49309 ZIP Code — Bitely, MI

Newaygo County, Michigan

ZIP code 49309 is located in Bitely, Michigan, within Newaygo County. It covers approximately 127.43 square miles and serves a population of 1,552 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 231.

About ZIP code 49309

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $113,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 90%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $40,046. Poverty affects 20% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 21% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 59% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 31 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 13% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (16%), smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 29%.

Overall, ZIP code 49309 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

1,552

population

127.43

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

49309 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 49309

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 49309. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Bitely	Acceptable
Bitely	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

49642 Idlewild (10.7 mi) 49304 Baldwin (11.8 mi) 49459 Walkerville (11.9 mi) 49349 White Cloud (12.5 mi) 49338 Paris (12.8 mi) 49623 Chase (14.1 mi) 49421 Hesperia (14.2 mi) 49402 Branch (15.3 mi) 49307 Big Rapids (18 mi) 49405 Custer (19.3 mi) 49677 Reed City (19.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,552
Population density	12 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	123

Geography
Land area	127.43 sq mi
Water area	2.07 sq mi
Latitude	43.7605
Longitude	-85.8654
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	231

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	65.0%	48.5%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	27.2%	35.4%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	6.4%	13.9%	20.6%
Over $200k	1.5%	2.2%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

1,552

Population

People per sq mi

54.3

Median age

$40,046

Median household income

$30,338

Per capita income

$113,400

Median home value

$863

Median monthly rent

89.6%

Home ownership

20.2%

Poverty rate

5.9%

Unemployment

1,962

Housing units

12.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

141

45–54

127

55–59

60–64

155

65–74

138

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	199	12.8%
18 and over	1,353	87.2%
65 and over	428	27.6%
Median age	54.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 88.7%

Black or African American 3.5%

Two or more races 3.4%

Hispanic or Latino 2.1%

Other race 1.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%

Asian 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	1,407	88.7%
Black or African American	56	3.5%
Two or more races	54	3.4%
Hispanic or Latino	34	2.1%
Other race	19	1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	12	0.8%
Asian	4	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	65.0%	48.5%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	27.2%	35.4%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	6.4%	13.9%	20.6%
Over $200k	1.5%	2.2%	5.7%

Under $10k 8.9%

$10k–$15k 7.1%

$15k–$25k 13.8%

$25k–$35k 10.1%

$35k–$50k 17.6%

$50k–$75k 19.8%

$75k–$100k 8.9%

$100k–$150k 9.2%

$150k–$200k 2.0%

$200k+ 2.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	8.9%
$10k–$15k	7.1%
$15k–$25k	13.8%
$25k–$35k	10.1%
$35k–$50k	17.6%
$50k–$75k	19.8%
$75k–$100k	8.9%
$100k–$150k	9.2%
$150k–$200k	2.0%
$200k+	2.5%
Median income	$40,046

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 14.4%

$50k–$100k 29.1%

$100k–$150k 17.5%

$150k–$200k 14.7%

$200k–$300k 16.8%

$300k–$500k 6.2%

$500k–$1M 0.1%

$1M+ 1.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$113,400
Median rent / month	$863
Owner occupied	89.6%
Renter occupied	10.4%
Vacant	63.2%
Single-family detached	78.1%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	21.7%
Median rooms	4.4
Avg household size (owned)	1.96

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	4.3%
2000–2009	9.0%
1990–1999	19.2%
1980–1989	11.6%
1970–1979	15.4%
1960–1969	15.0%
1950–1959	13.9%
1940–1949	5.0%
1939 or earlier	6.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.2%
1 bedroom	20.4%
2 bedrooms	44.9%
3 bedrooms	27.0%
4 bedrooms	4.8%
5+ bedrooms	0.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.1%
1 vehicle	39.7%
2 vehicles	37.0%
3 or more	18.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	2.4%
Electricity	6.0%
Propane / LP gas	63.1%
Fuel oil	3.1%
Wood	20.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	316	42.1%
Cohabiting couple	34	4.5%
Male householder, no spouse	247	32.9%
Female householder, no spouse	154	20.5%
Households with children under 18	106	14.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	313	41.7%
Average household size	2.06

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	28.4%	19.3%
Married	46.7%	48.3%
Separated	2.3%	1.2%
Widowed	4.2%	16.0%
Divorced	18.4%	15.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.0%

Some HS, no diploma 9.9%

HS graduate 41.9%

Some college, no degree 22.1%

Associate's degree 11.3%

Bachelor's degree 7.9%

Graduate / professional 5.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.1%
Bachelor's or higher	12.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	14	7.3%
Kindergarten	23	12.0%
Elementary school	61	31.8%
High school	63	32.8%
College / grad school	31	16.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 18.5%

Education & healthcare 16.8%

Transportation & utilities 12.5%

Manufacturing 12.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.1%

Professional & management 6.6%

Construction 6.4%

Other services 4.3%

Agriculture & mining 3.8%

Public administration 3.1%

Wholesale trade 2.6%

Finance & real estate 1.4%

Information 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.6%
Service	13.2%
Sales & office	22.2%
Natural resources & construction	13.3%
Production & transportation	26.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.7%
Government	13.9%
Self-employed	9.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.7%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	77.3%
Carpool	14.5%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.9%
Work from home	5.9%
Other means	1.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	31.3

Poverty

All people 20.2%

Under 18 years 35.7%

18 and over 17.9%

Married-couple families 7.6%

Female-led households 24.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	58.9%
Retirement income	38.3%
Supplemental Security	10.8%
Cash public assistance	3.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	21.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	42.4%
High blood pressure	42.6%
High cholesterol	41.2%
Diabetes	15.6%
Heart disease	9.9%
Stroke	4.7%
Asthma	11.2%
Arthritis	37.6%
Kidney disease	4.1%
Pulmonary disease	11.4%
Cancer	8.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.5%
Binge drinking	16.0%
No physical activity	26.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.5%
Depression	21.7%
Fair or poor health	20.3%
Poor mental health	15.8%
Poor physical health	14.4%
No health insurance	10.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.2%
Visited dentist	63.5%
Cholesterol screening	92.5%
Teeth loss	16.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	133	9.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	29.4%
Under 18	5.5%
18–64 years	29.1%
65 and over	41.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	47.6%
Public insurance	64.0%
No insurance	7.1%
Uninsured under 19	5.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,493	96.2%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,544	99.5%
Born in same state	1,544	99.5%
Born in different state	1,321	85.1%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	8	0.5%
Not a US citizen	8	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	160	10.3%
Italian	155	10%
English	116	7.5%
Arab	64	4.1%
German	20	1.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	13	0.8%
Irish	9	0.6%
Norwegian	1	0.1%
Dutch	1	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	48.4%
Internet access	86.7%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 49309

What city is ZIP code 49309 in?

ZIP code 49309 is primarily assigned to Bitely, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 49309 in?

ZIP code 49309 falls within Newaygo County, Michigan.

Does ZIP code 49309 have a large retiree population?

59% of households in ZIP code 49309 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 49309 have an older population?

28% of residents in ZIP code 49309 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Is ZIP code 49309 mostly owner-occupied?

90% of occupied units in ZIP code 49309 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 49309?

20% of residents in ZIP code 49309 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 49309 in?

ZIP code 49309 observes the EST timezone.