47978 ZIP Code — Rensselaer, IN

Jasper County, Indiana

ZIP code 47978 is located in Rensselaer, Indiana, within Jasper County. It covers approximately 263.74 square miles and serves a population of 9,954 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Central (CT) timezone, served by area code 219.

About ZIP code 47978

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 $156,300. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 73%.

Median household income is $68,299. 40% 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 22 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 17% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 47978 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

9,954

population

263.74

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Central (CT)

timezone

47978 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 47978

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 47978. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Rensselaer	Acceptable
Rensselaer	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

47943 Fair Oaks (7.7 mi) 47946 Francesville (12.8 mi) 46392 Wheatfield (12.9 mi) 47957 Medaryville (14 mi) 47959 Monon (14.1 mi) 47963 Morocco (14.6 mi) 47922 Brook (14.7 mi) 46310 Demotte (15.5 mi) 47977 Remington (17.2 mi) 46349 Lake Village (17.3 mi) 47995 Wolcott (17.6 mi) 47948 Goodland (18 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	9,954
Population density	38 / sq mi
State FIPS	18
County FIPS	073

Geography
Land area	263.74 sq mi
Water area	0.24 sq mi
Latitude	40.9979
Longitude	-87.1229
Timezone	Central (CT)
Area code	219

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.2%	40.1%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	36.4%	36.5%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	15.6%	20.5%	19.8%
Over $200k	1.8%	2.9%	4.5%

Demographics & statistics

9,954

Population

People per sq mi

41.7

Median age

$68,299

Median household income

$31,562

Per capita income

$156,300

Median home value

$882

Median monthly rent

73.4%

Home ownership

7.6%

Poverty rate

2.3%

Unemployment

3,229

Housing units

17.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

210

Under 5

219

252

5–9

264

316

10–14

331

348

15–19

363

352

20–24

368

634

25–34

663

506

35–44

530

611

45–54

639

355

55–59

372

315

60–64

330

610

65–74

639

269

75–84

281

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,943	19.5%
18 and over	8,011	80.5%
65 and over	1,976	19.9%
Median age	41.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 81.3%

Hispanic or Latino 8%

Two or more races 6.1%

Other race 3.2%

Black or African American 1.1%

Asian 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	8,791	81.3%
Hispanic or Latino	860	8%
Two or more races	658	6.1%
Other race	349	3.2%
Black or African American	118	1.1%
Asian	31	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.2%	40.1%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	36.4%	36.5%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	15.6%	20.5%	19.8%
Over $200k	1.8%	2.9%	4.5%

Under $10k 4.2%

$10k–$15k 5.5%

$15k–$25k 6.7%

$25k–$35k 8.2%

$35k–$50k 11.4%

$50k–$75k 18.2%

$75k–$100k 18.3%

$100k–$150k 17.6%

$150k–$200k 7.7%

$200k+ 2.3%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.2%
$10k–$15k	5.5%
$15k–$25k	6.7%
$25k–$35k	8.2%
$35k–$50k	11.4%
$50k–$75k	18.2%
$75k–$100k	18.3%
$100k–$150k	17.6%
$150k–$200k	7.7%
$200k+	2.3%
Median income	$68,299

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 1.2%

$50k–$100k 17.1%

$100k–$150k 28.6%

$150k–$200k 23.3%

$200k–$300k 19.7%

$300k–$500k 6.9%

$500k–$1M 2.5%

$1M+ 0.7%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$156,300
Median rent / month	$882
Owner occupied	73.4%
Renter occupied	26.6%
Vacant	8.5%
Single-family detached	81.5%
Large apartment buildings	1.4%
Mobile homes	0.8%
Median rooms	6.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.51

