46601 ZIP Code — South Bend, IN

St Joseph County, Indiana

ZIP code 46601 is located in South Bend, Indiana, within St Joseph County. It covers approximately 1.97 square miles and serves a population of 5,020 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 574.

About ZIP code 46601

The housing stock consists of a significant share of large multi-unit buildings. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $113,800. Renters make up the majority at 81%, typical of denser urban areas.

Median household income is $27,036. Poverty affects 41% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 29% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 36% 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 17 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 24% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of obesity (48%), diabetes (18%), smoking (31%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include disability rates above the national average at 26%.

Overall, ZIP code 46601 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

5,020

population

1.97

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

46601 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 46601

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 46601. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
South Bend	Acceptable
South Bend	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

46699 South Bend (0.8 mi) 46626 South Bend (0.8 mi) 46617 South Bend (1 mi) 46613 South Bend (1.3 mi) 46616 South Bend (1.8 mi) 46615 South Bend (1.9 mi) 46637 South Bend (3.8 mi) 46635 South Bend (4.1 mi) 46619 South Bend (5 mi) 46614 South Bend (5 mi) 46628 South Bend (5.4 mi) 46545 Mishawaka (5.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	5,020
Population density	2,548 / sq mi
State FIPS	18
County FIPS	141

Geography
Land area	1.97 sq mi
Water area	0.06 sq mi
Latitude	41.6725
Longitude	-86.2533
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	72.0%	46.1%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	22.7%	31.7%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	5.1%	18.0%	19.8%
Over $200k	0.2%	4.2%	4.5%

Demographics & statistics

5,020

Population

2,548

People per sq mi

39.7

Median age

$27,036

Median household income

$20,974

Per capita income

$113,800

Median home value

$707

Median monthly rent

19.4%

Home ownership

41.0%

Poverty rate

9.8%

Unemployment

1,116

Housing units

23.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

150

Under 5

126

198

5–9

167

140

10–14

119

147

15–19

125

140

20–24

119

422

25–34

357

387

35–44

328

313

45–54

264

256

55–59

216

163

60–64

137

294

65–74

248

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,105	22.0%
18 and over	3,915	78.0%
65 and over	746	14.9%
Median age	39.7 years

Race & ethnicity

White 47%

Black or African American 34.3%

Two or more races 7.2%

Hispanic or Latino 5.6%

Other race 3.2%

Asian 2.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	2,502	47%
Black or African American	1,824	34.3%
Two or more races	385	7.2%
Hispanic or Latino	300	5.6%
Other race	170	3.2%
Asian	113	2.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	17	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	9	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	72.0%	46.1%	42.9%
$50k – $100k	22.7%	31.7%	32.7%
$100k – $200k	5.1%	18.0%	19.8%
Over $200k	0.2%	4.2%	4.5%

Under $10k 20.0%

$10k–$15k 9.4%

$15k–$25k 17.9%

$25k–$35k 11.1%

$35k–$50k 9.1%

$50k–$75k 13.0%

$75k–$100k 9.4%

$100k–$150k 5.6%

$150k–$200k 2.5%

$200k+ 2.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	20.0%
$10k–$15k	9.4%
$15k–$25k	17.9%
$25k–$35k	11.1%
$35k–$50k	9.1%
$50k–$75k	13.0%
$75k–$100k	9.4%
$100k–$150k	5.6%
$150k–$200k	2.5%
$200k+	2.1%
Median income	$27,036

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.5%

$50k–$100k 25.9%

$100k–$150k 30.2%

$150k–$200k 17.2%

$200k–$300k 10.0%

$300k–$500k 1.7%

$500k–$1M 1.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$113,800
Median rent / month	$707
Owner occupied	19.4%
Renter occupied	80.6%
Vacant	25.7%
Single-family detached	29.9%
Large apartment buildings	40.0%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	3.8
Avg household size (owned)	2.91

