49644 ZIP Code — Irons, MI

Lake County, Michigan

ZIP code 49644 is located in Irons, Michigan, within Lake County. It covers approximately 110.60 square miles and serves a population of 1,920 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 231.

About ZIP code 49644

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $154,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 93%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $51,216. 65% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with arts, entertainment, and food service as the leading industry. The average commute of 34 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 diabetes (16%), smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 14% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 27%.

Overall, ZIP code 49644 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,920

population

110.60

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

49644 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 49644

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 49644. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Irons	Acceptable
Irons	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

49689 Wellston (9.9 mi) 49304 Baldwin (10.8 mi) 49656 Luther (10.9 mi) 49402 Branch (11.2 mi) 49410 Fountain (12.1 mi) 49642 Idlewild (14.9 mi) 49619 Brethren (15.8 mi) 49638 Harrietta (16.4 mi) 49411 Free Soil (17.2 mi) 49405 Custer (17.4 mi) 49660 Manistee (17.6 mi) 49623 Chase (17.8 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,920
Population density	17 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	085

Geography
Land area	110.60 sq mi
Water area	1.74 sq mi
Latitude	44.0807
Longitude	-85.9203
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	53.3%	64.8%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	34.7%	27.2%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	10.5%	6.6%	20.6%
Over $200k	1.4%	1.4%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

1,920

Population

People per sq mi

59.4

Median age

$51,216

Median household income

$33,166

Per capita income

$154,900

Median home value

$790

Median monthly rent

93.2%

Home ownership

16.2%

Poverty rate

10.9%

Unemployment

2,949

Housing units

13.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

102

25–34

35–44

142

45–54

109

124

55–59

130

60–64

238

65–74

182

139

75–84

106

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	128	6.7%
18 and over	1,792	93.3%
65 and over	696	36.3%
Median age	59.4 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89%

Hispanic or Latino 4.2%

Two or more races 3.9%

Other race 2.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Black or African American 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	1,783	89%
Hispanic or Latino	84	4.2%
Two or more races	79	3.9%
Other race	48	2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	0.3%
Black or African American	3	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.3%	64.8%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	34.7%	27.2%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	10.5%	6.6%	20.6%
Over $200k	1.4%	1.4%	5.7%

Under $10k 4.4%

$10k–$15k 4.0%

$15k–$25k 9.9%

$25k–$35k 15.1%

$35k–$50k 14.4%

$50k–$75k 18.7%

$75k–$100k 14.1%

$100k–$150k 13.0%

$150k–$200k 2.8%

$200k+ 3.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.4%
$10k–$15k	4.0%
$15k–$25k	9.9%
$25k–$35k	15.1%
$35k–$50k	14.4%
$50k–$75k	18.7%
$75k–$100k	14.1%
$100k–$150k	13.0%
$150k–$200k	2.8%
$200k+	3.5%
Median income	$51,216

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 11.0%

$50k–$100k 15.8%

$100k–$150k 21.6%

$150k–$200k 13.0%

$200k–$300k 19.6%

$300k–$500k 14.8%

$500k–$1M 4.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$154,900
Median rent / month	$790
Owner occupied	93.2%
Renter occupied	6.8%
Vacant	72.7%
Single-family detached	72.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	27.2%
Median rooms	4.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.37

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	5.1%
2000–2009	17.4%
1990–1999	19.0%
1980–1989	13.8%
1970–1979	19.9%
1960–1969	10.1%
1950–1959	9.3%
1940–1949	2.0%
1939 or earlier	3.3%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	7.7%
1 bedroom	21.0%
2 bedrooms	42.9%
3 bedrooms	23.8%
4 bedrooms	4.1%
5+ bedrooms	0.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.9%
1 vehicle	27.6%
2 vehicles	51.5%
3 or more	17.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.6%
Electricity	5.2%
Propane / LP gas	76.1%
Fuel oil	0.2%
Wood	16.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	489	59.6%
Cohabiting couple	42	5.1%
Male householder, no spouse	175	21.3%
Female householder, no spouse	114	13.9%
Households with children under 18	64	7.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	451	55.0%
Average household size	2.34

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	22.8%	8.6%
Married	56.8%	65.5%
Separated	0.9%	2.4%
Widowed	2.5%	13.8%
Divorced	17.1%	9.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.2%

Some HS, no diploma 12.4%

HS graduate 37.5%

Some college, no degree 24.5%

Associate's degree 10.0%

Bachelor's degree 8.4%

Graduate / professional 5.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	85.4%
Bachelor's or higher	13.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	11	5.1%
Kindergarten	3	1.4%
Elementary school	54	25.1%
High school	71	33.0%
College / grad school	76	35.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Arts, food & hospitality 16.9%

Retail trade 16.4%

Education & healthcare 11.3%

Construction 10.5%

Manufacturing 8.9%

Professional & management 6.5%

Transportation & utilities 6.2%

Public administration 6.1%

Finance & real estate 4.7%

Wholesale trade 4.6%

Information 3.0%

Agriculture & mining 2.5%

Other services 2.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.1%
Service	27.9%
Sales & office	21.2%
Natural resources & construction	13.2%
Production & transportation	13.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.1%
Government	12.1%
Self-employed	12.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	78.2%
Carpool	12.3%
Public transit	0.2%
Walk	2.6%
Work from home	6.7%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	33.5

Poverty

All people 16.2%

Under 18 years 15.6%

18 and over 16.2%

Married-couple families 7.4%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	64.5%
Retirement income	42.0%
Supplemental Security	6.6%
Cash public assistance	3.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.3%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.2%
High blood pressure	44.7%
High cholesterol	43.5%
Diabetes	16.4%
Heart disease	11.3%
Stroke	5.0%
Asthma	11.0%
Arthritis	41.1%
Kidney disease	4.4%
Pulmonary disease	12.5%
Cancer	9.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.6%
Binge drinking	15.2%
No physical activity	26.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.6%
Depression	21.5%
Fair or poor health	20.5%
Poor mental health	15.1%
Poor physical health	14.9%
No health insurance	10.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.7%
Visited dentist	64.0%
Cholesterol screening	93.7%
Teeth loss	16.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	251	14.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	27.3%
Under 18	3.9%
18–64 years	21.4%
65 and over	40.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	54.5%
Public insurance	69.1%
No insurance	5.8%
Uninsured under 19	0.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,898	98.9%
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)	1,905	99.2%
Born in same state	1,899	98.9%
Born in different state	1,573	81.9%
Foreign born	6	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	15	0.8%
Not a US citizen	13	86.7%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	314	16.4%
Italian	210	10.9%
Arab	181	9.4%
English	120	6.3%
German	57	3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	27	1.4%
Polish	20	1%
Dutch	12	0.6%
Irish	9	0.5%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.7%
Internet access	82.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 49644

What city is ZIP code 49644 in?

ZIP code 49644 is primarily assigned to Irons, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 49644 in?

ZIP code 49644 falls within Lake County, Michigan.

Does ZIP code 49644 have a large retiree population?

65% of households in ZIP code 49644 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 49644 have an older population?

36% of residents in ZIP code 49644 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Is ZIP code 49644 mostly owner-occupied?

93% of occupied units in ZIP code 49644 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 49644?

14% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What timezone is ZIP code 49644 in?

ZIP code 49644 observes the EST timezone.