49689 ZIP Code — Wellston, MI

Manistee County, Michigan

ZIP code 49689 is located in Wellston, Michigan, within Manistee County. It covers approximately 80.83 square miles and serves a population of 1,610 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 231.

About ZIP code 49689

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 $127,100. Owner-occupancy is high at 92%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($59,712) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. SNAP benefit usage at 18% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 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 29 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 21% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (23%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 49689 reflects a community defined by high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

1,610

population

80.83

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

49689 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 49689

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 49689. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Wellston	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

49619 Brethren (6.6 mi) 49638 Harrietta (8.3 mi) 49644 Irons (9.9 mi) 49645 Kaleva (12.5 mi) 49660 Manistee (13.8 mi) 49625 Copemish (14.5 mi) 49656 Luther (15.5 mi) 49618 Boon (16 mi) 49614 Bear Lake (16.8 mi) 49668 Mesick (17.4 mi) 49675 Onekama (17.9 mi) 49410 Fountain (18.3 mi)

Demographics updated 06/2026

Population
Total population	1,610
Population density	20 / sq mi
State FIPS	26
County FIPS	101

Geography
Land area	80.83 sq mi
Water area	2.08 sq mi
Latitude	44.2235
Longitude	-85.9209
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	231

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 06/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.0%	47.3%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	40.6%	35.4%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	14.2%	13.8%	20.6%
Over $200k	3.3%	3.6%	5.7%

Demographics & statistics

1,610

Population

People per sq mi

48.1

Median age

$59,712

Median household income

$40,197

Per capita income

$127,100

Median home value

$658

Median monthly rent

92.4%

Home ownership

11.9%

Poverty rate

6.6%

Unemployment

1,559

Housing units

22.4%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

5–9

10–14

15–19

20–24

25–34

102

35–44

113

45–54

55–59

114

60–64

138

65–74

120

75–84

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	293	18.2%
18 and over	1,317	81.8%
65 and over	392	24.3%
Median age	48.1 years

Race & ethnicity

White 93.1%

Two or more races 2.9%

Hispanic or Latino 2.2%

Black or African American 0.9%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.8%

Group	Count	%
White	1,534	93.1%
Two or more races	48	2.9%
Hispanic or Latino	37	2.2%
Black or African American	15	0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	0.8%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	42.0%	47.3%	42.6%
$50k – $100k	40.6%	35.4%	31.1%
$100k – $200k	14.2%	13.8%	20.6%
Over $200k	3.3%	3.6%	5.7%

Under $10k 9.6%

$10k–$15k 1.6%

$15k–$25k 7.2%

$25k–$35k 7.6%

$35k–$50k 15.9%

$50k–$75k 21.7%

$75k–$100k 11.8%

$100k–$150k 9.8%

$150k–$200k 10.1%

$200k+ 4.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	9.6%
$10k–$15k	1.6%
$15k–$25k	7.2%
$25k–$35k	7.6%
$35k–$50k	15.9%
$50k–$75k	21.7%
$75k–$100k	11.8%
$100k–$150k	9.8%
$150k–$200k	10.1%
$200k+	4.7%
Median income	$59,712

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.4%

$50k–$100k 21.3%

$100k–$150k 34.2%

$150k–$200k 15.2%

$200k–$300k 12.6%

$300k–$500k 3.3%

$500k–$1M 1.4%

$1M+ 1.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$127,100
Median rent / month	$658
Owner occupied	92.4%
Renter occupied	7.6%
Vacant	56.8%
Single-family detached	80.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	19.4%
Median rooms	4.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.33

