49274 ZIP Code — Reading, MI

Hillsdale County, Michigan

ZIP code 49274 is located in Reading, Michigan, within Hillsdale County. It covers approximately 61.66 square miles and serves a population of 3,727 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 517.

About ZIP code 49274

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 $158,800. Owner-occupancy is high at 80%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $55,333. Poverty affects 24% of residents, above the national average. 35% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with manufacturing as the leading industry. The average commute of 24 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 20% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks. 17% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 12% of civilians, above the national average of 7%.

Overall, ZIP code 49274 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,727

population

61.66

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

49274 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 49274

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 49274. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Reading	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

49242 Hillsdale (6.5 mi) 49227 Allen (7.6 mi) 49232 Camden (8.2 mi) 49266 Osseo (9.7 mi) 49255 Montgomery (10.3 mi) 49082 Quincy (11.3 mi) 49252 Litchfield (12.7 mi) 49250 Jonesville (13.5 mi) 49271 Pittsford (14 mi) 46737 Fremont (14.5 mi) 49262 North Adams (15.5 mi) 43554 Pioneer (15.8 mi)

Demographics updated 07/2026

Population
Total population	3,727
Population density	60 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	059

Geography
Land area	61.66 sq mi
Water area	0.84 sq mi
Latitude	41.8469
Longitude	-84.7284
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	517

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 07/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.9%	49.4%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	32.6%	34.2%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	16.4%	14.0%	20.6%
Over $200k	1.2%	2.4%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

3,727

Population

People per sq mi

41.1

Median age

$55,333

Median household income

$28,196

Per capita income

$158,800

Median home value

$761

Median monthly rent

80.1%

Home ownership

23.6%

Poverty rate

2.5%

Unemployment

1,638

Housing units

20.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

140

Under 5

142

175

5–9

178

102

10–14

103

15–19

20–24

205

25–34

209

210

35–44

214

205

45–54

209

153

55–59

155

167

60–64

169

249

65–74

253

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	954	25.6%
18 and over	2,773	74.4%
65 and over	700	18.8%
Median age	41.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 95.7%

Two or more races 1.9%

Hispanic or Latino 1.4%

Asian 0.4%

Black or African American 0.3%

Other race 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	3,619	95.7%
Two or more races	71	1.9%
Hispanic or Latino	53	1.4%
Asian	17	0.4%
Black or African American	10	0.3%
Other race	10	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.9%	49.4%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	32.6%	34.2%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	16.4%	14.0%	20.6%
Over $200k	1.2%	2.4%	5.7%

Under $10k 3.5%

$10k–$15k 7.3%

$15k–$25k 8.5%

$25k–$35k 8.9%

$35k–$50k 16.1%

$50k–$75k 20.4%

$75k–$100k 12.3%

$100k–$150k 14.2%

$150k–$200k 6.0%

$200k+ 2.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	3.5%
$10k–$15k	7.3%
$15k–$25k	8.5%
$25k–$35k	8.9%
$35k–$50k	16.1%
$50k–$75k	20.4%
$75k–$100k	12.3%
$100k–$150k	14.2%
$150k–$200k	6.0%
$200k+	2.7%
Median income	$55,333

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 7.5%

$50k–$100k 22.1%

$100k–$150k 16.6%

$150k–$200k 14.4%

$200k–$300k 22.0%

$300k–$500k 13.4%

$500k–$1M 3.8%

$1M+ 0.2%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$158,800
Median rent / month	$761
Owner occupied	80.1%
Renter occupied	19.9%
Vacant	25.5%
Single-family detached	87.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	9.5%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.60

