49685 ZIP Code — Traverse City, MI
Grand Traverse County, Michigan
ZIP code 49685 is located in Traverse City, Michigan, within Grand Traverse County. It covers approximately 54.19 square miles and serves a population of 21,120 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 231.
About ZIP code 49685
The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 2000s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $269,700. Owner-occupancy is high at 78%, well above the national average.
Median household income is $75,035.
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 near the national average, with 34% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
21,120
population
54.19
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Eastern (ET)
timezone
49685 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 49685
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 49685. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Traverse City | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
49696 Traverse City (2 mi)
49684 Traverse City (5.3 mi)
49686 Traverse City (7.4 mi)
49621 Cedar (9.7 mi)
49637 Grawn (9.7 mi)
49690 Williamsburg (11.7 mi)
49650 Lake Ann (12.7 mi)
49682 Suttons Bay (14.1 mi)
49643 Interlochen (14.1 mi)
49649 Kingsley (14.2 mi)
49629 Elk Rapids (15 mi)
49664 Maple City (15.3 mi)
Demographics
updated 06/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 21,120 |
| Population density | 390 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 26 |
| County FIPS | 055 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 54.19 sq mi |
| Water area | 7.09 sq mi |
| Latitude | 44.7632 |
| Longitude | -85.6206 |
| Timezone | Eastern (ET) |
| Area code | 231 |
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Demographics & statistics
21,120
Population
390
People per sq mi
39.5
Median age
$75,035
Median household income
$36,775
Per capita income
$269,700
Median home value
$1,245
Median monthly rent
77.7%
Home ownership
12.7%
Poverty rate
4.0%
Unemployment
7,413
Housing units
33.8%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
648
Under 5
617
669
5–9
638
611
10–14
582
677
15–19
645
640
20–24
610
1,571
25–34
1,497
1,336
35–44
1,274
1,539
45–54
1,468
871
55–59
831
655
60–64
624
1,057
65–74
1,008
421
75–84
401
118
85+
112
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 4,480 | 21.2% |
| 18 and over | 16,640 | 78.8% |
| 65 and over | 3,117 | 14.8% |
| Median age | 39.5 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
91.6%
Two or more races
4%
American Indian / Alaska Native
1.3%
Hispanic or Latino
1.2%
Asian
0.7%
Black or African American
0.7%
Other race
0.5%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 19,577 | 91.6% |
| Two or more races | 862 | 4% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 276 | 1.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 250 | 1.2% |
| Asian | 156 | 0.7% |
| Black or African American | 145 | 0.7% |
| Other race | 104 | 0.5% |
Household income
Under $10k
5.1%
$10k–$15k
1.8%
$15k–$25k
4.8%
$25k–$35k
7.0%
$35k–$50k
9.4%
$50k–$75k
21.8%
$75k–$100k
16.0%
$100k–$150k
21.9%
$150k–$200k
5.9%
$200k+
6.3%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 5.1% |
| $10k–$15k | 1.8% |
| $15k–$25k | 4.8% |
| $25k–$35k | 7.0% |
| $35k–$50k | 9.4% |
| $50k–$75k | 21.8% |
| $75k–$100k | 16.0% |
| $100k–$150k | 21.9% |
| $150k–$200k | 5.9% |
| $200k+ | 6.3% |
| Median income | $75,035 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
9.4%
$50k–$100k
2.5%
$100k–$150k
4.6%
$150k–$200k
12.3%
$200k–$300k
29.0%
$300k–$500k
29.7%
$500k–$1M
11.7%
$1M+
0.8%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $269,700 |
| Median rent / month | $1,245 |
| Owner occupied | 77.7% |
| Renter occupied | 22.3% |
| Vacant | 11.6% |
| Single-family detached | 71.0% |
| Large apartment buildings | 4.3% |
| Mobile homes | 11.2% |
| Median rooms | 5.8 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.62 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.6% |
| 2010–2019 | 14.2% |
| 2000–2009 | 23.1% |
| 1990–1999 | 15.9% |
| 1980–1989 | 15.6% |
| 1970–1979 | 16.1% |
| 1960–1969 | 4.3% |
| 1950–1959 | 4.1% |
| 1940–1949 | 1.1% |
| 1939 or earlier | 4.9% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 1.4% |
| 1 bedroom | 6.4% |
| 2 bedrooms | 19.4% |
| 3 bedrooms | 47.2% |
| 4 bedrooms | 20.5% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 5.0% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 3.7% |
| 1 vehicle | 32.1% |
| 2 vehicles | 39.4% |
| 3 or more | 24.8% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 83.0% |
| Electricity | 11.4% |
| Propane / LP gas | 2.8% |
| Fuel oil | 0.5% |
| Wood | 1.8% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 3,964 | 48.6% |
| Cohabiting couple | 967 | 11.8% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 1,150 | 14.1% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 2,082 | 25.5% |