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.0%
2000–2009	10.3%
1990–1999	17.9%
1980–1989	19.4%
1970–1979	15.4%
1960–1969	12.1%
1950–1959	11.1%
1940–1949	6.2%
1939 or earlier	4.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	2.1%
1 bedroom	16.4%
2 bedrooms	41.9%
3 bedrooms	32.8%
4 bedrooms	5.5%
5+ bedrooms	1.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	5.7%
1 vehicle	29.6%
2 vehicles	34.8%
3 or more	29.9%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.1%
Electricity	5.2%
Propane / LP gas	66.7%
Fuel oil	1.7%
Wood	19.4%
No fuel used	1.7%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	334	48.0%
Cohabiting couple	98	14.1%
Male householder, no spouse	188	27.0%
Female householder, no spouse	76	10.9%
Households with children under 18	170	24.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	266	38.2%
Average household size	2.31

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.5%	24.5%
Married	49.5%	62.4%
Separated	2.8%	0.6%
Widowed	6.5%	6.2%
Divorced	14.7%	6.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 2.2%

Some HS, no diploma 10.7%

HS graduate 31.7%

Some college, no degree 24.2%

Associate's degree 8.7%

Bachelor's degree 15.3%

Graduate / professional 7.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	87.0%
Bachelor's or higher	22.4%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	6	2.2%
Kindergarten	11	4.0%
Elementary school	157	56.7%
High school	55	19.9%
College / grad school	48	17.3%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 22.4%

Manufacturing 15.7%

Arts, food & hospitality 12.7%

Construction 10.8%

Retail trade 10.6%

Finance & real estate 6.3%

Other services 6.0%

Transportation & utilities 5.1%

Professional & management 5.1%

Agriculture & mining 1.9%

Information 1.9%

Public administration 1.1%

Wholesale trade 0.5%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	27.9%
Service	24.4%
Sales & office	20.1%
Natural resources & construction	15.0%
Production & transportation	12.7%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	75.0%
Government	13.4%
Self-employed	11.4%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	67.6%
Carpool	11.3%
Public transit	0.2%
Walk	0.3%
Work from home	20.6%
Other means	0.0%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.1

Poverty

All people 11.9%

Under 18 years 3.3%

18 and over 13.7%

Married-couple families 5.7%

Female-led households 0.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	43.1%
Retirement income	34.8%
Supplemental Security	4.6%
Cash public assistance	2.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	17.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	38.5%
High blood pressure	41.7%
High cholesterol	41.1%
Diabetes	14.5%
Heart disease	9.9%
Stroke	4.4%
Asthma	11.1%
Arthritis	38.0%
Kidney disease	3.9%
Pulmonary disease	11.2%
Cancer	8.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.8%
Binge drinking	16.2%
No physical activity	24.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	32.6%
Depression	21.6%
Fair or poor health	19.1%
Poor mental health	15.6%
Poor physical health	14.0%
No health insurance	10.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.6%
Visited dentist	65.7%
Cholesterol screening	92.9%
Teeth loss	15.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	120	9.1%

Disability	%
Any disability	21.2%
Under 18	1.0%
18–64 years	19.4%
65 and over	40.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	66.0%
Public insurance	49.9%
No insurance	5.5%
Uninsured under 19	0.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	1,558	96.8%
Spanish	4	0.3%
Other Indo-European	4	0.3%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	1,607	99.8%
Born in same state	1,604	99.6%
Born in different state	1,371	85.2%
Foreign born	3	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	3	0.2%
Not a US citizen	3	100.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	175	10.9%
Italian	146	9.1%
English	124	7.7%
Arab	55	3.4%
Dutch	18	1.1%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	16	1%
German	9	0.6%
Irish	3	0.2%
Norwegian	3	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	43.2%
Internet access	88.5%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 49689

What city is ZIP code 49689 in?

ZIP code 49689 is primarily assigned to Wellston, Michigan.

What county is ZIP code 49689 in?

ZIP code 49689 falls within Manistee County, Michigan.

Is ZIP code 49689 mostly owner-occupied?

92% of occupied units in ZIP code 49689 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 49689 have a large retiree population?

43% of households in ZIP code 49689 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 49689?

The median home value in ZIP code 49689 is $127,100.

Does ZIP code 49689 have a large veteran population?

9% of civilians in ZIP code 49689 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 49689 in?

ZIP code 49689 observes the EST timezone.