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	2.8%
2000–2009	13.5%
1990–1999	12.0%
1980–1989	7.7%
1970–1979	14.7%
1960–1969	9.5%
1950–1959	5.8%
1940–1949	7.5%
1939 or earlier	26.0%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.4%
1 bedroom	5.1%
2 bedrooms	25.7%
3 bedrooms	43.7%
4 bedrooms	20.4%
5+ bedrooms	4.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	9.3%
1 vehicle	28.3%
2 vehicles	41.1%
3 or more	21.3%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	24.5%
Electricity	6.3%
Propane / LP gas	50.6%
Fuel oil	4.0%
Wood	12.8%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	728	50.8%
Cohabiting couple	107	7.5%
Male householder, no spouse	313	21.8%
Female householder, no spouse	286	19.9%
Households with children under 18	356	24.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	485	33.8%
Average household size	2.59

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	27.4%	24.2%
Married	54.1%	51.2%
Separated	0.8%	0.8%
Widowed	2.4%	9.1%
Divorced	15.4%	14.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 8.7%

Some HS, no diploma 3.9%

HS graduate 35.4%

Some college, no degree 23.8%

Associate's degree 8.2%

Bachelor's degree 14.0%

Graduate / professional 6.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.4%
Bachelor's or higher	20.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	32	4.8%
Kindergarten	37	5.5%
Elementary school	363	53.9%
High school	143	21.2%
College / grad school	98	14.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 24.2%

Education & healthcare 24.0%

Retail trade 10.8%

Construction 8.1%

Professional & management 5.3%

Public administration 5.2%

Agriculture & mining 4.9%

Transportation & utilities 4.9%

Other services 4.1%

Finance & real estate 2.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 2.8%

Wholesale trade 1.6%

Information 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	26.1%
Service	11.3%
Sales & office	21.8%
Natural resources & construction	14.5%
Production & transportation	26.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	73.4%
Government	14.1%
Self-employed	12.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	80.2%
Carpool	7.7%
Public transit	0.1%
Walk	1.4%
Work from home	8.5%
Other means	2.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	24.2

Poverty

All people 23.6%

Under 18 years 49.6%

18 and over 15.0%

Married-couple families 11.0%

Female-led households 39.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	35.1%
Retirement income	29.1%
Supplemental Security	5.8%
Cash public assistance	1.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	7.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.3%
High blood pressure	36.5%
High cholesterol	36.2%
Diabetes	12.1%
Heart disease	7.9%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	11.4%
Arthritis	32.5%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	9.7%
Cancer	7.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.1%
Binge drinking	17.8%
No physical activity	23.3%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.8%
Depression	22.8%
Fair or poor health	17.1%
Poor mental health	16.9%
Poor physical health	12.7%
No health insurance	10.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.9%
Visited dentist	65.6%
Cholesterol screening	90.7%
Teeth loss	15.4%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	322	11.6%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.8%
Under 18	1.8%
18–64 years	12.4%
65 and over	29.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	60.6%
Public insurance	37.2%
No insurance	17.4%
Uninsured under 19	40.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,445	92.4%
Spanish	221	6.4%
Other Indo-European	7	0.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	214	6.2%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,683	98.8%
Born in same state	3,672	98.5%
Born in different state	2,848	76.4%
Foreign born	11	0.3%
Naturalized citizen	44	1.2%
Not a US citizen	34	77.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	445	11.9%
Italian	290	7.8%
Arab	231	6.2%
English	71	1.9%
Norwegian	22	0.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	13	0.3%
Irish	13	0.3%
Dutch	13	0.3%
Polish	5	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	38.5%
Internet access	85.9%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 49274

What city is ZIP code 49274 in?

ZIP code 49274 is primarily assigned to Reading, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 49274 in?

ZIP code 49274 falls within Hillsdale County, Michigan.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 49274?

24% of residents in ZIP code 49274 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 49274 mostly owner-occupied?

80% of occupied units in ZIP code 49274 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 49274 have a large veteran population?

12% of civilians in ZIP code 49274 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

Does ZIP code 49274 have a large retiree population?

35% of households in ZIP code 49274 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 49274 in?

ZIP code 49274 observes the EST timezone.