49630 ZIP Code — Empire, MI

Leelanau County, Michigan

ZIP code 49630 is located in Empire, Michigan, within Leelanau County. It covers approximately 60.46 square miles and serves a population of 1,472 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 231.

About ZIP code 49630

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 $410,400. Owner-occupancy is high at 88%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($92,500) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 52% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 25 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 50% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

Overall, ZIP code 49630 reflects a community defined by a highly educated population, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,472

population

60.46

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

49630 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 49630

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 49630. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Empire	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

49636 Glen Arbor (4.1 mi) 49664 Maple City (6.1 mi) 49650 Lake Ann (7.9 mi) 49640 Honor (8 mi) 49621 Cedar (11.8 mi) 49617 Beulah (12.9 mi) 49684 Traverse City (13.1 mi) 49643 Interlochen (14.5 mi) 49635 Frankfort (16.4 mi) 49616 Benzonia (16.8 mi) 49653 Lake Leelanau (17.1 mi) 49685 Traverse City (18.4 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	1,472
Population density	24 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	089

Geography
Land area	60.46 sq mi
Water area	7.55 sq mi
Latitude	44.8152
Longitude	-85.9890
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	231

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	31.0%	34.4%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	41.1%	35.1%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	23.1%	23.3%	20.6%
Over $200k	4.7%	7.2%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

1,472

Population

People per sq mi

61.8

Median age

$92,500

Median household income

$64,606

Per capita income

$410,400

Median home value

Median monthly rent

87.8%

Home ownership

10.1%

Poverty rate

1.1%

Unemployment

1,317

Housing units

50.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

55–59

60–64

204

65–74

209

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	204	13.9%
18 and over	1,268	86.1%
65 and over	623	42.3%
Median age	61.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.5%

Two or more races 5.4%

Hispanic or Latino 4.5%

Black or African American 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Asian 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	1,380	89.5%
Two or more races	83	5.4%
Hispanic or Latino	70	4.5%
Black or African American	4	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.2%
Asian	2	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	31.0%	34.4%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	41.1%	35.1%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	23.1%	23.3%	20.6%
Over $200k	4.7%	7.2%	5.7%

Under $10k 3.9%

$10k–$15k 1.6%

$15k–$25k 5.3%

$25k–$35k 2.7%

$35k–$50k 5.7%

$50k–$75k 22.1%

$75k–$100k 11.1%

$100k–$150k 26.4%

$150k–$200k 7.0%

$200k+ 14.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.9%
$10k–$15k	1.6%
$15k–$25k	5.3%
$25k–$35k	2.7%
$35k–$50k	5.7%
$50k–$75k	22.1%
$75k–$100k	11.1%
$100k–$150k	26.4%
$150k–$200k	7.0%
$200k+	14.1%
Median income	$92,500

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.6%

$50k–$100k 3.8%

$100k–$150k 5.4%

$150k–$200k 7.7%

$200k–$300k 13.9%

$300k–$500k 34.2%

$500k–$1M 17.8%

$1M+ 14.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$410,400
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	87.8%
Renter occupied	12.2%
Vacant	50.4%
Single-family detached	87.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	8.9%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.08

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	13.1%
2000–2009	18.4%
1990–1999	24.5%
1980–1989	6.0%
1970–1979	11.8%
1960–1969	5.3%
1950–1959	7.0%
1940–1949	5.8%
1939 or earlier	7.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.7%
1 bedroom	6.9%
2 bedrooms	24.2%
3 bedrooms	39.7%
4 bedrooms	20.6%
5+ bedrooms	7.9%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.9%
1 vehicle	18.5%
2 vehicles	47.1%
3 or more	28.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	35.1%
Electricity	10.5%
Propane / LP gas	36.9%
Fuel oil	3.7%
Wood	11.6%
No fuel used	1.1%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	430	61.8%
Cohabiting couple	14	2.0%
Male householder, no spouse	99	14.2%
Female householder, no spouse	153	22.0%
Households with children under 18	103	14.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	430	61.8%
Average household size	2.11

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	17.4%	18.7%
Married	72.4%	59.8%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	5.7%	6.0%
Divorced	4.6%	15.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.7%

Some HS, no diploma 1.1%

HS graduate 18.2%

Some college, no degree 20.4%

Associate's degree 9.5%

Bachelor's degree 28.6%

Graduate / professional 21.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	98.2%
Bachelor's or higher	50.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	15	6.3%
Kindergarten	12	5.1%
Elementary school	135	57.0%
High school	24	10.1%
College / grad school	51	21.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 19.3%

Education & healthcare 19.0%

Retail trade 11.6%

Finance & real estate 11.4%

Manufacturing 10.6%

Construction 8.3%

Professional & management 6.9%

Transportation & utilities 4.0%

Public administration 3.2%

Other services 2.8%

Agriculture & mining 1.4%

Wholesale trade 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	41.0%
Service	15.7%
Sales & office	15.9%
Natural resources & construction	9.4%
Production & transportation	17.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	76.9%
Government	9.3%
Self-employed	13.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	69.9%
Carpool	6.3%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.6%
Work from home	19.5%
Other means	3.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.4

Poverty

All people 10.1%

Under 18 years 31.4%

18 and over 6.6%

Married-couple families 4.2%

Female-led households 32.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	51.6%
Retirement income	51.7%
Supplemental Security	5.2%
Cash public assistance	1.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	3.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.8%
High blood pressure	37.4%
High cholesterol	38.6%
Diabetes	11.6%
Heart disease	8.0%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	10.1%
Arthritis	35.1%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	7.5%
Cancer	9.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	13.5%
Binge drinking	15.9%
No physical activity	17.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.6%
Depression	19.2%
Fair or poor health	12.4%
Poor mental health	12.5%
Poor physical health	10.1%
No health insurance	6.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.3%
Visited dentist	76.5%
Cholesterol screening	95.3%
Teeth loss	8.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	113	8.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	11.9%
Under 18	13.7%
18–64 years	6.7%
65 and over	16.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	77.6%
Public insurance	51.4%
No insurance	3.2%
Uninsured under 19	2.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,446	98.2%
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)	1,444	98.1%
Born in same state	1,440	97.8%
Born in different state	1,071	72.8%
Foreign born	4	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	28	1.9%
Not a US citizen	25	89.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	279	19%
Italian	185	12.6%
English	106	7.2%
Arab	53	3.6%
Polish	25	1.7%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	22	1.5%
Dutch	7	0.5%
Irish	6	0.4%
Norwegian	5	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	47.3%
Internet access	96.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 49630

What city is ZIP code 49630 in?

ZIP code 49630 is primarily assigned to Empire, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 49630 in?

ZIP code 49630 falls within Leelanau County, Michigan.

Does ZIP code 49630 have an older population?

42% of residents in ZIP code 49630 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 49630 have a large retiree population?

52% of households in ZIP code 49630 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 49630 mostly owner-occupied?

88% of occupied units in ZIP code 49630 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 49630?

50% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What timezone is ZIP code 49630 in?

ZIP code 49630 observes the EST timezone.