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	5.8%
2000–2009	2.7%
1990–1999	2.7%
1980–1989	3.0%
1970–1979	11.1%
1960–1969	6.5%
1950–1959	9.8%
1940–1949	5.4%
1939 or earlier	52.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	8.6%
1 bedroom	41.2%
2 bedrooms	21.2%
3 bedrooms	17.8%
4 bedrooms	7.7%
5+ bedrooms	3.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	30.0%
1 vehicle	42.1%
2 vehicles	21.5%
3 or more	6.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	63.5%
Electricity	31.5%
Propane / LP gas	0.9%
No fuel used	2.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	455	22.0%
Cohabiting couple	120	5.8%
Male householder, no spouse	624	30.2%
Female householder, no spouse	869	42.0%
Households with children under 18	335	16.2%
Households with seniors (65+)	616	29.8%
Average household size	2.01

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	47.9%	44.8%
Married	28.1%	27.6%
Separated	4.8%	3.9%
Widowed	1.0%	5.0%
Divorced	18.2%	18.7%

Education

Less than 9th grade 3.6%

Some HS, no diploma 14.4%

HS graduate 30.1%

Some college, no degree 22.4%

Associate's degree 5.9%

Bachelor's degree 14.0%

Graduate / professional 9.5%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.9%
Bachelor's or higher	23.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	168	14.5%
Kindergarten	78	6.7%
Elementary school	418	36.2%
High school	263	22.8%
College / grad school	229	19.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 24.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 15.0%

Manufacturing 12.9%

Retail trade 11.9%

Construction 10.4%

Professional & management 7.0%

Other services 6.2%

Public administration 3.8%

Wholesale trade 2.4%

Transportation & utilities 2.4%

Finance & real estate 2.4%

Agriculture & mining 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	32.0%
Service	20.4%
Sales & office	20.5%
Natural resources & construction	3.1%
Production & transportation	23.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	85.3%
Government	11.0%
Self-employed	2.2%
Unpaid family workers	1.4%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	63.1%
Carpool	11.3%
Public transit	8.0%
Walk	7.0%
Work from home	8.3%
Other means	2.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	17.2

Poverty

All people 41.0%

Under 18 years 63.2%

18 and over 34.1%

Married-couple families 5.5%

Female-led households 69.9%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	36.1%
Retirement income	15.9%
Supplemental Security	6.4%
Cash public assistance	4.5%
Food stamps / SNAP	28.9%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	48.4%
High blood pressure	44.0%
High cholesterol	29.5%
Diabetes	17.6%
Heart disease	8.5%
Stroke	5.6%
Asthma	12.2%
Arthritis	27.4%
Kidney disease	4.4%
Pulmonary disease	11.8%
Cancer	5.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	31.2%
Binge drinking	13.1%
No physical activity	38.0%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	40.2%
Depression	22.6%
Fair or poor health	29.7%
Poor mental health	19.4%
Poor physical health	17.1%
No health insurance	22.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.4%
Visited dentist	39.1%
Cholesterol screening	84.0%
Teeth loss	29.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	347	8.9%

Disability	%
Any disability	25.6%
Under 18	8.9%
18–64 years	24.7%
65 and over	54.4%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	43.2%
Public insurance	59.0%
No insurance	7.2%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	4,744	94.5%
Spanish	97	2.0%
Other Indo-European	56	1.2%
Asian & Pacific Islander	7	0.1%
Other languages	25	0.5%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	4,763	94.9%
Born in same state	4,730	94.2%
Born in different state	3,004	59.8%
Foreign born	33	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	257	5.1%
Not a US citizen	62	24.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	350	7%
Arab	297	5.9%
French	245	4.9%
English	123	2.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	105	2.1%
Dutch	32	0.6%
Norwegian	8	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.2%
Internet access	83.3%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 46601

What city is ZIP code 46601 in?

ZIP code 46601 is primarily assigned to South Bend, Indiana.

What county is ZIP code 46601 in?

ZIP code 46601 falls within St Joseph County, Indiana.

Is ZIP code 46601 mostly rentals?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 46601 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 46601?

41% of residents in ZIP code 46601 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What are the health statistics for ZIP code 46601?

Health data for ZIP code 46601 shows elevated rates of obesity (48%) and diabetes (18%) and smoking (31%) compared to national benchmarks.

Does ZIP code 46601 have a large retiree population?

36% of households in ZIP code 46601 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What timezone is ZIP code 46601 in?

ZIP code 46601 observes the EST timezone.