Population & age
- Total population
- 214
- Median age
- 27.5
Palo, MI (48870)
Ionia County · Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI · Population 214
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Palo, MI (ZIP 48870) sits in Ionia County within the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: Obesity comes in above the national average at 42.8%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 10 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $14,760. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $48,605 per worker, roughly 26% below the US average. The most recent FEMA disaster declaration here was flood-related (SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING, 2024). Only 5.8% of residents under 65 are uninsured (County Health Rankings, 2025) — well below the national county median. 27.3% of residents in this county are flagged low-access by USDA's 2025 Food Environment Atlas — a notable supermarket-access gap. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Kent County, MI (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: median household income $31,799, fair market rent of $1,300 for a two-bedroom, and a median home value of $91,700. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
Loading map…
Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 100.0%
- Black
- 0.0%
- Asian
- 0.0%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 0.5%
Income & housing
- Median household income
- $31,799
- Median home value
- $91,700
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 2.1%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 0.0%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 75(94.9%)
- Renter-occupied
- 4(5.1%)
- Vacant units
- 5
- Built (median)
- 1938
Commute
- Public transit
- 0(0.0%)
- Work from home
- 0(0.0%)
- Avg commute
- 53.8 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 36(16.8%)
- Uninsured
- 14(6.5%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 79(100.0%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 0(0.0%)
- Non-English at home
- 1(0.5%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$900
/month
1 Bed
$1,070
/month
2 Bed
$1,300
/month
3 Bed
$1,600
/month
4 Bed
$1,840
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
94
Across 94 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $33.2M.
Single-family
94
100% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
0
0% of total units
Single-family value
$33.2M
construction value
Multifamily value
$0
construction value
Based on county-level data (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$48,605
Average weekly wage
$935
Total employment
18,530
Total establishments
1,090
That is roughly 26% below the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
4.4%
That is 0.4 percentage points above the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
33,002
Employed
31,547
Unemployed
1,455
Based on Ionia County, MI data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
16
Date Range
1972–2024
Most Recent Declaration
SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING
Flood — declared February 8, 2024 (DR-4757)
Incident period: August 24, 2023 – August 26, 2023
Top Incident Types
- Snowstorm5 (31%)
- Flood4 (25%)
- Severe Storm4 (25%)
- Biological2 (13%)
- Hurricane1 (6%)
Individual Assistance
4
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
3
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
14
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
5
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Climate
30-year averages (1991-2020) from the nearest GHCN-D weather station. Temperature and precipitation values reflect typical annual conditions, not any single year.
Avg. temperature
47.1°F
38° – 56.2°
Annual precipitation
35.9"
Annual snowfall
54.2"
Heating · cooling days
7,038.7 · 545.5
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: IONIA 2SSW, MI US, 11.8 miles from the centroid of Palo, MI (ZIP 48870)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
6,910
That is roughly 1,290 years per 100,000 below the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
16%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
4.1
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
5.4
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
5.8%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
25
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
2,675
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
7.9
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
66%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
33%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 7.4% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Ionia data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Significant food access concerns
27.3% of Ionia County, MI residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.12
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
0.92
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.43
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 6.9% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Ionia County, MI for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Safety
FBI publishes crime data at the county level. Numbers below cover the primary county that contains this ZIP. Rates are per 100,000 residents in the area covered by reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 41 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 207 reports
Homicide
0
Robbery
0
Burglary
20
Vehicle theft
21
County-level data for Ionia (2024)
Source: U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (cde.ucr.cjis.gov). Public domain. Coverage varies by reporting agency; areas with partial agency coverage may understate true crime totals.
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▲+78 people
+24 households • −$2.2M net AGI flow
Moved in
1,820households
3,130 people • $91.8M AGI
Moved out
1,796households
3,052 people • $94.0M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Kent County, MI — 497 households
- Montcalm County, MI — 211 households
- Eaton County, MI — 113 households
- Barry County, MI — 80 households
- Ingham County, MI — 80 households
Where departing residents went
- Kent County, MI — 375 households
- Montcalm County, MI — 223 households
- Eaton County, MI — 128 households
- Clinton County, MI — 83 households
- Ingham County, MI — 76 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $50,438 versus departing households' $52,322.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in Michigan
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 48870. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
Yes
graduated
Sales tax (combined)
6.00%
State 6.00% · avg local 0.00%
Property tax (effective)
1.17%
Median $1,868/year
Tax burden rank
20 of 50
9.60% of personal income
For ZIP 48870: Applied to this ZIP's typical home value of $91,700, that works out to roughly $1,069/year in property tax.
Paid family leave
Program
No program
No program
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
200% FPL
Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (raises gross income limit above federal 130% floor). No asset test.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Other ZIPs near 48870
Other ZIPs in Palo
Nearby ZIPs by distance
48834 (Palo, 2.7 mi) · 48860 (Muir, 5.1 mi) · 48865 (6.2 mi) · 48845 (Hubbardston, 6.7 mi) · 48884 (Sheridan, 7.6 mi) · 48811 (Carson City, 8.3 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
Data sources used on this page
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
Obesity
42.8%
9.8pp above the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
40.6%
8.6pp above the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
29.4%
7.4pp above the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
79.8%
3.8pp above the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
9.1%
3.9pp below the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
14.2%
3.2pp above the 11.0% national rate.
Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
10
Median in-state tuition
$14,760
Median earnings (10 yr)
$35,833
- 4-Year
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI · 48824
- In-state tuition
- $16,458
- Out-of-state tuition
- $43,842
- Acceptance rate
- 84.8%
- Graduation rate
- 81.4%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $67,253
- Median student debt
- $23,250
- 4-Year
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, MI · 48859
- In-state tuition
- $14,760
- Out-of-state tuition
- $14,760
- Acceptance rate
- 89.8%
- Graduation rate
- 60.4%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $55,874
- Median student debt
- $27,000
- 4-Year
Baker College
Owosso, MI · 48867
- In-state tuition
- $13,000
- Out-of-state tuition
- $13,000
- Acceptance rate
- 81.9%
- Graduation rate
- 33.5%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $35,833
- Median student debt
- $25,000
- 4-Year
Alma College
Alma, MI · 48801
- In-state tuition
- $49,552
- Out-of-state tuition
- $49,552
- Acceptance rate
- 57.0%
- Graduation rate
- 63.3%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $54,742
- Median student debt
- $27,000
- 2-Year
Montcalm Community College
Sidney, MI · 48885
- In-state tuition
- $4,662
- Out-of-state tuition
- $10,362
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 28.8%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $35,499
- Median student debt
- $16,500
- 2-Year
Douglas J Aveda Institute
East Lansing, MI · 48823
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 76.1%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $26,849
- Median student debt
- $6,333
- 4-Year
Cleary University
Howell, MI · 48843
- In-state tuition
- $26,102
- Out-of-state tuition
- $26,102
- Acceptance rate
- 67.5%
- Graduation rate
- 40.5%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $54,186
- Median student debt
- $19,500
- 2-Year
Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College
Mount Pleasant, MI · 48858
- In-state tuition
- $2,730
- Out-of-state tuition
- $2,730
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- —
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- —
- Median student debt
- —
- Certificate
Protege Academy
East Lansing, MI · 48823
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 73.7%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $19,499
- Median student debt
- $9,833
- Certificate
M J Murphy Beauty College of Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant, MI · 48858
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 92.9%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $20,720
- Median student debt
- —
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
Palo, MI (ZIP 48870) sits in Ionia County within the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: Obesity comes in above the national average at 42.8%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 10 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $14,760. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $48,605 per worker, roughly 26% below the US average. The most recent FEMA disaster declaration here was flood-related (SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING, 2024). Only 5.8% of residents under 65 are uninsured (County Health Rankings, 2025) — well below the national county median. 27.3% of residents in this county are flagged low-access by USDA's 2025 Food Environment Atlas — a notable supermarket-access gap. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Kent County, MI (IRS SOI Migration, 2022-2023). Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: median household income $31,799, fair market rent of $1,300 for a two-bedroom, and a median home value of $91,700. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
The two domains pull in different directions. Healthcare access reads strong, but the on-paper school count is on the lighter side — that’s less a quality signal and more a density one. Households here often look at districts a few ZIPs over for school choice while keeping their providers local.
- Fair market rent for a two-bedroom ($1,300/month, HUD SAFMR) represents 49% of median household income ($31,799, Census ACS) — above the 30% affordability threshold commonly used by housing experts.
- Lower median household income ($31,799, Census ACS) sits alongside an above-average 42.8% obesity rate (CDC PLACES) — a pattern that correlates with reduced healthcare access in lower-income areas.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits higher the national rate at 29.4%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 48870
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 48870?
42.8%, which is 9.8 percentage points above the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 48870?
29.4%, which is 7.4 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 48870?
40.6%, which is 8.6 percentage points above the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 48870?
214 people live in ZIP 48870, with a median age of 27.5 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the median household income in ZIP 48870?
$31,799 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 48870 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 48870, 94.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 5.1% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 48870?
In ZIP 48870, 0.0% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 0.0% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 48870?
16.8% of the population in ZIP 48870 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 48870 have broadband internet?
100.0% of households in ZIP 48870 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 48870 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 48870 ranks in the 67th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a high vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 48870?
Socioeconomic Status is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 48870, ranking in the 74th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 48870 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 16 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 48870 between 1972–2024 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 48870?
Snowstorm is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 48870, accounting for 5 of 16 declarations (31%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 48870?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 48870 was "SEVERE STORMS, TORNADOES, AND FLOODING" — a flood declared in 2024 (DR-4757) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 48870?
10 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 48870 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including Michigan State University, Central Michigan University, and Baker College (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 48870?
Median in-state tuition across 10 nearby institutions is $14,760 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 48870?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $35,833 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 48870?
ZIP 48870 has an average annual temperature of 47.1°F and 35.9" of annual precipitation based on the IONIA 2SSW, MI US weather station 11.8 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 48870?
Michigan has a graduated income tax with a top rate of unspecified. Combined sales tax: 6.00% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does Michigan have paid family leave?
Michigan has no state paid family leave program (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 48870?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (40 metrics), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (10 institutions), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (16 on record), climate normals from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020), county-level crime data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (16 on record). Climate normals retrieved May 8, 2026 from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020). County-level crime data retrieved May 4, 2026 from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
Other ZIPs near 48870
Other ZIPs in Palo
Nearby ZIPs by distance
48834 (Palo, 2.7 mi) · 48860 (Muir, 5.1 mi) · 48865 (6.2 mi) · 48845 (Hubbardston, 6.7 mi) · 48884 (Sheridan, 7.6 mi) · 48811 (Carson City, 8.3 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 48870?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
67th percentile
High Vulnerability
Based on 1 census tract, population 3
Vulnerability Themes
Persons with Disability
1
Adults Age 65+
1
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.