48870 ZIP Code — Palo, MI

Ionia County, Michigan

ZIP code 48870 is located in Palo, Michigan, within Ionia County. It covers approximately 0.06 square miles and serves a population of 214 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 989.

About ZIP code 48870

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 $91,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 95%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $31,799. SNAP benefit usage at 19% of households reflects economic stress in the area.

The dominant occupation class is natural resources, construction, and trades, with construction as the leading industry. An above-average commute of 54 minutes suggests many residents work outside the immediate area.

College attainment at 2% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks. 28% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 48870 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

214

population

0.06

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

48870 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 48870

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 48870. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Palo	Acceptable

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	214
Population density	3,567 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	067

Geography
Land area	0.06 sq mi
Water area	0.00 sq mi
Latitude	43.1125
Longitude	-84.9859
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	989

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	84.4%	40.5%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	7.8%	36.3%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	7.8%	21.4%	20.6%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.8%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

214

Population

3,567

People per sq mi

27.5

Median age

$31,799

Median household income

$16,400

Per capita income

$91,700

Median home value

Median monthly rent

94.9%

Home ownership

16.8%

Poverty rate

0.0%

Unemployment

Housing units

2.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

15–19

20–24

25–34

35–44

45–54

60–64

65–74

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	70	32.7%
18 and over	144	67.3%
65 and over	4	1.9%
Median age	27.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 100%

Group	Count	%
White	214	100%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	84.4%	40.5%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	7.8%	36.3%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	7.8%	21.4%	20.6%
Over $200k	0.0%	1.8%	5.7%

Under $10k 7.6%

$25k–$35k 57.0%

$35k–$50k 11.4%

$50k–$75k 17.7%

$75k–$100k 1.3%

$100k–$150k 5.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.6%
$25k–$35k	57.0%
$35k–$50k	11.4%
$50k–$75k	17.7%
$75k–$100k	1.3%
$100k–$150k	5.1%
Median income	$31,799

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 9.3%

$50k–$100k 89.3%

$100k–$150k 1.3%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$91,700
Median rent / month	$0
Owner occupied	94.9%
Renter occupied	5.1%
Vacant	6.0%
Single-family detached	96.4%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	3.6%
Median rooms	10.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.76

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	0.0%
2000–2009	0.0%
1990–1999	3.6%
1980–1989	0.0%
1970–1979	6.0%
1960–1969	0.0%
1950–1959	7.1%
1940–1949	7.1%
1939 or earlier	76.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.0%
1 bedroom	0.0%
2 bedrooms	7.1%
3 bedrooms	31.0%
4 bedrooms	7.1%
5+ bedrooms	54.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.6%
1 vehicle	0.0%
2 vehicles	82.3%
3 or more	10.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Propane / LP gas	40.5%
Wood	59.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	29	36.7%
Cohabiting couple	44	55.7%
Male householder, no spouse	0	0.0%
Female householder, no spouse	6	7.6%
Households with children under 18	64	81.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	2	2.5%
Average household size	2.71

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	18.3%	52.9%
Married	34.4%	36.8%
Separated	0.0%	0.0%
Widowed	0.0%	7.4%
Divorced	47.3%	2.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.0%

Some HS, no diploma 13.6%

HS graduate 47.9%

Some college, no degree 35.0%

Associate's degree 1.4%

Bachelor's degree 2.1%

Graduate / professional 0.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	86.4%
Bachelor's or higher	2.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	0	0.0%
Kindergarten	9	12.5%
Elementary school	12	16.7%
High school	19	26.4%
College / grad school	32	44.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Construction 57.6%

Manufacturing 23.5%

Education & healthcare 10.6%

Retail trade 8.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	3.5%
Service	11.8%
Sales & office	8.2%
Natural resources & construction	57.6%
Production & transportation	18.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	100.0%
Government	0.0%
Self-employed	0.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	48.2%
Carpool	51.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.0%
Work from home	0.0%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	53.8

Poverty

All people 16.8%

Under 18 years 0.0%

18 and over 25.0%

Married-couple families 0.0%

Female-led households 100.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	6.3%
Retirement income	2.5%
Supplemental Security	2.5%
Cash public assistance	3.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	19.0%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.0%
High blood pressure	32.4%
High cholesterol	31.2%
Diabetes	10.1%
Heart disease	6.2%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	11.5%
Arthritis	28.9%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	8.3%
Cancer	6.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	25.1%
Binge drinking	20.4%
No physical activity	24.5%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.3%
Depression	24.7%
Fair or poor health	15.6%
Poor mental health	18.4%
Poor physical health	11.6%
No health insurance	11.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	71.2%
Visited dentist	63.3%
Cholesterol screening	89.1%
Teeth loss	16.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	4	2.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	2.3%
Under 18	0.0%
18–64 years	3.6%
65 and over	0.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	66.8%
Public insurance	8.4%
No insurance	27.6%
Uninsured under 19	19.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	182	85.0%
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)	214	100.0%
Born in same state	214	100.0%
Born in different state	183	85.5%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	0	0.0%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Arab	17	7.9%
Italian	16	7.5%
French	4	1.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Dutch	3	1.4%
English	2	0.9%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.9%
Internet access	100.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 48870

What city is ZIP code 48870 in?

ZIP code 48870 is primarily assigned to Palo, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 48870 in?

ZIP code 48870 falls within Ionia County, Michigan.

Is ZIP code 48870 family-oriented?

33% of residents in ZIP code 48870 are under 18, reflecting a younger, family-oriented community.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 48870?

2% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Is ZIP code 48870 mostly owner-occupied?

95% of occupied units in ZIP code 48870 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 48870?

17% of residents in ZIP code 48870 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 48870 in?

ZIP code 48870 observes the EST timezone.