49642 ZIP Code — Idlewild, MI

Lake County, Michigan

ZIP code 49642 is located in Idlewild, Michigan, within Lake County. It covers approximately 15.24 square miles and serves a population of 1,013 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 231.

About ZIP code 49642

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $93,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 71%.

Median household income is $25,798. Poverty affects 46% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 33% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 50% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 14% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (45%), diabetes (22%), smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 49642 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

1,013

population

15.24

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

49642 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 49642

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 49642. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Idlewild	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

49623 Chase (5 mi) 49304 Baldwin (5.4 mi) 49309 Bitely (10.7 mi) 49656 Luther (11.9 mi) 49338 Paris (12.4 mi) 49677 Reed City (12.7 mi) 49402 Branch (14.1 mi) 49644 Irons (14.9 mi) 49639 Hersey (17.9 mi) 49655 Leroy (17.9 mi) 49307 Big Rapids (18.2 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	1,013
Population density	66 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	085

Geography
Land area	15.24 sq mi
Water area	0.29 sq mi
Latitude	43.8965
Longitude	-85.7636
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	84.1%	64.8%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	12.3%	27.2%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	0.8%	6.6%	20.6%
Over $200k	2.8%	1.4%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

1,013

Population

People per sq mi

47.5

Median age

$25,798

Median household income

$19,851

Per capita income

$93,500

Median home value

$693

Median monthly rent

71.4%

Home ownership

45.7%

Poverty rate

3.9%

Unemployment

1,057

Housing units

14.0%

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

65–74

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	226	22.3%
18 and over	787	77.7%
65 and over	248	24.5%
Median age	47.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 56.5%

Black or African American 35.6%

Two or more races 6.1%

Hispanic or Latino 0.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%

Other race 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	577	56.5%
Black or African American	363	35.6%
Two or more races	62	6.1%
Hispanic or Latino	8	0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.3%
Other race	1	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	84.1%	64.8%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	12.3%	27.2%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	0.8%	6.6%	20.6%
Over $200k	2.8%	1.4%	5.7%

Under $10k 18.4%

$10k–$15k 10.7%

$15k–$25k 17.2%

$25k–$35k 14.2%

$35k–$50k 12.9%

$50k–$75k 9.7%

$75k–$100k 11.7%

$100k–$150k 0.5%

$150k–$200k 1.0%

$200k+ 3.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	18.4%
$10k–$15k	10.7%
$15k–$25k	17.2%
$25k–$35k	14.2%
$35k–$50k	12.9%
$50k–$75k	9.7%
$75k–$100k	11.7%
$100k–$150k	0.5%
$150k–$200k	1.0%
$200k+	3.7%
Median income	$25,798

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 15.0%

$50k–$100k 40.4%

$100k–$150k 10.8%

$150k–$200k 11.1%

$200k–$300k 14.3%

$300k–$500k 4.9%

$500k–$1M 2.8%

$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$93,500
Median rent / month	$693
Owner occupied	71.4%
Renter occupied	28.6%
Vacant	65.7%
Single-family detached	62.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.5%
Mobile homes	30.1%
Median rooms	4.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.75

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	2.3%
2000–2009	20.0%
1990–1999	18.9%
1980–1989	11.3%
1970–1979	14.2%
1960–1969	7.0%
1950–1959	14.5%
1940–1949	4.6%
1939 or earlier	6.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	6.4%
1 bedroom	16.4%
2 bedrooms	41.0%
3 bedrooms	29.5%
4 bedrooms	5.3%
5+ bedrooms	1.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	22.4%
1 vehicle	40.0%
2 vehicles	24.1%
3 or more	13.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	41.8%
Electricity	8.0%
Propane / LP gas	38.8%
Fuel oil	1.7%
Wood	9.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	117	29.1%
Cohabiting couple	22	5.5%
Male householder, no spouse	151	37.6%
Female householder, no spouse	112	27.9%
Households with children under 18	76	18.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	149	37.1%
Average household size	2.52

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	34.1%	22.3%
Married	32.8%	38.8%
Separated	3.7%	3.2%
Widowed	8.7%	13.6%
Divorced	20.7%	22.0%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.1%

Some HS, no diploma 24.3%

HS graduate 34.5%

Some college, no degree 20.3%

Associate's degree 2.9%

Bachelor's degree 8.8%

Graduate / professional 5.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	71.6%
Bachelor's or higher	14.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	17	9.0%
Kindergarten	13	6.9%
Elementary school	132	69.8%
High school	20	10.6%
College / grad school	7	3.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 32.8%

Manufacturing 19.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 13.8%

Education & healthcare 9.3%

Professional & management 7.8%

Other services 6.0%

Transportation & utilities 2.6%

Construction 2.2%

Wholesale trade 2.2%

Finance & real estate 1.5%

Information 0.7%

Public administration 0.7%

Agriculture & mining 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	11.6%
Service	33.2%
Sales & office	20.1%
Natural resources & construction	16.4%
Production & transportation	18.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	89.2%
Government	5.2%
Self-employed	5.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	82.0%
Carpool	13.5%
Public transit	2.2%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	2.2%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.8

Poverty

All people 45.7%

Under 18 years 83.2%

18 and over 34.9%

Married-couple families 34.2%

Female-led households 57.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	49.8%
Retirement income	29.9%
Supplemental Security	9.5%
Cash public assistance	10.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	33.1%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	45.2%
High blood pressure	50.6%
High cholesterol	42.8%
Diabetes	21.7%
Heart disease	11.2%
Stroke	6.8%
Asthma	13.1%
Arthritis	41.8%
Kidney disease	5.4%
Pulmonary disease	13.2%
Cancer	8.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	26.1%
Binge drinking	13.2%
No physical activity	32.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	38.8%
Depression	21.0%
Fair or poor health	27.4%
Poor mental health	16.8%
Poor physical health	17.3%
No health insurance	13.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	80.0%
Visited dentist	55.1%
Cholesterol screening	92.7%
Teeth loss	23.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	78	9.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.7%
Under 18	1.3%
18–64 years	24.3%
65 and over	34.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	36.5%
Public insurance	72.8%
No insurance	1.4%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	951	93.9%
Spanish	3	0.3%
Other Indo-European	3	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,005	99.2%
Born in same state	984	97.1%
Born in different state	729	72.0%
Foreign born	21	2.1%
Naturalized citizen	8	0.8%
Not a US citizen	8	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	37	3.7%
Italian	19	1.9%
English	13	1.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	7	0.7%
Norwegian	4	0.4%
Irish	2	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.7%
Internet access	88.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 49642

What city is ZIP code 49642 in?

ZIP code 49642 is primarily assigned to Idlewild, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 49642 in?

ZIP code 49642 falls within Lake County, Michigan.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 49642?

46% of residents in ZIP code 49642 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 49642 have a large retiree population?

50% of households in ZIP code 49642 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 49642?

14% 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 49642?

Health data for ZIP code 49642 shows elevated rates of obesity (45%) and diabetes (22%) and smoking (26%) compared to national benchmarks.

What timezone is ZIP code 49642 in?

ZIP code 49642 observes the EST timezone.