49938 ZIP Code — Ironwood, MI

Gogebic County, Michigan

ZIP code 49938 is located in Ironwood, Michigan, within Gogebic County. It covers approximately 225.60 square miles and serves a population of 7,636 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 906.

About ZIP code 49938

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 $82,900. Owner-occupancy is high at 82%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $43,990. 47% 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 18 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 24% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 11% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 49938 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

7,636

population

225.60

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

49938 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 49938

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 49938. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Ironwood	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

54534 Hurley (6.5 mi) 49911 Bessemer (8.6 mi) 54550 Montreal (9.5 mi) 54559 Saxon (11.5 mi) 49968 Wakefield (14.8 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	7,636
Population density	34 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	053

Geography
Land area	225.60 sq mi
Water area	21.91 sq mi
Latitude	46.4895
Longitude	-90.2040
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	906

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	63.0%	60.5%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	23.4%	23.8%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	10.9%	12.6%	20.6%
Over $200k	2.7%	3.1%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

7,636

Population

People per sq mi

51.2

Median age

$43,990

Median household income

$34,582

Per capita income

$82,900

Median home value

$499

Median monthly rent

81.5%

Home ownership

12.7%

Poverty rate

8.0%

Unemployment

4,009

Housing units

23.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

105

Under 5

164

5–9

150

238

10–14

217

163

15–19

150

187

20–24

172

474

25–34

433

438

35–44

400

374

45–54

342

354

55–59

323

335

60–64

306

612

65–74

560

316

75–84

290

228

85+

208

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,180	15.5%
18 and over	6,456	84.5%
65 and over	2,214	29.0%
Median age	51.2 years

Race & ethnicity

White 93.5%

Two or more races 2.2%

Hispanic or Latino 1.6%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%

Other race 0.5%

Black or African American 0.5%

Asian 0.5%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	7,251	93.5%
Two or more races	167	2.2%
Hispanic or Latino	122	1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	61	0.8%
Other race	41	0.5%
Black or African American	40	0.5%
Asian	39	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	37	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	63.0%	60.5%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	23.4%	23.8%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	10.9%	12.6%	20.6%
Over $200k	2.7%	3.1%	5.7%

Under $10k 6.1%

$10k–$15k 5.4%

$15k–$25k 14.1%

$25k–$35k 16.4%

$35k–$50k 10.9%

$50k–$75k 19.3%

$75k–$100k 7.8%

$100k–$150k 11.0%

$150k–$200k 5.7%

$200k+ 3.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.1%
$10k–$15k	5.4%
$15k–$25k	14.1%
$25k–$35k	16.4%
$35k–$50k	10.9%
$50k–$75k	19.3%
$75k–$100k	7.8%
$100k–$150k	11.0%
$150k–$200k	5.7%
$200k+	3.2%
Median income	$43,990

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 26.1%

$50k–$100k 34.0%

$100k–$150k 17.7%

$150k–$200k 9.3%

$200k–$300k 5.4%

$300k–$500k 6.9%

$500k–$1M 0.5%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$82,900
Median rent / month	$499
Owner occupied	81.5%
Renter occupied	18.5%
Vacant	19.8%
Single-family detached	84.9%
Large apartment buildings	3.7%
Mobile homes	1.2%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.04

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.3%
2000–2009	4.0%
1990–1999	5.4%
1980–1989	4.8%
1970–1979	10.0%
1960–1969	8.4%
1950–1959	8.1%
1940–1949	11.3%
1939 or earlier	47.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.2%
1 bedroom	10.3%
2 bedrooms	30.0%
3 bedrooms	43.0%
4 bedrooms	12.4%
5+ bedrooms	2.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.1%
1 vehicle	36.3%
2 vehicles	40.0%
3 or more	13.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	70.6%
Electricity	5.5%
Propane / LP gas	14.6%
Fuel oil	3.8%
Wood	4.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,553	41.1%
Cohabiting couple	266	7.0%
Male householder, no spouse	855	22.6%
Female householder, no spouse	1,102	29.2%
Households with children under 18	644	17.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,534	40.6%
Average household size	1.98

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	32.7%	22.4%
Married	48.6%	49.9%
Separated	1.6%	1.3%
Widowed	3.5%	15.6%
Divorced	13.7%	10.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.0%

Some HS, no diploma 3.0%

HS graduate 31.0%

Some college, no degree 24.8%

Associate's degree 16.6%

Bachelor's degree 14.9%

Graduate / professional 8.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.1%
Bachelor's or higher	23.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	64	5.1%
Kindergarten	45	3.6%
Elementary school	654	51.9%
High school	243	19.3%
College / grad school	254	20.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.1%

Manufacturing 16.5%

Retail trade 13.8%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.3%

Construction 8.2%

Professional & management 6.0%

Public administration 5.8%

Other services 5.2%

Finance & real estate 4.6%

Agriculture & mining 2.5%

Transportation & utilities 2.2%

Information 2.0%

Wholesale trade 1.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	32.6%
Service	16.5%
Sales & office	20.0%
Natural resources & construction	14.4%
Production & transportation	16.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.7%
Government	15.8%
Self-employed	5.3%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.0%
Carpool	9.3%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	2.0%
Work from home	4.5%
Other means	0.9%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.7

Poverty

All people 12.7%

Under 18 years 9.7%

18 and over 13.2%

Married-couple families 4.6%

Female-led households 12.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	46.6%
Retirement income	31.8%
Supplemental Security	7.7%
Cash public assistance	3.2%
Food stamps / SNAP	16.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.8%
High blood pressure	38.9%
High cholesterol	38.1%
Diabetes	12.9%
Heart disease	9.0%
Stroke	4.2%
Asthma	11.2%
Arthritis	35.2%
Kidney disease	3.8%
Pulmonary disease	10.0%
Cancer	8.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.7%
Binge drinking	17.2%
No physical activity	24.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.9%
Depression	21.9%
Fair or poor health	17.6%
Poor mental health	16.3%
Poor physical health	13.0%
No health insurance	9.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.5%
Visited dentist	65.3%
Cholesterol screening	91.3%
Teeth loss	15.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	734	11.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.0%
Under 18	4.0%
18–64 years	12.4%
65 and over	37.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	60.1%
Public insurance	55.0%
No insurance	5.9%
Uninsured under 19	5.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	7,434	97.4%
Spanish	19	0.3%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	17	0.2%
Other languages	2	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	7,566	99.1%
Born in same state	7,525	98.5%
Born in different state	4,688	61.4%
Foreign born	41	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	70	0.9%
Not a US citizen	37	52.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	724	9.5%
Italian	653	8.6%
French	634	8.3%
Polish	207	2.7%
English	122	1.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	87	1.1%
German	60	0.8%
Irish	18	0.2%
Norwegian	14	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	49.4%
Internet access	84.1%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 49938

What city is ZIP code 49938 in?

ZIP code 49938 is primarily assigned to Ironwood, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 49938 in?

ZIP code 49938 falls within Gogebic County, Michigan.

Does ZIP code 49938 have an older population?

29% of residents in ZIP code 49938 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 49938 have a large retiree population?

47% of households in ZIP code 49938 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 49938 mostly owner-occupied?

82% of occupied units in ZIP code 49938 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 49938 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 49938 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 49938 in?

ZIP code 49938 observes the CST timezone.