49436 ZIP Code — Mears, MI

Oceana County, Michigan

ZIP code 49436 is located in Mears, Michigan, within Oceana County. It covers approximately 31.90 square miles and serves a population of 1,672 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 231.

About ZIP code 49436

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1960s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $203,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 90%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $63,306. 51% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 26 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 21% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 13% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 49436 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

1,672

population

31.90

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

49436 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 49436

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 49436. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Mears	Acceptable
Mears	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

49455 Shelby (8 mi) 49449 Pentwater (8.6 mi) 49420 Hart (9.7 mi) 49446 New Era (10.6 mi) 49452 Rothbury (15.6 mi) 49437 Montague (17.5 mi) 49459 Walkerville (18.7 mi) 49431 Ludington (19.2 mi) 49454 Scottville (19.4 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	1,672
Population density	52 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	127

Geography
Land area	31.90 sq mi
Water area	7.26 sq mi
Latitude	43.6897
Longitude	-86.4694
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	47.7%	49.4%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	39.8%	34.7%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	11.5%	14.1%	20.6%
Over $200k	0.9%	1.7%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

1,672

Population

People per sq mi

55.6

Median age

$63,306

Median household income

$30,990

Per capita income

$203,500

Median home value

$773

Median monthly rent

89.7%

Home ownership

8.1%

Poverty rate

13.0%

Unemployment

2,229

Housing units

21.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

104

45–54

55–59

108

60–64

185

65–74

161

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	258	15.4%
18 and over	1,414	84.6%
65 and over	512	30.6%
Median age	55.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 84.3%

Hispanic or Latino 6.8%

Other race 4.3%

Two or more races 4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Group	Count	%
White	1,512	84.3%
Hispanic or Latino	122	6.8%
Other race	77	4.3%
Two or more races	71	4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	12	0.7%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	47.7%	49.4%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	39.8%	34.7%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	11.5%	14.1%	20.6%
Over $200k	0.9%	1.7%	5.7%

Under $10k 3.4%

$10k–$15k 6.4%

$15k–$25k 7.8%

$25k–$35k 11.7%

$35k–$50k 10.3%

$50k–$75k 21.6%

$75k–$100k 19.9%

$100k–$150k 15.0%

$150k–$200k 0.7%

$200k+ 3.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.4%
$10k–$15k	6.4%
$15k–$25k	7.8%
$25k–$35k	11.7%
$35k–$50k	10.3%
$50k–$75k	21.6%
$75k–$100k	19.9%
$100k–$150k	15.0%
$150k–$200k	0.7%
$200k+	3.3%
Median income	$63,306

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 2.6%

$50k–$100k 10.9%

$100k–$150k 24.8%

$150k–$200k 10.9%

$200k–$300k 19.4%

$300k–$500k 18.4%

$500k–$1M 5.7%

$1M+ 7.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$203,500
Median rent / month	$773
Owner occupied	89.7%
Renter occupied	10.3%
Vacant	66.7%
Single-family detached	74.8%
Large apartment buildings	0.2%
Mobile homes	24.8%
Median rooms	4.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.17

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.3%
2010–2019	8.1%
2000–2009	14.3%
1990–1999	14.2%
1980–1989	13.5%
1970–1979	16.1%
1960–1969	16.5%
1950–1959	7.0%
1940–1949	2.6%
1939 or earlier	7.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.6%
1 bedroom	5.8%
2 bedrooms	55.4%
3 bedrooms	27.5%
4 bedrooms	9.4%
5+ bedrooms	1.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.5%
1 vehicle	29.7%
2 vehicles	47.1%
3 or more	20.7%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	18.6%
Electricity	12.8%
Propane / LP gas	52.2%
Fuel oil	8.1%
Wood	3.8%
No fuel used	1.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	397	51.7%
Cohabiting couple	44	5.7%
Male householder, no spouse	190	24.7%
Female householder, no spouse	137	17.8%
Households with children under 18	130	16.9%
Households with seniors (65+)	386	50.3%
Average household size	2.17

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.2%	16.7%
Married	54.3%	61.1%
Separated	1.2%	1.1%
Widowed	4.7%	15.3%
Divorced	9.6%	5.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.1%

Some HS, no diploma 3.7%

HS graduate 35.2%

Some college, no degree 21.6%

Associate's degree 15.1%

Bachelor's degree 15.8%

Graduate / professional 5.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.2%
Bachelor's or higher	21.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	19	8.4%
Kindergarten	34	15.0%
Elementary school	108	47.8%
High school	36	15.9%
College / grad school	29	12.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 16.5%

Education & healthcare 15.2%

Professional & management 10.9%

Retail trade 9.6%

Agriculture & mining 9.5%

Public administration 8.3%

Transportation & utilities 7.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.3%

Other services 6.3%

Construction 4.6%

Wholesale trade 2.9%

Information 1.3%

Finance & real estate 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	37.3%
Service	13.5%
Sales & office	19.1%
Natural resources & construction	15.8%
Production & transportation	14.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.2%
Government	16.8%
Self-employed	5.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.4%
Carpool	14.7%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.7%
Work from home	6.8%
Other means	3.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.7

Poverty

All people 8.1%

Under 18 years 6.6%

18 and over 8.3%

Married-couple families 6.0%

Female-led households 12.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	51.3%
Retirement income	29.6%
Supplemental Security	4.8%
Cash public assistance	2.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	35.8%
High blood pressure	38.2%
High cholesterol	42.5%
Diabetes	13.2%
Heart disease	8.9%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	10.5%
Arthritis	35.4%
Kidney disease	3.6%
Pulmonary disease	9.4%
Cancer	9.1%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	18.6%
Binge drinking	16.4%
No physical activity	22.1%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.2%
Depression	20.9%
Fair or poor health	16.0%
Poor mental health	14.5%
Poor physical health	12.2%
No health insurance	10.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.1%
Visited dentist	70.2%
Cholesterol screening	93.2%
Teeth loss	12.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	186	13.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.2%
Under 18	3.5%
18–64 years	15.1%
65 and over	31.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	65.1%
Public insurance	50.7%
No insurance	4.7%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,603	95.9%
Spanish	39	2.4%
Other Indo-European	36	2.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	3	0.2%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,623	97.1%
Born in same state	1,614	96.5%
Born in different state	1,282	76.7%
Foreign born	9	0.5%
Naturalized citizen	49	2.9%
Not a US citizen	26	53.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	267	16%
English	207	12.4%
French	166	9.9%
Arab	156	9.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	29	1.7%
Dutch	16	1%
Norwegian	10	0.6%
German	5	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.9%
Internet access	94.8%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 49436

What city is ZIP code 49436 in?

ZIP code 49436 is primarily assigned to Mears, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 49436 in?

ZIP code 49436 falls within Oceana County, Michigan.

Does ZIP code 49436 have an older population?

31% of residents in ZIP code 49436 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 49436 have a large retiree population?

51% of households in ZIP code 49436 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 49436 mostly owner-occupied?

90% of occupied units in ZIP code 49436 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 49436 have a large veteran population?

13% of civilians in ZIP code 49436 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 49436 in?

ZIP code 49436 observes the EST timezone.