Watersmeet, MI · standard

ZIP Code 49969

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

1,401
2/sq mi
$67,188
Median income
$247,300
Median home value
19.5%
Bachelor's or higher

National ZIP placement

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

42nd pct
household income, US ZIPs
Top 43%
home value, US ZIPs
2
people per sq mi
94%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 49969 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 49969 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Watersmeet, Gogebic County, Michigan, home to just 1,401 residents across 667.1 square miles, a density of 2 people per square mile, in the Menominee time zone.

ZIP 49969 reports a modest median household income of $67,188 (8% below the average Michigan ZIP), while per-capita income is $67,399. Both reported hardship measures are comparatively low in absolute terms: poverty is 7.7% and unemployment is 3.2%. Median home value is $247,300 (13% above the average Michigan ZIP) and median rent is $425; 94.2% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.

Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 19.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 60.7, and the average commute is -. No nearby ZIP peer set is available for this delivery area, so the Michigan and national benchmarks above are the appropriate context for 49969.

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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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 49969, Watersmeet, 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

1,401

Population

667.1

Area (sq mi)

2

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 49969?

60.7

Median Age

52.4%

Male

47.6%

Female

0.0%

Foreign-Born

White 78.1%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 15.5%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.4%
Hispanic or Latino 1.3%

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?

$67,188

Median Household Income

-8% vs state ZIP avg

$67,399

Per Capita Income

7.7%

Poverty Rate

3.2%

Unemployment Rate

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

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 57.9%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 19.5%

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

What does housing look like?

1,424

Total Housing Units

516

Occupied Units

908

Vacant Units

1.93

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 94.2%
Renter 5.8%

$247,300

Median Home Value

+13% vs state ZIP avg

$425

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 18 business establishments in ZIP 49969, employing approximately 314 people with a combined annual payroll of $9,687,000.

18

Businesses

314

Employees

$9.7M

Annual Payroll

2

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Retail trade 5 27.8%
Accommodation and food services 3 16.7%

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 49969, 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 (1,401 here; floor ≥1,000).

Similar median household income

Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.

More ZIP Codes in Gogebic County

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 49969 in?
ZIP code 49969 (Watersmeet) 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 49969?
ZIP code 49969 in Watersmeet, MI has a population of 1,401 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 49969?
The median household income in ZIP 49969 is $67,188, which is 12% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 49969?
The median home value in ZIP 49969 is $247,300, which is 11% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 49969?
The largest racial group in ZIP 49969 is White at 78.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 1.3% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 49969?
ZIP code 49969 has 18 business establishments employing approximately 314 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 49969?
In ZIP code 49969, 57.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 19.5% 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 49969?
In ZIP code 49969, approximately 94.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 5.8% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 49969?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 49969 is 7.7% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

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