 9.3%. The typical home here is valued at $155,200 (29% below the state average); renters pay a median of $826 monthly, and 92.5% of units are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 26.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 48.1, and the average commute is 25 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 2 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 49689, plus 6 more within Manistee County, give a clearer read than the national average 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 49689

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Wellston, MI

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 49689.

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 49689, Wellston, 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

1,560

Population

202.6

Area (sq mi)

8

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 49689?

48.1

Median Age

53.9%

Male

46.1%

Female

0.7%

Foreign-Born

White 92.8%
African American 1.3%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.8%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.2%
Hispanic or Latino 4.0%

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?

$64,070

Median Household Income

-13% vs state

$32,404

Per Capita Income

10.1%

Poverty Rate

9.3%

Unemployment Rate

25.1 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 49689 ranks nationally

Wellston, MI household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$64,070 37th percentile higher than 37% 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 58.4%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 26.1%

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

What does housing look like?

1,647

Total Housing Units

708

Occupied Units

939

Vacant Units

2.44

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 92.5%
Renter 7.5%

$155,200

Median Home Value

-29% vs state

$826

Median Rent

1978

Median Year Built

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

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 30 business establishments in ZIP 49689, employing approximately 210 people with a combined annual payroll of $8,324,000.

30

Businesses

210

Employees

$8.3M

Annual Payroll

5

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 11 36.7%
Accommodation and food services 5 16.7%
Construction 3 10.0%
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 10.0%
Health care and social assistance 3 10.0%

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 49689 vs 49644 →

ZIP 49689 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 49689 ranks #2 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 49689 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 49689 ranks the highest of 3 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
49644 Irons, MI 2,033 7.5 mi
49619 Brethren, MI 1,110 7.1 mi

More ZIP Codes in Manistee County

49660 standard
Manistee, MI
Pop: 14,066
49614 standard
Bear Lake, MI
Pop: 2,790
49645 standard
Kaleva, MI
Pop: 1,632
49625 standard
Copemish, MI
Pop: 1,379
49619 standard
Brethren, MI
Pop: 1,110
49675 standard
Onekama, MI
Pop: 1,030

Related Areas

Manistee County Wellston, MI Michigan

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 49689 in? ▼
ZIP code 49689 (Wellston) is located in Manistee County, Michigan. Manistee County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/manistee-mi.
What is the population of ZIP code 49689? ▼
ZIP code 49689 in Wellston, MI has a population of 1,560 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 49689? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 49689 is $64,070, which is 16% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 49689? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 49689 is $155,200, which is 44% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 49689? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 49689 is White at 92.8%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 4.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 49689? ▼
ZIP code 49689 has 30 business establishments employing approximately 210 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 49689? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 49689 are: Retail trade (11), Accommodation and food services (5), Construction (3). There are 5 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 49689? ▼
In ZIP code 49689, 58.4% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 26.1% 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 49689? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 49689 is 25.1 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 49689? ▼
In ZIP code 49689, approximately 92.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 7.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 49689? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 49689 is 10.1% 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.