47879 ZIP Code — Shelburn, IN

Sullivan County, Indiana

ZIP code 47879 is located in Shelburn, Indiana, within Sullivan County. It covers approximately 61.84 square miles and serves a population of 3,386 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 812.

About ZIP code 47879

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1960s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $109,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 71%.

Median household income is $50,417. 32% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with agriculture and mining as the leading industry. The average commute of 28 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 12% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (25%) compared to national benchmarks. 21% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 47879 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

3,386

population

61.84

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

47879 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 47879

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 47879. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Shelburn	Acceptable
Shelburn	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

47850 Farmersburg (4 mi) 47866 Pimento (7.5 mi) 47882 Sullivan (7.8 mi) 47858 Lewis (9.3 mi) 47849 Fairbanks (10.5 mi) 47438 Jasonville (11.2 mi) 47802 Terre Haute (11.6 mi) 47848 Dugger (12.2 mi) 47861 Merom (12.8 mi) 47841 Clay City (14.2 mi) 62477 West Union (15.5 mi) 47441 Linton (15.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	3,386
Population density	55 / sq mi
State FIPS	18
County FIPS	153

Geography
Land area	61.84 sq mi
Water area	0.51 sq mi
Latitude	39.1935
Longitude	-87.3829
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	812

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.4%	50.5%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	37.3%	33.1%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	5.2%	14.9%	19.8%
Over $200k	1.1%	1.5%	4.5%

Demographics & statistics

3,386

Population

People per sq mi

38.9

Median age

$50,417

Median household income

$25,899

Per capita income

$109,600

Median home value

$722

Median monthly rent

70.9%

Home ownership

9.3%

Poverty rate

4.1%

Unemployment

1,140

Housing units

12.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

198

10–14

197

15–19

20–24

232

25–34

231

210

35–44

209

328

45–54

327

55–59

60–64

181

65–74

180

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	758	22.4%
18 and over	2,628	77.6%
65 and over	526	15.5%
Median age	38.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 90.1%

Two or more races 8%

Hispanic or Latino 1.1%

Black or African American 0.4%

Other race 0.2%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	3,084	90.1%
Two or more races	275	8%
Hispanic or Latino	36	1.1%
Black or African American	13	0.4%
Other race	8	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.4%	50.5%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	37.3%	33.1%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	5.2%	14.9%	19.8%
Over $200k	1.1%	1.5%	4.5%

Under $10k 2.8%

$10k–$15k 3.0%

$15k–$25k 13.9%

$25k–$35k 6.6%

$35k–$50k 23.4%

$50k–$75k 20.7%

$75k–$100k 16.1%

$100k–$150k 10.7%

$150k–$200k 0.3%

$200k+ 2.5%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.8%
$10k–$15k	3.0%
$15k–$25k	13.9%
$25k–$35k	6.6%
$35k–$50k	23.4%
$50k–$75k	20.7%
$75k–$100k	16.1%
$100k–$150k	10.7%
$150k–$200k	0.3%
$200k+	2.5%
Median income	$50,417

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 14.3%

$50k–$100k 30.2%

$100k–$150k 22.3%

$150k–$200k 6.8%

$200k–$300k 17.5%

$300k–$500k 8.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$109,600
Median rent / month	$722
Owner occupied	70.9%
Renter occupied	29.1%
Vacant	8.7%
Single-family detached	76.6%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	16.9%
Median rooms	5.7
Avg household size (owned)	2.55

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	2.1%
2000–2009	12.9%
1990–1999	16.4%
1980–1989	12.9%
1970–1979	8.6%
1960–1969	17.6%
1950–1959	6.6%
1940–1949	6.8%
1939 or earlier	16.2%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.7%
1 bedroom	5.2%
2 bedrooms	31.7%
3 bedrooms	46.7%
4 bedrooms	8.4%
5+ bedrooms	2.3%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.4%
1 vehicle	25.6%
2 vehicles	37.4%
3 or more	31.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	39.2%
Electricity	32.4%
Propane / LP gas	22.1%
Fuel oil	1.8%
Wood	3.0%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	479	33.8%
Cohabiting couple	223	15.7%
Male householder, no spouse	405	28.6%
Female householder, no spouse	311	21.9%
Households with children under 18	435	30.7%
Households with seniors (65+)	421	29.7%
Average household size	2.39

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	31.0%	25.2%
Married	33.6%	44.2%
Separated	4.4%	0.2%
Widowed	2.0%	7.1%
Divorced	29.1%	23.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.4%

Some HS, no diploma 16.3%

HS graduate 38.1%

Some college, no degree 19.2%

Associate's degree 11.9%

Bachelor's degree 9.6%

Graduate / professional 2.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.3%
Bachelor's or higher	12.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	29	3.4%
Kindergarten	7	0.8%
Elementary school	527	62.2%
High school	148	17.5%
College / grad school	136	16.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Agriculture & mining 18.7%

Education & healthcare 16.9%

Manufacturing 13.5%

Retail trade 13.0%

Transportation & utilities 7.6%

Other services 6.7%

Construction 6.2%

Professional & management 5.6%

Finance & real estate 3.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 3.1%

Public administration 2.8%

Information 1.4%

Wholesale trade 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.6%
Service	16.4%
Sales & office	17.9%
Natural resources & construction	17.7%
Production & transportation	23.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.0%
Government	11.5%
Self-employed	5.4%
Unpaid family workers	1.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.5%
Carpool	15.8%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.5%
Work from home	2.1%
Other means	0.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	27.7

Poverty

All people 9.3%

Under 18 years 8.6%

18 and over 9.5%

Married-couple families 1.7%

Female-led households 30.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	32.3%
Retirement income	15.9%
Supplemental Security	5.2%
Cash public assistance	1.4%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	41.4%
High blood pressure	36.4%
High cholesterol	34.9%
Diabetes	12.0%
Heart disease	7.5%
Stroke	3.5%
Asthma	10.3%
Arthritis	28.9%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	9.6%
Cancer	6.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	24.5%
Binge drinking	16.1%
No physical activity	28.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.7%
Depression	24.9%
Fair or poor health	17.7%
Poor mental health	16.5%
Poor physical health	12.6%
No health insurance	13.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.4%
Visited dentist	59.2%
Cholesterol screening	88.1%
Teeth loss	18.5%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	247	9.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	20.1%
Under 18	8.8%
18–64 years	16.8%
65 and over	49.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	50.1%
Public insurance	37.7%
No insurance	20.8%
Uninsured under 19	45.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	3,299	97.4%
Spanish	75	2.3%
Other Indo-European	75	2.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	3,364	99.4%
Born in same state	3,364	99.4%
Born in different state	2,464	72.8%
Foreign born	0	0.0%
Naturalized citizen	22	0.6%
Not a US citizen	0	0.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	552	16.3%
French	490	14.5%
Arab	234	6.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	67	2%
English	22	0.6%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.9%
Internet access	83.7%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 47879

What city is ZIP code 47879 in?

ZIP code 47879 is primarily assigned to Shelburn, Indiana.

What county is ZIP code 47879 in?

ZIP code 47879 falls within Sullivan County, Indiana.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 47879?

12% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 47879?

The median home value in ZIP code 47879 is $109,600.

Does ZIP code 47879 have a large veteran population?

9% of civilians in ZIP code 47879 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What is the population of ZIP code 47879?

ZIP code 47879 has an estimated population of 3,386 residents, with a density of 55 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 47879 in?

ZIP code 47879 observes the EST timezone.