Rapid River, MI · standard
ZIP Code 49878
Delta County, Michigan - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 3,583
- 3/sq mi Low-density area
- $71,136
- Median income Near-median income area
- $176,600
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 22.2%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Rapid River pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 48th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 37th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 3
- people per sq mi
- 97%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 49878 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 49878 (Rapid River, MI) fell -3.7% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 188.8 in 2023 to 181.8 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 49878 covers 1194.3 square miles in Rapid River, Delta County, Michigan (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 3,583 residents on file, a density of 3 people per square mile, in the Detroit time zone.
ZIP 49878 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $71,136 (3% below the average Michigan ZIP), while per-capita income is $35,616. The poverty rate is 11.5%, with unemployment at 4.7%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $176,600 (20% below the average Michigan ZIP), and median rent is $813; owner occupancy is 96.6%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 22.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 54.1, and the average commute is 26 minutes. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the Michigan and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 49878.
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 49878
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Rapid River, MI
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 49878.
- Construction
Construction
13 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
10 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
8 establishments
- Transportation and warehousing
Transportation and warehousing
6 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
6 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 49878, Rapid River, 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
3,583
Population
1194.3
Area (sq mi)
3
People / sq mi
Detroit
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 49878?
54.1
Median Age
50.3%
Male
49.7%
Female
1.2%
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?
$71,136
Median Household Income
-3% vs state ZIP avg
$35,616
Per Capita Income
11.5%
Poverty Rate
4.7%
Unemployment Rate
26.4 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 49878 ranks among Michigan ZIPs
Rapid River, 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)
$71,136 Top 46% higher than 54% 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
2,484housing units
2,484
Total Housing Units
1,456
Occupied Units
1,028
Vacant Units
2.29
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$176,600
Median Home Value
-20% vs state ZIP avg
$813
Median Rent
1976
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
-3.7%
YoY Change (2024)
182
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+82%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 49878 have decreased 3.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +82% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +1.7% | 127 |
| 2021 | +16.6% | 148 |
| 2022 | +9.1% | 162 |
| 2023 | +16.6% | 189 |
| 2024 | -3.7% | 182 |
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 60 business establishments in ZIP 49878, employing approximately 323 people with a combined annual payroll of $13,142,000.
60
Businesses
323
Employees
$13.1M
Annual Payroll
8
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 13 | 21.7% |
| Retail trade | 10 | 16.7% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 8 | 13.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 6 | 10.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | 6 | 10.0% |
| Manufacturing | 3 | 5.0% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 3 | 5.0% |
| Health care and social assistance | 3 | 5.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 49878, 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 (3,583 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Delta County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 49878 in?
ZIP code 49878 (Rapid River) is located in Delta County, Michigan. Delta County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/delta-mi.
What is the population of ZIP code 49878?
ZIP code 49878 in Rapid River, MI has a population of 3,583 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 49878?
The median household income in ZIP 49878 is $71,136, which is 7% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 49878?
The median home value in ZIP 49878 is $176,600, which is 37% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 49878?
The largest racial group in ZIP 49878 is White at 88.7%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.5% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 49878?
ZIP code 49878 has 60 business establishments employing approximately 323 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 49878?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 49878 are: Construction (13), Retail trade (10), Other services (except public administration) (8). There are 8 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 49878?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 49878 decreased by 3.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 82%. 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 49878?
In ZIP code 49878, 58.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 22.2% 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 49878?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 49878 is 26.4 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 49878?
In ZIP code 49878, approximately 96.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 3.4% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 49878?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 49878 is 11.5% 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 49878's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 49878 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Rapid River, MI ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.