49878 ZIP Code — Rapid River, MI

Delta County, Michigan

ZIP code 49878 is located in Rapid River, Michigan, within Delta County. It covers approximately 455.63 square miles and serves a population of 3,204 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 906.

About ZIP code 49878

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 $157,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 93%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $62,800. 54% 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 30 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 23% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (20%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 15% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 49878 reflects a community defined by a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,204

population

455.63

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

49878 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 49878

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 49878. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Rapid River	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

49837 Gladstone (15 mi) 49817 Cooks (15.8 mi) 49894 Wells (16.4 mi) 49835 Garden (18.7 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	3,204
Population density	7 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	041

Geography
Land area	455.63 sq mi
Water area	34.82 sq mi
Latitude	45.9322
Longitude	-86.8036
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
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	49.6%	52.5%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	34.1%	30.7%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	13.8%	14.7%	20.6%
Over $200k	2.5%	2.1%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

3,204

Population

People per sq mi

54.5

Median age

$62,800

Median household income

$33,570

Per capita income

$157,500

Median home value

$654

Median monthly rent

93.1%

Home ownership

10.4%

Poverty rate

5.6%

Unemployment

2,535

Housing units

23.3%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

124

25–34

119

137

35–44

131

185

45–54

177

136

55–59

130

151

60–64

145

331

65–74

317

159

75–84

152

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	487	15.2%
18 and over	2,717	84.8%
65 and over	1,026	32.0%
Median age	54.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 89.9%

Two or more races 7%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2.3%

Hispanic or Latino 0.6%

Asian 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	2,896	89.9%
Two or more races	225	7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	73	2.3%
Hispanic or Latino	19	0.6%
Asian	9	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.6%	52.5%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	34.1%	30.7%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	13.8%	14.7%	20.6%
Over $200k	2.5%	2.1%	5.7%

Under $10k 2.5%

$10k–$15k 5.7%

$15k–$25k 9.4%

$25k–$35k 8.3%

$35k–$50k 11.4%

$50k–$75k 22.0%

$75k–$100k 18.3%

$100k–$150k 16.2%

$150k–$200k 3.4%

$200k+ 2.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.5%
$10k–$15k	5.7%
$15k–$25k	9.4%
$25k–$35k	8.3%
$35k–$50k	11.4%
$50k–$75k	22.0%
$75k–$100k	18.3%
$100k–$150k	16.2%
$150k–$200k	3.4%
$200k+	2.7%
Median income	$62,800

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 4.8%

$50k–$100k 21.7%

$100k–$150k 20.2%

$150k–$200k 17.9%

$200k–$300k 23.7%

$300k–$500k 8.5%

$500k–$1M 2.9%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$157,500
Median rent / month	$654
Owner occupied	93.1%
Renter occupied	6.9%
Vacant	46.0%
Single-family detached	92.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.9%
Mobile homes	5.9%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.23

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	3.9%
2000–2009	10.8%
1990–1999	12.8%
1980–1989	12.2%
1970–1979	16.2%
1960–1969	9.6%
1950–1959	15.1%
1940–1949	4.2%
1939 or earlier	15.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.1%
1 bedroom	13.1%
2 bedrooms	30.7%
3 bedrooms	40.9%
4 bedrooms	10.2%
5+ bedrooms	3.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	4.6%
1 vehicle	24.8%
2 vehicles	45.5%
3 or more	25.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	24.1%
Electricity	3.0%
Propane / LP gas	55.8%
Fuel oil	2.3%
Wood	13.0%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	797	56.0%
Cohabiting couple	77	5.4%
Male householder, no spouse	298	21.0%
Female householder, no spouse	250	17.6%
Households with children under 18	259	18.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	689	48.5%
Average household size	2.25

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	24.0%	21.0%
Married	60.0%	59.4%
Separated	0.3%	0.7%
Widowed	4.5%	10.8%
Divorced	11.2%	8.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.8%

Some HS, no diploma 4.9%

HS graduate 34.2%

Some college, no degree 21.5%

Associate's degree 14.3%

Bachelor's degree 15.4%

Graduate / professional 7.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.3%
Bachelor's or higher	23.3%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	12	2.4%
Kindergarten	33	6.6%
Elementary school	207	41.6%
High school	119	23.9%
College / grad school	126	25.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.1%

Manufacturing 14.8%

Construction 11.2%

Retail trade 10.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.9%

Professional & management 5.8%

Public administration 5.5%

Transportation & utilities 5.3%

Other services 4.2%

Agriculture & mining 3.9%

Finance & real estate 3.4%

Wholesale trade 1.8%

Information 0.7%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.1%
Service	18.0%
Sales & office	20.8%
Natural resources & construction	15.2%
Production & transportation	15.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.1%
Government	13.9%
Self-employed	7.9%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.3%
Carpool	11.2%
Public transit	0.2%
Walk	2.4%
Work from home	10.1%
Other means	1.8%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.7

Poverty

All people 10.4%

Under 18 years 9.5%

18 and over 10.6%

Married-couple families 5.4%

Female-led households 1.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	54.4%
Retirement income	43.8%
Supplemental Security	5.9%
Cash public assistance	2.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	6.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	40.0%
High blood pressure	40.2%
High cholesterol	39.9%
Diabetes	13.6%
Heart disease	9.1%
Stroke	4.0%
Asthma	10.9%
Arthritis	36.3%
Kidney disease	3.7%
Pulmonary disease	10.0%
Cancer	8.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.3%
Binge drinking	17.1%
No physical activity	22.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.3%
Depression	21.4%
Fair or poor health	16.7%
Poor mental health	15.0%
Poor physical health	12.8%
No health insurance	8.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.8%
Visited dentist	68.7%
Cholesterol screening	93.5%
Teeth loss	12.8%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	413	15.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.3%
Under 18	0.6%
18–64 years	12.5%
65 and over	36.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	68.1%
Public insurance	50.0%
No insurance	8.1%
Uninsured under 19	3.4%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,065	95.7%
Spanish	8	0.3%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	5	0.2%
Other languages	2	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,178	99.2%
Born in same state	3,176	99.1%
Born in different state	2,547	79.5%
Foreign born	2	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	26	0.8%
Not a US citizen	26	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	358	11.2%
French	199	6.2%
German	198	6.2%
Polish	96	3%
Arab	78	2.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	60	1.9%
Irish	24	0.7%
Dutch	14	0.4%
Norwegian	7	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.4%
Internet access	88.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 49878

What city is ZIP code 49878 in?

ZIP code 49878 is primarily assigned to Rapid River, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 49878 in?

ZIP code 49878 falls within Delta County, Michigan.

Does ZIP code 49878 have an older population?

32% of residents in ZIP code 49878 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 49878 have a large retiree population?

54% of households in ZIP code 49878 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 49878 mostly owner-occupied?

93% of occupied units in ZIP code 49878 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 49878 have a large veteran population?

15% of civilians in ZIP code 49878 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 49878 in?

ZIP code 49878 observes the EST timezone.