49686 ZIP Code — Traverse City, MI

Grand Traverse County, Michigan

ZIP code 49686 is located in Traverse City, Michigan, within Grand Traverse County. It covers approximately 47.31 square miles and serves a population of 25,282 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 231.

About ZIP code 49686

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $276,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 70%.

The gap between median ($67,279) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 43% 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 19 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is high — 45% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national average of 33%.

25,282

population

47.31

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

49686 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 49686

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 49686. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Traverse City	Acceptable
Traverse City	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

49690 Williamsburg (5.1 mi) 49696 Traverse City (7.2 mi) 49685 Traverse City (7.4 mi) 49629 Elk Rapids (8.3 mi) 49676 Rapid City (10.5 mi) 49684 Traverse City (12 mi) 49682 Suttons Bay (13.3 mi) 49612 Alden (13.6 mi) 49621 Cedar (13.9 mi) 49648 Kewadin (15.8 mi) 49637 Grawn (16 mi) 49680 South Boardman (16.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	25,282
Population density	534 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	055

Geography
Land area	47.31 sq mi
Water area	26.19 sq mi
Latitude	44.8096
Longitude	-85.4838
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	231

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	36.5%	37.6%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	32.5%	34.2%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	24.2%	21.9%	20.6%
Over $200k	6.8%	6.3%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

25,282

Population

534

People per sq mi

46.8

Median age

$67,279

Median household income

$44,394

Per capita income

$276,600

Median home value

$1,137

Median monthly rent

70.0%

Home ownership

12.6%

Poverty rate

3.7%

Unemployment

9,820

Housing units

45.1%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

455

Under 5

476

616

5–9

645

601

10–14

629

608

15–19

638

674

20–24

707

1,622

25–34

1,700

1,346

35–44

1,410

1,426

45–54

1,494

978

55–59

1,026

840

60–64

881

1,935

65–74

2,029

827

75–84

866

416

85+

437

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,058	16.1%
18 and over	21,224	83.9%
65 and over	6,510	25.7%
Median age	46.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 93%

Two or more races 2.8%

Hispanic or Latino 1.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%

Other race 0.7%

Black or African American 0.7%

Asian 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	23,842	93%
Two or more races	715	2.8%
Hispanic or Latino	358	1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	286	1.1%
Other race	177	0.7%
Black or African American	173	0.7%
Asian	89	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	36.5%	37.6%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	32.5%	34.2%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	24.2%	21.9%	20.6%
Over $200k	6.8%	6.3%	5.7%

Under $10k 5.4%

$10k–$15k 3.3%

$15k–$25k 8.1%

$25k–$35k 8.7%

$35k–$50k 9.9%

$50k–$75k 19.4%

$75k–$100k 14.4%

$100k–$150k 15.0%

$150k–$200k 6.9%

$200k+ 8.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.4%
$10k–$15k	3.3%
$15k–$25k	8.1%
$25k–$35k	8.7%
$35k–$50k	9.9%
$50k–$75k	19.4%
$75k–$100k	14.4%
$100k–$150k	15.0%
$150k–$200k	6.9%
$200k+	8.8%
Median income	$67,279

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 8.7%

$50k–$100k 4.1%

$100k–$150k 7.6%

$150k–$200k 11.0%

$200k–$300k 24.2%

$300k–$500k 23.5%

$500k–$1M 15.9%

$1M+ 4.9%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$276,600
Median rent / month	$1,137
Owner occupied	70.0%
Renter occupied	30.0%
Vacant	13.0%
Single-family detached	62.4%
Large apartment buildings	5.4%
Mobile homes	8.8%
Median rooms	5.6
Avg household size (owned)	2.17

