46978 ZIP Code — Royal Center, IN

Cass County, Indiana

ZIP code 46978 is located in Royal Center, Indiana, within Cass County. It covers approximately 68.06 square miles and serves a population of 2,279 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 574.

About ZIP code 46978

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 $112,000. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $68,750. 33% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is production, transportation, and material moving, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 29 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 (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 46978 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

2,279
population
68.06
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Eastern (ET)
timezone
46978 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 46978

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 46978. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City Status
Royal Center Preferred
Nearby ZIP codes
47926 Burnettsville (6.2 mi) 46985 Star City (7.6 mi) 46950 Lucerne (8 mi) 47950 Idaville (9 mi) 46947 Logansport (10.8 mi) 46939 Kewanna (12 mi) 47960 Monticello (13 mi) 46996 Winamac (14.1 mi) 46988 Twelve Mile (14.2 mi) 46917 Camden (16.1 mi) 46994 Walton (17.7 mi) 46975 Rochester (17.7 mi)
Demographics updated 05/2026
Population
Total population 2,279
Population density 33 / sq mi
State FIPS 18
County FIPS 017
Geography
Land area 68.06 sq mi
Water area 0.00 sq mi
Latitude 40.8591
Longitude -86.5115
Timezone Eastern (ET)
Area code 574
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics updated 05/2026
Household income
Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 44.4% 50.9% 42.9%
$50k – $100k 34.2% 33.3% 32.7%
$100k – $200k 21.4% 14.7% 19.8%
Over $200k 0.0% 1.1% 4.5%

Demographics & statistics

2,279
Population
33
People per sq mi
39.5
Median age
$68,750
Median household income
$29,950
Per capita income
$112,000
Median home value
$823
Median monthly rent
82.6%
Home ownership
15.3%
Poverty rate
2.5%
Unemployment
903
Housing units
17.1%
Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female
31
Under 5
28
102
5–9
91
100
10–14
88
74
15–19
66
63
20–24
55
171
25–34
151
116
35–44
102
145
45–54
128
130
55–59
115
81
60–64
72
121
65–74
107
63
75–84
56
12
85+
11
← Male
Female →

Age summary

GroupCount%
Under 1850922.3%
18 and over1,77077.7%
65 and over37016.2%
Median age39.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 93.9%
Hispanic or Latino 2.9%
Other race 2.6%
Two or more races 0.6%
GroupCount%
White2,20493.9%
Hispanic or Latino682.9%
Other race602.6%
Two or more races150.6%

Household income

Income range This ZIP County avg State avg
Under $50k 44.4% 50.9% 42.9%
$50k – $100k 34.2% 33.3% 32.7%
$100k – $200k 21.4% 14.7% 19.8%
Over $200k 0.0% 1.1% 4.5%
Under $10k 7.5%
$10k–$15k 2.6%
$15k–$25k 7.3%
$25k–$35k 7.8%
$35k–$50k 15.0%
$50k–$75k 15.6%
$75k–$100k 16.1%
$100k–$150k 22.1%
$150k–$200k 2.6%
$200k+ 3.5%
Range% of households
Under $10k7.5%
$10k–$15k2.6%
$15k–$25k7.3%
$25k–$35k7.8%
$35k–$50k15.0%
$50k–$75k15.6%
$75k–$100k16.1%
$100k–$150k22.1%
$150k–$200k2.6%
$200k+3.5%
Median income$68,750

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.7%
$50k–$100k 30.9%
$100k–$150k 25.8%
$150k–$200k 11.4%
$200k–$300k 19.2%
$300k–$500k 3.2%
$500k–$1M 0.8%

Housing overview

MetricValue
Median home value$112,000
Median rent / month$823
Owner occupied82.6%
Renter occupied17.4%
Vacant15.5%
Single-family detached88.1%
Large apartment buildings0.0%
Mobile homes7.3%
Median rooms6.8
Avg household size (owned)2.72

Year built

Era%
2020 or later0.0%
2010–20195.9%
2000–20095.5%
1990–19994.4%
1980–198912.2%
1970–19798.8%
1960–19699.4%
1950–19596.8%
1940–19496.7%
1939 or earlier40.3%