| Households with children under 18 | 2,521 | 30.9% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 2,167 | 26.5% |
| Average household size | 2.58 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 34.8% | 28.6% |
| Married | 50.2% | 46.1% |
| Separated | 1.2% | 0.4% |
| Widowed | 1.6% | 3.9% |
| Divorced | 12.2% | 21.1% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
1.4%
Some HS, no diploma
3.6%
HS graduate
23.5%
Some college, no degree
25.2%
Associate's degree
12.5%
Bachelor's degree
22.2%
Graduate / professional
11.6%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 95.0% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 33.8% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 504 | 10.7% |
| Kindergarten | 113 | 2.4% |
| Elementary school | 1,865 | 39.5% |
| High school | 1,082 | 22.9% |
| College / grad school | 1,154 | 24.5% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
23.9%
Retail trade
16.6%
Arts, food & hospitality
10.1%
Construction
9.2%
Manufacturing
9.1%
Professional & management
8.6%
Finance & real estate
6.0%
Transportation & utilities
4.5%
Public administration
4.3%
Other services
3.7%
Agriculture & mining
1.5%
Wholesale trade
1.5%
Information
1.0%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 36.3% |
| Service | 16.7% |
| Sales & office | 23.0% |
| Natural resources & construction | 11.1% |
| Production & transportation | 12.9% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 84.3% |
| Government | 9.7% |
| Self-employed | 5.6% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.4% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 81.9% |
| Carpool | 8.8% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 0.2% |
| Work from home | 8.2% |
| Other means | 0.7% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 18.8 |
Poverty
All people
12.7%
Under 18 years
24.0%
18 and over
9.7%
Married-couple families
4.7%
Female-led households
29.0%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 28.7% |
| Retirement income | 25.6% |
| Supplemental Security | 4.8% |
| Cash public assistance | 4.2% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 9.2% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 0.0% |
| High blood pressure | 0.0% |
| High cholesterol | 0.0% |
| Diabetes | 0.0% |
| Heart disease | 0.0% |
| Stroke | 0.0% |
| Asthma | 0.0% |
| Arthritis | 0.0% |
| Kidney disease | 0.0% |
| Pulmonary disease | 0.0% |
| Cancer | 0.0% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 0.0% |
| Binge drinking | 0.0% |
| No physical activity | 0.0% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 0.0% |
| Depression | 0.0% |
| Fair or poor health | 0.0% |
| Poor mental health | 0.0% |
| Poor physical health | 0.0% |
| No health insurance | 0.0% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 0.0% |
| Visited dentist | 0.0% |
| Cholesterol screening | 0.0% |
| Teeth loss | 0.0% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 1,326 | 8.0% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 12.4% |
| Under 18 | 9.0% |
| 18–64 years | 10.7% |
| 65 and over | 24.7% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 73.9% |
| Public insurance | 37.5% |
| No insurance | 5.2% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 2.7% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 19,855 | 94.0% |
| Spanish | 114 | 0.6% |
| Other Indo-European | 101 | 0.5% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other languages | 13 | 0.1% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 20,648 | 97.8% |
| Born in same state | 20,531 | 97.2% |
| Born in different state | 17,011 | 80.5% |
| Foreign born | 117 | 0.6% |
| Naturalized citizen | 472 | 2.2% |
| Not a US citizen | 335 | 71.0% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | 3,004 | 14.2% |
| French | 2,746 | 13% |
| Arab | 1,330 | 6.3% |
| German | 729 | 3.5% |
| Polish | 661 | 3.1% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English | 521 | 2.5% |
| Dutch | 123 | 0.6% |
| Irish | 90 | 0.4% |
| Norwegian | 55 | 0.3% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 38.7% |
| Internet access | 97.0% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 49685
What city is ZIP code 49685 in?
ZIP code 49685 is primarily assigned to Traverse City, Michigan.
What county is ZIP code 49685 in?
ZIP code 49685 falls within Grand Traverse County, Michigan.
What is the population of ZIP code 49685?
ZIP code 49685 has an estimated population of 21,120 residents, with a density of 390 people per square mile.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 49685?
The median home value in ZIP code 49685 is $269,700.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 49685?
The median household income in ZIP code 49685 is $75,035, above the national median of ~$75,000.
What timezone is ZIP code 49685 in?
ZIP code 49685 observes the EST timezone.