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	10.7%
2000–2009	13.2%
1990–1999	15.2%
1980–1989	14.6%
1970–1979	17.8%
1960–1969	5.9%
1950–1959	10.3%
1940–1949	2.7%
1939 or earlier	9.4%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.8%
1 bedroom	12.3%
2 bedrooms	27.9%
3 bedrooms	37.3%
4 bedrooms	17.1%
5+ bedrooms	4.6%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	7.2%
1 vehicle	40.9%
2 vehicles	36.9%
3 or more	15.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	81.6%
Electricity	13.3%
Propane / LP gas	2.9%
Fuel oil	0.3%
Wood	0.5%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	0.9%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	4,860	42.0%
Cohabiting couple	708	6.1%
Male householder, no spouse	2,253	19.5%
Female householder, no spouse	3,748	32.4%
Households with children under 18	2,202	19.0%
Households with seniors (65+)	4,777	41.3%
Average household size	2.13

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.4%	25.5%
Married	49.2%	43.0%
Separated	0.6%	3.2%
Widowed	3.8%	10.2%
Divorced	10.0%	18.1%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.7%

Some HS, no diploma 3.9%

HS graduate 19.2%

Some college, no degree 20.5%

Associate's degree 10.5%

Bachelor's degree 26.7%

Graduate / professional 18.4%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	95.4%
Bachelor's or higher	45.1%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	385	7.3%
Kindergarten	173	3.3%
Elementary school	2,019	38.4%
High school	956	18.2%
College / grad school	1,720	32.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 26.6%

Retail trade 13.1%

Manufacturing 12.1%

Arts, food & hospitality 10.2%

Professional & management 10.0%

Finance & real estate 8.9%

Construction 5.9%

Other services 3.3%

Transportation & utilities 2.7%

Wholesale trade 2.6%

Public administration 1.6%

Information 1.5%

Agriculture & mining 1.4%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	42.2%
Service	16.6%
Sales & office	22.7%
Natural resources & construction	7.1%
Production & transportation	11.4%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	82.6%
Government	9.4%
Self-employed	7.7%
Unpaid family workers	0.3%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	65.9%
Carpool	12.7%
Public transit	2.2%
Walk	2.9%
Work from home	14.0%
Other means	2.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	18.8

Poverty

All people 12.6%

Under 18 years 23.0%

18 and over 10.7%

Married-couple families 2.3%

Female-led households 23.1%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	42.6%
Retirement income	29.9%
Supplemental Security	4.4%
Cash public assistance	2.0%
Food stamps / SNAP	8.7%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.6%
High blood pressure	32.1%
High cholesterol	33.7%
Diabetes	9.7%
Heart disease	6.4%
Stroke	2.8%
Asthma	10.4%
Arthritis	28.7%
Kidney disease	2.8%
Pulmonary disease	6.7%
Cancer	7.5%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.9%
Binge drinking	19.9%
No physical activity	16.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	28.4%
Depression	20.8%
Fair or poor health	11.8%
Poor mental health	14.7%
Poor physical health	9.5%
No health insurance	7.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	75.0%
Visited dentist	73.7%
Cholesterol screening	92.2%
Teeth loss	9.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,599	7.5%

Disability	%
Any disability	12.4%
Under 18	3.3%
18–64 years	7.7%
65 and over	28.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	70.9%
Public insurance	42.6%
No insurance	6.2%
Uninsured under 19	1.9%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	24,351	96.3%
Spanish	231	0.9%
Other Indo-European	185	0.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	41	0.2%
Other languages	5	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	24,771	98.0%
Born in same state	24,579	97.2%
Born in different state	18,717	74.0%
Foreign born	192	0.8%
Naturalized citizen	511	2.0%
Not a US citizen	331	64.8%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	4,240	16.8%
Italian	3,346	13.2%
Arab	906	3.6%
English	839	3.3%
German	804	3.2%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	435	1.7%
Dutch	125	0.5%
Irish	112	0.4%
Norwegian	82	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	45.8%
Internet access	92.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 49686

What city is ZIP code 49686 in?

ZIP code 49686 is primarily assigned to Traverse City, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 49686 in?

ZIP code 49686 falls within Grand Traverse County, Michigan.

Does ZIP code 49686 have an older population?

26% of residents in ZIP code 49686 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 49686 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 49686 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 49686?

45% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — well above the national average of ~33%, reflecting a highly educated population.

What is the population of ZIP code 49686?

ZIP code 49686 has an estimated population of 25,282 residents, with a density of 534 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 49686 in?

ZIP code 49686 observes the EST timezone.