49646 ZIP Code — Kalkaska, MI

Kalkaska County, Michigan

ZIP code 49646 is located in Kalkaska, Michigan, within Kalkaska County. It covers approximately 219.28 square miles and serves a population of 8,561 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 231.

About ZIP code 49646

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 $143,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $51,760. SNAP benefit usage at 19% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 43% 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 28 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 15% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 49646 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

8,561

population

219.28

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

49646 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 49646

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 49646. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Kalkaska	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

49680 South Boardman (10.2 mi) 49633 Fife Lake (10.8 mi) 49612 Alden (12.2 mi) 49676 Rapid City (14.1 mi) 49659 Mancelona (14.4 mi) 49690 Williamsburg (15.2 mi) 49615 Bellaire (17.8 mi) 49739 Grayling (18.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	8,561
Population density	39 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	079

Geography
Land area	219.28 sq mi
Water area	5.34 sq mi
Latitude	44.7187
Longitude	-85.0902
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	54.2%	48.3%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	30.8%	33.7%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	13.8%	15.4%	20.6%
Over $200k	1.2%	2.7%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

8,561

Population

People per sq mi

42.1

Median age

$51,760

Median household income

$28,303

Per capita income

$143,300

Median home value

$756

Median monthly rent

80.9%

Home ownership

15.2%

Poverty rate

4.6%

Unemployment

4,946

Housing units

14.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

182

Under 5

171

169

5–9

159

334

10–14

312

318

15–19

298

278

20–24

261

499

25–34

466

552

35–44

517

497

45–54

465

302

55–59

282

379

60–64

354

547

65–74

512

235

75–84

219

131

85+

122

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,648	19.3%
18 and over	6,913	80.7%
65 and over	1,766	20.6%
Median age	42.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 91.9%

Two or more races 3.4%

Black or African American 1.3%

Hispanic or Latino 1%

Asian 0.9%

Other race 0.8%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Group	Count	%
White	7,950	91.9%
Two or more races	291	3.4%
Black or African American	114	1.3%
Hispanic or Latino	87	1%
Asian	80	0.9%
Other race	68	0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	58	0.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	54.2%	48.3%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	30.8%	33.7%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	13.8%	15.4%	20.6%
Over $200k	1.2%	2.7%	5.7%

Under $10k 2.9%

$10k–$15k 6.4%

$15k–$25k 12.4%

$25k–$35k 11.0%

$35k–$50k 15.4%

$50k–$75k 21.0%

$75k–$100k 12.0%

$100k–$150k 14.9%

$150k–$200k 2.5%

$200k+ 1.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.9%
$10k–$15k	6.4%
$15k–$25k	12.4%
$25k–$35k	11.0%
$35k–$50k	15.4%
$50k–$75k	21.0%
$75k–$100k	12.0%
$100k–$150k	14.9%
$150k–$200k	2.5%
$200k+	1.7%
Median income	$51,760

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.6%

$50k–$100k 17.5%

$100k–$150k 25.1%

$150k–$200k 19.9%

$200k–$300k 15.2%

$300k–$500k 8.9%

$500k–$1M 2.7%

$1M+ 0.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$143,300
Median rent / month	$756
Owner occupied	80.9%
Renter occupied	19.1%
Vacant	35.2%
Single-family detached	80.9%
Large apartment buildings	0.7%
Mobile homes	11.2%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.34

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.2%
2010–2019	3.8%
2000–2009	12.3%
1990–1999	10.9%
1980–1989	14.6%
1970–1979	22.5%
1960–1969	12.3%
1950–1959	11.5%
1940–1949	3.4%
1939 or earlier	8.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.2%
1 bedroom	8.8%
2 bedrooms	32.1%
3 bedrooms	45.8%
4 bedrooms	7.8%
5+ bedrooms	2.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.1%
1 vehicle	34.5%
2 vehicles	38.2%
3 or more	20.2%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	41.4%
Electricity	10.2%
Propane / LP gas	32.8%
Fuel oil	0.3%
Wood	11.7%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,644	44.9%
Cohabiting couple	370	10.1%
Male householder, no spouse	739	20.2%
Female householder, no spouse	908	24.8%
Households with children under 18	930	25.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,333	36.4%
Average household size	2.31

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.1%	22.3%
Married	48.3%	48.6%
Separated	0.6%	2.8%
Widowed	4.8%	10.5%
Divorced	15.1%	15.8%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.5%

Some HS, no diploma 10.0%

HS graduate 38.0%

Some college, no degree 25.6%

Associate's degree 9.4%

Bachelor's degree 8.6%

Graduate / professional 5.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.5%
Bachelor's or higher	14.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	112	6.4%
Kindergarten	35	2.0%
Elementary school	763	43.6%
High school	446	25.5%
College / grad school	394	22.5%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 17.5%

Manufacturing 14.8%

Retail trade 12.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.8%

Construction 8.6%

Professional & management 8.5%

Finance & real estate 5.7%

Other services 5.1%

Agriculture & mining 4.9%

Public administration 4.7%

Transportation & utilities 3.3%

Wholesale trade 2.1%

Information 0.8%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	23.4%
Service	18.5%
Sales & office	21.7%
Natural resources & construction	15.2%
Production & transportation	21.1%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	85.3%
Government	9.6%
Self-employed	5.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.8%
Carpool	13.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	1.9%
Work from home	1.9%
Other means	1.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	28.3

Poverty

All people 15.2%

Under 18 years 18.6%

18 and over 14.4%

Married-couple families 5.4%

Female-led households 38.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.3%
Retirement income	35.0%
Supplemental Security	8.5%
Cash public assistance	4.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	19.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.3%
High blood pressure	36.5%
High cholesterol	37.4%
Diabetes	12.2%
Heart disease	8.1%
Stroke	3.8%
Asthma	11.5%
Arthritis	32.9%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	10.0%
Cancer	7.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.0%
Binge drinking	18.8%
No physical activity	24.7%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.2%
Depression	23.0%
Fair or poor health	17.6%
Poor mental health	17.2%
Poor physical health	12.9%
No health insurance	10.9%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.3%
Visited dentist	64.4%
Cholesterol screening	90.3%
Teeth loss	15.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	746	10.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.8%
Under 18	10.3%
18–64 years	16.0%
65 and over	39.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	63.2%
Public insurance	52.0%
No insurance	5.8%
Uninsured under 19	1.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	8,208	95.9%
Spanish	62	0.8%
Other Indo-European	58	0.7%
Asian & Pacific Islander	4	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	8,451	98.7%
Born in same state	8,355	97.6%
Born in different state	7,105	83.0%
Foreign born	96	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	110	1.3%
Not a US citizen	54	49.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,417	16.6%
Italian	987	11.5%
Arab	475	5.5%
English	222	2.6%
German	219	2.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	56	0.7%
Polish	44	0.5%
Norwegian	29	0.3%
Dutch	18	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	42.8%
Internet access	90.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 49646

What city is ZIP code 49646 in?

ZIP code 49646 is primarily assigned to Kalkaska, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 49646 in?

ZIP code 49646 falls within Kalkaska County, Michigan.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 49646?

15% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 49646 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 49646 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 49646 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 49646 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 49646?

15% of residents in ZIP code 49646 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 49646 in?

ZIP code 49646 observes the EST timezone.