Bedrooms

Size% of units
No bedroom (studio)0.7%
1 bedroom4.1%
2 bedrooms16.5%
3 bedrooms54.4%
4 bedrooms21.1%
5+ bedrooms3.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles% of households
No vehicle3.0%
1 vehicle24.7%
2 vehicles36.8%
3 or more35.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type%
Utility gas31.7%
Electricity21.8%
Propane / LP gas25.7%
Fuel oil1.0%
Wood19.6%

Households & families

Household typeCount%
Married-couple family48654.3%
Cohabiting couple12313.7%
Male householder, no spouse11813.2%
Female householder, no spouse16818.8%
Households with children under 1827630.8%
Households with seniors (65+)27430.6%
Average household size2.55

Marital status

StatusMaleFemale
Never married36.6%18.9%
Married52.5%52.6%
Separated0.0%2.7%
Widowed2.2%6.2%
Divorced8.7%19.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.4%
Some HS, no diploma 7.2%
HS graduate 41.8%
Some college, no degree 18.8%
Associate's degree 12.7%
Bachelor's degree 14.0%
Graduate / professional 3.2%
Metric%
HS diploma or higher90.4%
Bachelor's or higher17.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

TypeCount%
Nursery / preschool274.8%
Kindergarten356.2%
Elementary school33760.1%
High school6611.8%
College / grad school9617.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 27.1%
Manufacturing 24.5%
Retail trade 12.3%
Construction 10.3%
Finance & real estate 5.4%
Transportation & utilities 5.0%
Public administration 3.2%
Agriculture & mining 3.0%
Other services 2.9%
Professional & management 2.2%
Arts, food & hospitality 1.7%
Information 1.6%
Wholesale trade 0.6%

Occupation

Category%
Management, business & arts22.0%
Service20.9%
Sales & office18.7%
Natural resources & construction15.4%
Production & transportation23.0%

Employment type

Type%
Private sector82.0%
Government12.3%
Self-employed5.7%
Unpaid family workers0.0%

Commute

Method%
Drive alone90.8%
Carpool4.3%
Public transit2.2%
Walk1.6%
Work from home0.9%
Other means0.3%
Avg commute (minutes)29.0

Poverty

All people 15.3%
Under 18 years 27.3%
18 and over 11.9%
Married-couple families 7.0%
Female-led households 13.3%

Income support

Source% of households
Social Security33.3%
Retirement income25.7%
Supplemental Security3.7%
Cash public assistance0.2%
Food stamps / SNAP4.0%

Health indicators

Condition%
Obesity40.1%
High blood pressure36.9%
High cholesterol33.6%
Diabetes12.7%
Heart disease8.5%
Stroke3.9%
Asthma10.4%
Arthritis29.2%
Kidney disease3.5%
Pulmonary disease10.3%
Cancer7.4%
Behavior / access%
Smoking24.1%
Binge drinking15.0%
No physical activity29.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep34.0%
Depression23.9%
Fair or poor health18.8%
Poor mental health16.2%
Poor physical health13.2%
No health insurance14.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)74.7%
Visited dentist58.2%
Cholesterol screening88.2%
Teeth loss19.9%

Veterans & disability

VeteransCount%
Civilian veterans1015.7%
Disability%
Any disability9.9%
Under 182.6%
18–64 years9.2%
65 and over22.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type%
Private insurance75.4%
Public insurance35.7%
No insurance2.0%
Uninsured under 191.3%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

LanguageCount%
English only2,22097.4%
Spanish60.3%
Other Indo-European60.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander00.0%
Other languages00.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

OriginCount%
Native born (US)2,25598.9%
Born in same state2,21197.0%
Born in different state1,92484.4%
Foreign born441.9%
Naturalized citizen241.1%
Not a US citizen833.3%

Ancestry

AncestryCount%
Italian25511.2%
French2089.1%
Arab1476.5%
English70.3%
AncestryCount%
German40.2%
Polish40.2%
Norwegian40.2%

Technology access

Metric% of households
Computer access39.3%
Internet access92.4%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 46978

What city is ZIP code 46978 in?

ZIP code 46978 is primarily assigned to Royal Center, Indiana.

What county is ZIP code 46978 in?

ZIP code 46978 falls within Cass County, Indiana.

Is ZIP code 46978 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 46978 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 46978?

15% of residents in ZIP code 46978 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 46978?

The median home value in ZIP code 46978 is $112,000.

What is the population of ZIP code 46978?

ZIP code 46978 has an estimated population of 2,279 residents, with a density of 33 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 46978 in?

ZIP code 46978 observes the EST timezone.

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