PlainZIP

Ironwood, MI · standard

ZIP Code 49938

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

7,945
13/sq mi
$46,606
Median income
$104,000
Median home value
25.4%
Bachelor's or higher

National ZIP placement

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

11th pct
household income, US ZIPs
11th pct
home value, US ZIPs
13
people per sq mi
77%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 49938 against every reporting US ZIP.

FHFA HPI release change

What changed in the latest House Price Index year

2023 -> 2024
  • FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 49938 (Ironwood, MI) rose +16.8% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 207.6 in 2023 to 242.4 in 2024 (2000 = 100).

Arithmetic difference between stored FHFA all-transactions ZIP House Price Index annual values - a developmental index from repeat sales and appraisals, not a transaction median, appraisal opinion, or forecast. Thin markets can move sharply.

National HPI changes Year-pair CSV

ZIP code 49938 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Ironwood, Gogebic County, Michigan, home to 7,945 residents across 615.9 square miles, a density of 13 people per square mile, in the Menominee time zone.

ZIP 49938 reports a modest median household income of $46,606 (36% below the average Michigan ZIP), while per-capita income is $34,454. The poverty rate is 15.1%, with unemployment at 8.1%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $104,000 (53% below the average Michigan ZIP), and median rent is $628; owner occupancy is 77.4%.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 25.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 50, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 3 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 5 more in Gogebic County, so 49938 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 →

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Top industries in ZIP 49938

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Ironwood, MI

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 49938.

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 49938, Ironwood, 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

7,945

Population

615.9

Area (sq mi)

13

People / sq mi

Menominee

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 49938?

50.0

Median Age

50.6%

Male

49.4%

Female

1.1%

Foreign-Born

White 92.5%
African American 0.3%
Asian 0.7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1.3%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.4%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.5%
Hispanic or Latino 2.1%

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?

$46,606

Median Household Income

-36% vs state ZIP avg

$34,454

Per Capita Income

15.1%

Poverty Rate

8.1%

Unemployment Rate

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

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 55.6%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 25.4%

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

What does housing look like?

4,754

Total Housing Units

3,759

Occupied Units

995

Vacant Units

1.94

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 77.4%
Renter 22.6%

$104,000

Median Home Value

-53% vs state ZIP avg

$628

Median Rent

1948

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

+16.8%

YoY Change (2024)

242

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+142%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 49938 have increased 16.8% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +142% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 -2.0% 131
2021 +14.4% 150
2022 +27.1% 191
2023 +8.6% 208
2024 +16.8% 242

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 210 business establishments in ZIP 49938, employing approximately 2,668 people with a combined annual payroll of $98,374,000.

210

Businesses

2,668

Employees

$98.4M

Annual Payroll

15

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 41 19.5%
Accommodation and food services 28 13.3%
Other services (except public administration) 24 11.4%
Construction 20 9.5%
Health care and social assistance 17 8.1%
Finance and insurance 14 6.7%
Manufacturing 13 6.2%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 11 5.2%
Real estate and rental and leasing 7 3.3%
Transportation and warehousing 6 2.9%
Information 6 2.9%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 6 2.9%
Wholesale trade 5 2.4%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 5 2.4%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 4 1.9%

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 49938 vs 49911 →

ZIP 49938 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 49938 ranks the most populous - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 49938 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 49938 ranks #4 of 4 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
49911 Bessemer, MI 2,744 4.4 mi
49959 Ramsay, MI 344 7.2 mi
54525 Gile, WI 279 8.8 mi

Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles

Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 49938, 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 (7,945 here; floor ≥1,000).

35062 · Dora, AL 7,944 15085 · Trafford, PA 7,944 84653 · Salem, UT 7,947 35005 · Adamsville, AL 7,942

Similar median household income

Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.

54542 · Long Lake, WI $46,607 57373 · Saint Lawrence, SD $46,607 29560 · Lake City, SC $46,601 61102 · Rockford, IL $46,599

More ZIP Codes in Gogebic County

49911 standard
Bessemer, MI
Pop: 2,744
49968 standard
Wakefield, MI
Pop: 2,247
49947 standard
Marenisco, MI
Pop: 1,818
49969 standard
Watersmeet, MI
Pop: 1,401
49959 standard
Ramsay, MI
Pop: 344

Related Areas

Gogebic County Ironwood, MI Michigan

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 49938 in? ▼
ZIP code 49938 (Ironwood) is located in Gogebic County, Michigan. Gogebic County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/gogebic-mi.
What is the population of ZIP code 49938? ▼
ZIP code 49938 in Ironwood, MI has a population of 7,945 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 49938? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 49938 is $46,606, which is 39% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 49938? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 49938 is $104,000, which is 63% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 49938? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 49938 is White at 92.5%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 2.1% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 49938? ▼
ZIP code 49938 has 210 business establishments employing approximately 2,668 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 49938? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 49938 are: Retail trade (41), Accommodation and food services (28), Other services (except public administration) (24). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 49938? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 49938 increased by 16.8% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 142%. 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 49938? ▼
In ZIP code 49938, 55.6% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 25.4% 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 49938? ▼
In ZIP code 49938, approximately 77.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 22.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 49938? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 49938 is 15.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Related

Compare this ZIP with another

Read our methodology : how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

This page explains the source records, calculation, and limits behind the figures shown. ZIP-level Census records are displayed directly; county, state, and national comparisons are calculated from those published records. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-06.