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.6%
2000–2009	9.5%
1990–1999	17.7%
1980–1989	7.3%
1970–1979	14.0%
1960–1969	7.7%
1950–1959	11.4%
1940–1949	8.3%
1939 or earlier	20.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.1%
1 bedroom	5.4%
2 bedrooms	23.7%
3 bedrooms	50.4%
4 bedrooms	15.1%
5+ bedrooms	3.4%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.6%
1 vehicle	34.2%
2 vehicles	31.5%
3 or more	31.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	50.6%
Electricity	18.6%
Propane / LP gas	28.0%
Wood	1.5%
No fuel used	0.4%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,899	48.6%
Cohabiting couple	283	7.2%
Male householder, no spouse	671	17.2%
Female householder, no spouse	1,051	26.9%
Households with children under 18	953	24.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,369	35.1%
Average household size	2.41

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.4%	23.6%
Married	49.3%	48.6%
Separated	3.4%	0.0%
Widowed	1.5%	14.2%
Divorced	14.4%	13.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.9%

Some HS, no diploma 6.8%

HS graduate 41.2%

Some college, no degree 22.2%

Associate's degree 9.6%

Bachelor's degree 9.9%

Graduate / professional 7.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	90.4%
Bachelor's or higher	17.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	146	6.7%
Kindergarten	73	3.3%
Elementary school	947	43.3%
High school	416	19.0%
College / grad school	604	27.6%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 18.9%

Manufacturing 18.3%

Retail trade 9.2%

Professional & management 8.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 7.7%

Transportation & utilities 6.8%

Construction 6.7%

Agriculture & mining 5.8%

Other services 5.0%

Public administration 5.0%

Finance & real estate 4.0%

Wholesale trade 3.5%

Information 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	30.9%
Service	15.7%
Sales & office	20.9%
Natural resources & construction	11.5%
Production & transportation	21.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	78.9%
Government	11.9%
Self-employed	9.2%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	79.3%
Carpool	13.6%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	1.7%
Work from home	4.3%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.8

Poverty

All people 7.6%

Under 18 years 5.3%

18 and over 8.2%

Married-couple families 4.8%

Female-led households 8.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	40.1%
Retirement income	23.4%
Supplemental Security	5.6%
Cash public assistance	0.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	5.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.6%
High blood pressure	33.8%
High cholesterol	34.4%
Diabetes	10.3%
Heart disease	6.6%
Stroke	3.0%
Asthma	9.8%
Arthritis	24.6%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	8.0%
Cancer	6.7%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	21.3%
Binge drinking	17.4%
No physical activity	26.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	36.4%
Depression	23.1%
Fair or poor health	15.3%
Poor mental health	15.8%
Poor physical health	11.0%
No health insurance	13.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	73.2%
Visited dentist	62.0%
Cholesterol screening	87.4%
Teeth loss	17.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	624	7.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.5%
Under 18	3.7%
18–64 years	16.1%
65 and over	26.1%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	69.4%
Public insurance	40.7%
No insurance	4.2%
Uninsured under 19	0.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	9,525	95.7%
Spanish	135	1.4%
Other Indo-European	118	1.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	8	0.1%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	9,583	96.3%
Born in same state	9,570	96.1%
Born in different state	7,426	74.6%
Foreign born	13	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	371	3.7%
Not a US citizen	219	59.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,162	11.7%
Arab	875	8.8%
French	774	7.8%
English	351	3.5%
Polish	43	0.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Norwegian	25	0.3%
German	23	0.2%
Irish	20	0.2%
Dutch	7	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	39.2%
Internet access	95.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 47978

What city is ZIP code 47978 in?

ZIP code 47978 is primarily assigned to Rensselaer, Indiana.

What county is ZIP code 47978 in?

ZIP code 47978 falls within Jasper County, Indiana.

Does ZIP code 47978 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 47978 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 47978?

The median home value in ZIP code 47978 is $156,300.

What is the population of ZIP code 47978?

ZIP code 47978 has an estimated population of 9,954 residents, with a density of 38 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 47978?

The median household income in ZIP code 47978 is $68,299, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 47978 in?

ZIP code 47978 observes the CST timezone.