48221 ZIP Code — Detroit, MI

Wayne County, Michigan

ZIP code 48221 is located in Detroit, Michigan, within Wayne County. It covers approximately 5.20 square miles and serves a population of 41,570 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 313.

About ZIP code 48221

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $121,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 64%.

Median household income is $51,181. Poverty affects 19% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 30% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 43% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 30% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (45%), diabetes (18%), smoking (20%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 48221 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

41,570

population

5.20

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

48221 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 48221

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 48221. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Detroit	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

48203 Highland Park (2.2 mi) 48220 Ferndale (2.3 mi) 48238 Detroit (2.3 mi) 48235 Detroit (2.5 mi) 48237 Oak Park (3.1 mi) 48030 Hazel Park (3.4 mi) 48227 Detroit (3.7 mi) 48206 Detroit (4.2 mi) 48204 Detroit (4.2 mi) 48067 Royal Oak (4.2 mi) 48075 Southfield (5 mi) 48212 Hamtramck (5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	41,570
Population density	7,994 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	163

Geography
Land area	5.20 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	42.4280
Longitude	-83.1466
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	313

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	55.6%	50.3%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	27.8%	27.8%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	13.7%	17.1%	20.6%
Over $200k	2.8%	4.8%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

41,570

Population

7,994

People per sq mi

38.4

Median age

$51,181

Median household income

$28,812

Per capita income

$121,300

Median home value

$1,087

Median monthly rent

64.0%

Home ownership

18.8%

Poverty rate

14.2%

Unemployment

11,745

Housing units

30.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

1,128

Under 5

1,379

1,155

5–9

1,413

1,365

10–14

1,669

1,403

15–19

1,715

1,159

20–24

1,417

2,490

25–34

3,045

2,253

35–44

2,755

2,231

45–54

2,727

1,149

55–59

1,404

1,099

60–64

1,344

1,795

65–74

2,195

957

75–84

1,171

518

85+

634

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	9,999	24.1%
18 and over	31,571	75.9%
65 and over	7,270	17.5%
Median age	38.4 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 85.8%

White 7.3%

Two or more races 3.7%

Asian 1.5%

Hispanic or Latino 1%

Other race 0.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	36,031	85.8%
White	3,063	7.3%
Two or more races	1,561	3.7%
Asian	648	1.5%
Hispanic or Latino	432	1%
Other race	231	0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	36	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	55.6%	50.3%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	27.8%	27.8%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	13.7%	17.1%	20.6%
Over $200k	2.8%	4.8%	5.7%

Under $10k 7.4%

$10k–$15k 6.9%

$15k–$25k 9.1%

$25k–$35k 9.5%

$35k–$50k 16.1%

$50k–$75k 16.1%

$75k–$100k 13.2%

$100k–$150k 12.2%

$150k–$200k 4.0%

$200k+ 5.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.4%
$10k–$15k	6.9%
$15k–$25k	9.1%
$25k–$35k	9.5%
$35k–$50k	16.1%
$50k–$75k	16.1%
$75k–$100k	13.2%
$100k–$150k	12.2%
$150k–$200k	4.0%
$200k+	5.5%
Median income	$51,181

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.9%

$50k–$100k 28.9%

$100k–$150k 16.3%

$150k–$200k 12.6%

$200k–$300k 15.2%

$300k–$500k 10.7%

$500k–$1M 1.7%

$1M+ 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$121,300
Median rent / month	$1,087
Owner occupied	64.0%
Renter occupied	36.0%
Vacant	10.8%
Single-family detached	77.8%
Large apartment buildings	2.7%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	6.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.54

