48659 ZIP Code — Sterling, MI

Arenac County, Michigan

ZIP code 48659 is located in Sterling, Michigan, within Arenac County. It covers approximately 76.13 square miles and serves a population of 2,643 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 989.

About ZIP code 48659

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $110,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 87%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $56,279. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 40% 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 25 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 (24%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 48659 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

2,643

population

76.13

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

48659 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 48659

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 48659. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Sterling	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

48610 Alger (8.8 mi) 48658 Standish (9.1 mi) 48749 Omer (9.4 mi) 48756 Prescott (12.4 mi) 48652 Rhodes (12.6 mi) 48650 Pinconning (15.8 mi) 48770 Whittemore (16.8 mi) 48703 Au Gres (19.1 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	2,643
Population density	35 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	011

Geography
Land area	76.13 sq mi
Water area	0.31 sq mi
Latitude	44.0731
Longitude	-84.0469
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	989

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.1%	55.8%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	38.5%	31.8%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	12.4%	10.5%	20.6%
Over $200k	1.0%	1.9%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

2,643

Population

People per sq mi

40.6

Median age

$56,279

Median household income

$24,651

Per capita income

$110,700

Median home value

$834

Median monthly rent

86.8%

Home ownership

11.2%

Poverty rate

5.7%

Unemployment

1,127

Housing units

11.7%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

182

25–34

168

150

35–44

139

148

45–54

136

55–59

129

60–64

119

168

65–74

154

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	608	23.0%
18 and over	2,035	77.0%
65 and over	485	18.4%
Median age	40.6 years

Race & ethnicity

White 96.1%

Two or more races 3.1%

Hispanic or Latino 0.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Black or African American 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	2,549	96.1%
Two or more races	82	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	9	0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	7	0.3%
Black or African American	5	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	48.1%	55.8%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	38.5%	31.8%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	12.4%	10.5%	20.6%
Over $200k	1.0%	1.9%	5.7%

Under $10k 2.5%

$10k–$15k 6.2%

$15k–$25k 5.5%

$25k–$35k 12.4%

$35k–$50k 15.1%

$50k–$75k 30.9%

$75k–$100k 11.3%

$100k–$150k 11.3%

$150k–$200k 3.0%

$200k+ 1.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.5%
$10k–$15k	6.2%
$15k–$25k	5.5%
$25k–$35k	12.4%
$35k–$50k	15.1%
$50k–$75k	30.9%
$75k–$100k	11.3%
$100k–$150k	11.3%
$150k–$200k	3.0%
$200k+	1.7%
Median income	$56,279

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 17.9%

$50k–$100k 25.2%

$100k–$150k 27.1%

$150k–$200k 10.9%

$200k–$300k 13.0%

$300k–$500k 4.7%

$500k–$1M 0.4%

$1M+ 0.8%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$110,700
Median rent / month	$834
Owner occupied	86.8%
Renter occupied	13.2%
Vacant	24.0%
Single-family detached	79.2%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	19.6%
Median rooms	6.3
Avg household size (owned)	2.74

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.5%
2010–2019	0.9%
2000–2009	8.5%
1990–1999	17.6%
1980–1989	24.0%
1970–1979	21.2%
1960–1969	6.2%
1950–1959	3.3%
1940–1949	5.0%
1939 or earlier	12.8%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.3%
1 bedroom	5.3%
2 bedrooms	22.9%
3 bedrooms	56.1%
4 bedrooms	11.2%
5+ bedrooms	4.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.7%
1 vehicle	25.2%
2 vehicles	40.1%
3 or more	31.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	15.7%
Electricity	5.7%
Propane / LP gas	51.9%
Fuel oil	1.8%
Wood	22.7%
No fuel used	0.2%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	549	57.7%
Cohabiting couple	64	6.7%
Male householder, no spouse	170	17.9%
Female householder, no spouse	169	17.8%
Households with children under 18	308	32.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	300	31.5%
Average household size	2.72

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	30.1%	20.8%
Married	55.0%	58.6%
Separated	0.2%	0.6%
Widowed	2.6%	8.4%
Divorced	12.0%	11.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.9%

Some HS, no diploma 9.1%

HS graduate 45.8%

Some college, no degree 21.0%

Associate's degree 10.5%

Bachelor's degree 8.8%

Graduate / professional 2.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	89.0%
Bachelor's or higher	11.7%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	34	6.0%
Kindergarten	20	3.5%
Elementary school	294	51.9%
High school	138	24.4%
College / grad school	80	14.1%

Employment

Industry of employment

Manufacturing 20.9%

Education & healthcare 18.8%

Retail trade 8.7%

Construction 7.7%

Transportation & utilities 6.7%

Agriculture & mining 6.6%

Arts, food & hospitality 6.5%

Wholesale trade 6.0%

Public administration 5.4%

Professional & management 4.7%

Other services 4.3%

Finance & real estate 2.7%

Information 1.0%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	21.9%
Service	19.0%
Sales & office	20.7%
Natural resources & construction	14.5%
Production & transportation	24.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	81.3%
Government	11.9%
Self-employed	6.8%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	83.0%
Carpool	6.2%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	1.3%
Work from home	8.4%
Other means	0.7%
Avg commute (minutes)	25.4

Poverty

All people 11.2%

Under 18 years 7.1%

18 and over 12.5%

Married-couple families 7.8%

Female-led households 7.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	39.5%
Retirement income	22.0%
Supplemental Security	5.9%
Cash public assistance	2.7%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	37.1%
High blood pressure	35.6%
High cholesterol	35.2%
Diabetes	11.8%
Heart disease	7.9%
Stroke	3.6%
Asthma	11.3%
Arthritis	31.7%
Kidney disease	3.2%
Pulmonary disease	9.4%
Cancer	7.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	23.5%
Binge drinking	19.3%
No physical activity	23.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	34.5%
Depression	23.0%
Fair or poor health	17.1%
Poor mental health	17.2%
Poor physical health	12.6%
No health insurance	10.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.0%
Visited dentist	64.2%
Cholesterol screening	90.2%
Teeth loss	15.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	150	7.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	18.1%
Under 18	6.1%
18–64 years	16.4%
65 and over	40.7%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	61.2%
Public insurance	48.0%
No insurance	7.0%
Uninsured under 19	2.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	2,505	94.8%
Spanish	0	0.0%
Other Indo-European	0	0.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	2,640	99.9%
Born in same state	2,637	99.8%
Born in different state	2,384	90.2%
Foreign born	3	0.1%
Naturalized citizen	3	0.1%
Not a US citizen	3	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	394	14.9%
French	229	8.7%
Arab	121	4.6%
German	66	2.5%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	54	2%
Polish	28	1.1%
English	23	0.9%
Norwegian	5	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.0%
Internet access	90.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 48659

What city is ZIP code 48659 in?

ZIP code 48659 is primarily assigned to Sterling, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 48659 in?

ZIP code 48659 falls within Arenac County, Michigan.

Is ZIP code 48659 mostly owner-occupied?

87% of occupied units in ZIP code 48659 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 48659?

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

Does ZIP code 48659 have a large retiree population?

40% of households in ZIP code 48659 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 48659?

The median home value in ZIP code 48659 is $110,700.

What timezone is ZIP code 48659 in?

ZIP code 48659 observes the EST timezone.