Grayling, MI · standard
ZIP Code 49738
Crawford County, Michigan - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 9,924
- 13/sq mi
- $59,708
- Median income
- $168,800
- Median home value
- 20.9%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Grayling pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 29th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 34th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 13
- people per sq mi
- 76%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 49738 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 49738 (Grayling, MI) rose +4.3% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 205.6 in 2023 to 214.4 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 49738 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Grayling, Crawford County, Michigan, home to 9,924 residents across 763.4 square miles, a density of 13 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.
ZIP 49738 reports a modest median household income of $59,708 (19% below the average Michigan ZIP), while per-capita income is $31,948. The poverty rate is 14.7%, with unemployment at 7.6%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $168,800 (23% below the average Michigan ZIP), and median rent is $870; owner occupancy is 75.7%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 20.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 50.9, and the average commute is 24 minutes. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 1 more in Crawford County, so 49738 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 →
Top industries in ZIP 49738
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Grayling, MI
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 49738.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
53 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
42 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
31 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
24 establishments
- Manufacturing 18
Manufacturing
18 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, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 49738, Grayling, 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
9,924
Population
763.4
Area (sq mi)
13
People / sq mi
Detroit
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 49738?
50.9
Median Age
50.3%
Male
49.7%
Female
1.5%
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?
$59,708
Median Household Income
-19% vs state ZIP avg
$31,948
Per Capita Income
14.7%
Poverty Rate
7.6%
Unemployment Rate
23.8 min
Mean Commute Time
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
7,271housing units
7,271
Total Housing Units
4,526
Occupied Units
2,745
Vacant Units
2.11
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$168,800
Median Home Value
-23% vs state ZIP avg
$870
Median Rent
1979
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
+4.3%
YoY Change (2024)
214
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+114%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 49738 have increased 4.3% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +114% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +5.6% | 140 |
| 2021 | +11.6% | 156 |
| 2022 | +18.8% | 186 |
| 2023 | +10.8% | 206 |
| 2024 | +4.3% | 214 |
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 277 business establishments in ZIP 49738, employing approximately 3,508 people with a combined annual payroll of $182,977,000.
277
Businesses
3,508
Employees
$183.0M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 53 | 19.1% |
| Accommodation and food services | 42 | 15.2% |
| Health care and social assistance | 31 | 11.2% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 24 | 8.7% |
| Manufacturing | 18 | 6.5% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 18 | 6.5% |
| Construction | 17 | 6.1% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 17 | 6.1% |
| Finance and insurance | 14 | 5.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 12 | 4.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 10 | 3.6% |
| Information | 5 | 1.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 5 | 1.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 4 | 1.4% |
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 49738 vs 49733 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49733 | Frederic, MI | 1,965 | 9.2 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 49738, 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 (9,924 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.