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.1%
2000–2009	1.0%
1990–1999	1.5%
1980–1989	0.5%
1970–1979	2.2%
1960–1969	7.4%
1950–1959	23.4%
1940–1949	25.1%
1939 or earlier	38.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.7%
1 bedroom	3.9%
2 bedrooms	21.1%
3 bedrooms	53.4%
4 bedrooms	13.9%
5+ bedrooms	7.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	13.3%
1 vehicle	45.8%
2 vehicles	28.8%
3 or more	12.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	90.2%
Electricity	7.8%
Propane / LP gas	0.6%
Wood	0.4%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,768	24.4%
Cohabiting couple	1,170	7.6%
Male householder, no spouse	3,109	20.1%
Female householder, no spouse	7,398	47.9%
Households with children under 18	4,390	28.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	5,821	37.7%
Average household size	2.64

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	52.2%	53.1%
Married	29.1%	22.8%
Separated	3.8%	2.6%
Widowed	5.1%	10.1%
Divorced	9.8%	11.4%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.2%

Some HS, no diploma 8.8%

HS graduate 25.4%

Some college, no degree 26.5%

Associate's degree 7.0%

Bachelor's degree 16.8%

Graduate / professional 13.3%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.1%
Bachelor's or higher	30.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	521	4.7%
Kindergarten	204	1.8%
Elementary school	4,465	40.4%
High school	2,590	23.4%
College / grad school	3,273	29.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 31.0%

Manufacturing 12.7%

Professional & management 11.6%

Retail trade 9.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.1%

Transportation & utilities 6.5%

Finance & real estate 6.2%

Public administration 4.4%

Other services 4.1%

Construction 1.9%

Wholesale trade 1.7%

Information 1.6%

Agriculture & mining 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	37.4%
Service	18.9%
Sales & office	21.6%
Natural resources & construction	3.9%
Production & transportation	18.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	84.0%
Government	11.5%
Self-employed	4.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	64.6%
Carpool	12.3%
Public transit	6.6%
Walk	2.2%
Work from home	12.5%
Other means	1.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.7

Poverty

All people 18.8%

Under 18 years 32.8%

18 and over 14.4%

Married-couple families 5.1%

Female-led households 23.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.9%
Retirement income	30.6%
Supplemental Security	10.7%
Cash public assistance	5.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	29.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	44.7%
High blood pressure	45.5%
High cholesterol	34.2%
Diabetes	18.0%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	5.6%
Asthma	14.6%
Arthritis	33.4%
Kidney disease	4.4%
Pulmonary disease	7.9%
Cancer	6.3%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.4%
Binge drinking	13.1%
No physical activity	28.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	43.4%
Depression	16.9%
Fair or poor health	22.5%
Poor mental health	17.5%
Poor physical health	13.3%
No health insurance	12.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.3%
Visited dentist	59.7%
Cholesterol screening	93.2%
Teeth loss	19.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,652	5.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.2%
Under 18	5.5%
18–64 years	18.3%
65 and over	35.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	56.2%
Public insurance	54.9%
No insurance	5.2%
Uninsured under 19	1.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	39,063	94.0%
Spanish	130	0.3%
Other Indo-European	57	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	13	0.0%
Other languages	35	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	40,885	98.4%
Born in same state	40,701	97.9%
Born in different state	32,883	79.1%
Foreign born	184	0.4%
Naturalized citizen	685	1.6%
Not a US citizen	423	61.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	1,613	3.9%
French	677	1.6%
Italian	605	1.5%
Polish	35	0.1%
English	24	0.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	21	0.1%
Irish	15	0%
Norwegian	14	0%
Dutch	5	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	37.2%
Internet access	92.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 48221

What city is ZIP code 48221 in?

ZIP code 48221 is primarily assigned to Detroit, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 48221 in?

ZIP code 48221 falls within Wayne County, Michigan.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 48221?

19% of residents in ZIP code 48221 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 48221 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 48221 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 48221?

Health data for ZIP code 48221 shows elevated rates of obesity (45%) and diabetes (18%) and smoking (20%) compared to national benchmarks.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 48221?

The median home value in ZIP code 48221 is $121,300.

What timezone is ZIP code 48221 in?

ZIP code 48221 observes the EST timezone.