ZIP Code 49630 — Empire village, MI Demographics & Data

ZIP code 49630 covers Empire, MI in Leelanau County with a population of about 1,484.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 63.3 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 231; U.S. House district MI-1; the TRAVERSE CITY - CADILLAC media market.

Empire, MI fits a retirement-oriented profile (high share of residents 65+ (45.1%)). Residents and relocators commonly research healthcare access, everyday amenities (dining, personal services), and housing costs rather than tech or campus life.

Median household income in ZIP 49630 is about $101,875 — about 36% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 9.0%; unemployment rate near 1.3%; 55.8% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 22.1 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Manufacturing, and Education; about 19.2% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 4.0 points above the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $440,200 — about 26% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $763 (about 34% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 89.0% (about 23.5 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 49630 in Empire, MI, a household would need roughly $121,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $2,828. That is about 19% above the local median household income ($101,875), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Empire village, MI as Relatively Low (composite score 48.3), which is near the middle of the national distribution. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (42.1) and wildfire (14.9). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Empire village, MI show little to no average snow and around 35.7 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 58 for ZIP 49630 (Empire village, MI) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.