48238 ZIP Code — Detroit, MI

Wayne County, Michigan

ZIP code 48238 is located in Detroit, Michigan, within Wayne County. It covers approximately 5.40 square miles and serves a population of 24,565 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 313.

About ZIP code 48238

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $51,400. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 47%.

Median household income is $29,692. Poverty affects 38% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 42% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 26 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 11% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (50%), diabetes (21%), smoking (28%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 48238 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

24,565

population

5.40

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

48238 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 48238

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 48238. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Detroit	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

48204 Detroit (1.9 mi) 48206 Detroit (2.1 mi) 48203 Highland Park (2.3 mi) 48221 Detroit (2.3 mi) 48227 Detroit (2.9 mi) 48202 Detroit (3.4 mi) 48235 Detroit (3.6 mi) 48210 Detroit (4 mi) 48208 Detroit (4 mi) 48212 Hamtramck (4.4 mi) 48220 Ferndale (4.6 mi) 48211 Detroit (4.6 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	24,565
Population density	4,549 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	163

Geography
Land area	5.40 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	42.3949
Longitude	-83.1381
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	313

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	75.2%	50.3%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	17.9%	27.8%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	6.3%	17.1%	20.6%
Over $200k	0.6%	4.8%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

24,565

Population

4,549

People per sq mi

34.9

Median age

$29,692

Median household income

$18,645

Per capita income

$51,400

Median home value

$937

Median monthly rent

46.6%

Home ownership

37.8%

Poverty rate

20.8%

Unemployment

10,555

Housing units

11.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

879

Under 5

987

723

5–9

813

1,085

10–14

1,220

777

15–19

872

657

20–24

738

1,681

25–34

1,888

1,337

35–44

1,503

1,523

45–54

1,712

645

55–59

724

647

60–64

727

950

65–74

1,068

428

75–84

481

235

85+

265

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	6,944	28.3%
18 and over	17,621	71.7%
65 and over	3,427	14.0%
Median age	34.9 years

Race & ethnicity

Black or African American 91.9%

Two or more races 3.6%

White 1.9%

Hispanic or Latino 1.3%

Other race 1%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
Black or African American	22,887	91.9%
Two or more races	893	3.6%
White	475	1.9%
Hispanic or Latino	335	1.3%
Other race	249	1%
Asian	54	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	75.2%	50.3%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	17.9%	27.8%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	6.3%	17.1%	20.6%
Over $200k	0.6%	4.8%	5.7%

Under $10k 18.3%

$10k–$15k 12.0%

$15k–$25k 15.3%

$25k–$35k 10.9%

$35k–$50k 16.4%

$50k–$75k 11.8%

$75k–$100k 8.3%

$100k–$150k 4.3%

$150k–$200k 1.1%

$200k+ 1.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	18.3%
$10k–$15k	12.0%
$15k–$25k	15.3%
$25k–$35k	10.9%
$35k–$50k	16.4%
$50k–$75k	11.8%
$75k–$100k	8.3%
$100k–$150k	4.3%
$150k–$200k	1.1%
$200k+	1.5%
Median income	$29,692

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 48.0%

$50k–$100k 31.8%

$100k–$150k 11.6%

$150k–$200k 4.3%

$200k–$300k 2.6%

$300k–$500k 1.0%

$500k–$1M 0.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$51,400
Median rent / month	$937
Owner occupied	46.6%
Renter occupied	53.4%
Vacant	37.2%
Single-family detached	53.4%
Large apartment buildings	7.3%
Mobile homes	0.6%
Median rooms	5.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.54

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.8%
2000–2009	2.4%
1990–1999	1.5%
1980–1989	2.9%
1970–1979	1.0%
1960–1969	2.2%
1950–1959	12.5%
1940–1949	30.3%
1939 or earlier	46.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.3%
1 bedroom	11.1%
2 bedrooms	28.4%
3 bedrooms	46.8%
4 bedrooms	10.5%
5+ bedrooms	1.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	21.7%
1 vehicle	48.8%
2 vehicles	20.2%
3 or more	9.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	86.1%
Electricity	10.6%
Propane / LP gas	1.2%
Fuel oil	0.3%
Solar	0.4%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,114	11.2%
Cohabiting couple	433	4.3%
Male householder, no spouse	3,372	33.9%
Female householder, no spouse	5,042	50.6%
Households with children under 18	2,960	29.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,875	28.9%
Average household size	2.46

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	57.6%	60.9%
Married	15.2%	14.4%
Separated	3.6%	2.9%
Widowed	2.9%	11.3%
Divorced	20.7%	10.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.5%

Some HS, no diploma 14.5%

HS graduate 32.5%

Some college, no degree 32.0%

Associate's degree 8.1%

Bachelor's degree 7.4%

Graduate / professional 4.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	84.0%
Bachelor's or higher	11.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	268	4.5%
Kindergarten	233	3.9%
Elementary school	3,168	52.6%
High school	1,563	26.0%
College / grad school	786	13.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 28.5%

Manufacturing 15.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.7%

Professional & management 10.1%

Retail trade 9.8%

Transportation & utilities 6.1%

Finance & real estate 5.6%

Other services 4.2%

Construction 2.9%

Public administration 2.0%

Wholesale trade 1.8%

Information 1.0%

Agriculture & mining 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	18.5%
Service	27.0%
Sales & office	24.6%
Natural resources & construction	5.6%
Production & transportation	24.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.8%
Government	11.2%
Self-employed	7.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	61.3%
Carpool	14.9%
Public transit	6.7%
Walk	3.9%
Work from home	10.5%
Other means	2.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.1

Poverty

All people 37.8%

Under 18 years 52.1%

18 and over 32.3%

Married-couple families 9.1%

Female-led households 42.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	29.6%
Retirement income	20.3%
Supplemental Security	13.9%
Cash public assistance	4.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	42.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	49.9%
High blood pressure	48.8%
High cholesterol	34.1%
Diabetes	21.0%
Heart disease	8.6%
Stroke	6.9%
Asthma	16.1%
Arthritis	35.3%
Kidney disease	5.1%
Pulmonary disease	10.4%
Cancer	5.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	27.5%
Binge drinking	12.8%
No physical activity	35.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	47.2%
Depression	18.3%
Fair or poor health	29.7%
Poor mental health	20.1%
Poor physical health	16.8%
No health insurance	15.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	82.0%
Visited dentist	49.0%
Cholesterol screening	91.6%
Teeth loss	28.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	849	4.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.7%
Under 18	3.2%
18–64 years	20.2%
65 and over	44.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	36.5%
Public insurance	68.6%
No insurance	5.9%
Uninsured under 19	0.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	22,699	92.4%
Spanish	70	0.3%
Other Indo-European	33	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	10	0.0%
Other languages	16	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	24,352	99.1%
Born in same state	24,352	99.1%
Born in different state	21,186	86.2%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	213	0.9%
Not a US citizen	86	40.4%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	633	2.6%
Italian	100	0.4%
French	82	0.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	11	0%
Norwegian	7	0%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.5%
Internet access	87.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 48238

What city is ZIP code 48238 in?

ZIP code 48238 is primarily assigned to Detroit, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 48238 in?

ZIP code 48238 falls within Wayne County, Michigan.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 48238?

38% of residents in ZIP code 48238 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 48238?

11% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 48238?

Health data for ZIP code 48238 shows elevated rates of obesity (50%) and diabetes (21%) and smoking (28%) compared to national benchmarks.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 48238?

The median home value in ZIP code 48238 is $51,400.

What timezone is ZIP code 48238 in?

ZIP code 48238 observes the EST timezone.