49079 ZIP Code — Paw Paw, MI

Van Buren County, Michigan

ZIP code 49079 is located in Paw Paw, Michigan, within Van Buren County. It covers approximately 83.36 square miles and serves a population of 13,469 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 269.

About ZIP code 49079

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1990s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $194,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $71,463. 34% 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 25 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.

Overall, ZIP code 49079 reflects a community defined by high homeownership and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

13,469

population

83.36

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

49079 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 49079

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 49079. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Paw Paw	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

49071 Mattawan (7.1 mi) 49065 Lawton (7.4 mi) 49064 Lawrence (8.1 mi) 49055 Gobles (9.7 mi) 49013 Bangor (10.8 mi) 49026 Bloomingdale (10.8 mi) 49045 Decatur (10.9 mi) 49009 Kalamazoo (12.7 mi) 49057 Hartford (13.3 mi) 49087 Schoolcraft (13.6 mi) 49056 Grand Junction (14.2 mi) 49067 Marcellus (14.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	13,469
Population density	162 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	159

Geography
Land area	83.36 sq mi
Water area	2.48 sq mi
Latitude	42.2297
Longitude	-85.9092
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	269

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	36.3%	43.8%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	34.8%	33.0%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	24.8%	19.4%	20.6%
Over $200k	4.1%	3.7%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

13,469

Population

162

People per sq mi

38.6

Median age

$71,463

Median household income

$33,680

Per capita income

$194,100

Median home value

$858

Median monthly rent

77.1%

Home ownership

11.0%

Poverty rate

3.5%

Unemployment

4,781

Housing units

24.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

423

Under 5

387

518

5–9

475

446

10–14

409

461

15–19

423

481

20–24

440

860

25–34

788

886

35–44

811

858

45–54

785

563

55–59

515

407

60–64

372

773

65–74

707

269

75–84

247

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,154	23.4%
18 and over	10,315	76.6%
65 and over	2,161	16.0%
Median age	38.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 85.7%

Two or more races 6.1%

Hispanic or Latino 4.8%

Other race 1.7%

Black or African American 1.3%

Asian 0.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	12,126	85.7%
Two or more races	868	6.1%
Hispanic or Latino	681	4.8%
Other race	236	1.7%
Black or African American	185	1.3%
Asian	35	0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	19	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	36.3%	43.8%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	34.8%	33.0%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	24.8%	19.4%	20.6%
Over $200k	4.1%	3.7%	5.7%

Under $10k 4.7%

$10k–$15k 2.6%

$15k–$25k 6.0%

$25k–$35k 10.1%

$35k–$50k 10.8%

$50k–$75k 18.0%

$75k–$100k 13.0%

$100k–$150k 21.5%

$150k–$200k 6.5%

$200k+ 6.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.7%
$10k–$15k	2.6%
$15k–$25k	6.0%
$25k–$35k	10.1%
$35k–$50k	10.8%
$50k–$75k	18.0%
$75k–$100k	13.0%
$100k–$150k	21.5%
$150k–$200k	6.5%
$200k+	6.8%
Median income	$71,463

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.2%

$50k–$100k 8.2%

$100k–$150k 17.7%

$150k–$200k 18.8%

$200k–$300k 27.7%

$300k–$500k 14.1%

$500k–$1M 5.2%

$1M+ 1.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$194,100
Median rent / month	$858
Owner occupied	77.1%
Renter occupied	22.9%
Vacant	12.7%
Single-family detached	79.9%
Large apartment buildings	1.6%
Mobile homes	9.6%
Median rooms	6.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.65

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	4.8%
2000–2009	12.8%
1990–1999	18.8%
1980–1989	12.2%
1970–1979	15.2%
1960–1969	11.9%
1950–1959	8.9%
1940–1949	2.2%
1939 or earlier	12.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.5%
1 bedroom	6.7%
2 bedrooms	27.6%
3 bedrooms	42.3%
4 bedrooms	15.9%
5+ bedrooms	6.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.9%
1 vehicle	31.7%
2 vehicles	39.2%
3 or more	25.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	65.8%
Electricity	7.2%
Propane / LP gas	18.2%
Fuel oil	1.9%
Wood	4.0%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,727	52.3%
Cohabiting couple	380	7.3%
Male householder, no spouse	879	16.9%
Female householder, no spouse	1,227	23.5%
Households with children under 18	1,637	31.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,625	31.2%
Average household size	2.55

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.4%	24.6%
Married	52.7%	52.1%
Separated	0.5%	3.1%
Widowed	2.0%	6.9%
Divorced	14.5%	13.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.8%

Some HS, no diploma 5.0%

HS graduate 31.6%

Some college, no degree 26.3%

Associate's degree 9.8%

Bachelor's degree 17.7%

Graduate / professional 6.7%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	92.2%
Bachelor's or higher	24.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	215	7.2%
Kindergarten	177	5.9%
Elementary school	1,436	48.1%
High school	612	20.5%
College / grad school	543	18.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 21.4%

Manufacturing 19.6%

Retail trade 12.0%

Professional & management 9.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.8%

Other services 7.9%

Construction 5.8%

Finance & real estate 5.1%

Transportation & utilities 3.2%

Public administration 2.8%

Wholesale trade 2.1%

Agriculture & mining 1.2%

Information 0.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.1%
Service	22.7%
Sales & office	19.6%
Natural resources & construction	11.0%
Production & transportation	16.6%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	79.6%
Government	13.5%
Self-employed	6.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.8%
Carpool	8.8%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	2.7%
Work from home	7.3%
Other means	0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.4

Poverty

All people 11.0%

Under 18 years 15.4%

18 and over 9.6%

Married-couple families 1.8%

Female-led households 24.3%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	34.2%
Retirement income	25.4%
Supplemental Security	6.4%
Cash public assistance	1.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	10.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	39.0%
High blood pressure	32.3%
High cholesterol	33.3%
Diabetes	10.6%
Heart disease	6.6%
Stroke	3.1%
Asthma	11.3%
Arthritis	29.1%
Kidney disease	2.9%
Pulmonary disease	7.9%
Cancer	6.8%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.7%
Binge drinking	19.3%
No physical activity	20.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.3%
Depression	22.5%
Fair or poor health	14.9%
Poor mental health	16.4%
Poor physical health	11.3%
No health insurance	9.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.7%
Visited dentist	68.2%
Cholesterol screening	91.1%
Teeth loss	12.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	620	6.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	10.8%
Under 18	3.6%
18–64 years	10.2%
65 and over	23.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	71.9%
Public insurance	37.3%
No insurance	4.0%
Uninsured under 19	2.6%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	12,659	94.0%
Spanish	159	1.3%
Other Indo-European	99	0.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	13	0.1%
Other languages	15	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	13,114	97.4%
Born in same state	13,103	97.3%
Born in different state	10,336	76.7%
Foreign born	11	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	355	2.6%
Not a US citizen	192	54.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,945	14.4%
Italian	1,636	12.1%
English	1,071	8%
Arab	598	4.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	231	1.7%
German	156	1.2%
Polish	152	1.1%
Dutch	13	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.7%
Internet access	96.2%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 49079

What city is ZIP code 49079 in?

ZIP code 49079 is primarily assigned to Paw Paw, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 49079 in?

ZIP code 49079 falls within Van Buren County, Michigan.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 49079?

The median home value in ZIP code 49079 is $194,100.

What is the population of ZIP code 49079?

ZIP code 49079 has an estimated population of 13,469 residents, with a density of 162 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 49079?

The median household income in ZIP code 49079 is $71,463, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 49079 in?

ZIP code 49079 observes the EST timezone.