Population & age
- Total population
- 1,039
- Median age
- 59.4
Watersmeet, MI (49969)
Gogebic County · Population 1,039
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Watersmeet, MI (ZIP 49969) sits in Gogebic County. The page draws on 2 federal data feeds retrieved Apr 27. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in above the national average at 45.5%. NCES lists 1 schools serving the area, 1 non-charter. 3 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $5,000. IRS data shows average household income (AGI) of $83,683, well above the ~$45K national average per return. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $48,384 per worker, roughly 26% below the US average. FEMA has issued 9 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1977. Annual average temperature is just 40.0°F per NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals — a notably cold-weather climate. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Iron County, WI (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 $55,694, fair market rent of $1,100 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $279,313, up 2.2% over the past year. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 73.1%
- Black
- 2.9%
- Asian
- 0.3%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 1.9%
- Other / multi-racial
- 6.5%
Income & housing
- Median household income
- $55,694
- Median home value
- $260,000
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 23.0%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 3.2%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 454(82.1%)
- Renter-occupied
- 99(17.9%)
- Vacant units
- 975
- Built (median)
- 1980
Commute
- Public transit
- 0(0.0%)
- Work from home
- 64(16.3%)
- Avg commute
- 16.0 min
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 124(11.9%)
- Uninsured
- 11(1.1%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 426(77.0%)
- No broadband
- 127(23.0%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 3(0.3%)
- Non-English at home
- 11(1.1%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$780
/month
1 Bed
$860
/month
2 Bed
$1,100
/month
3 Bed
$1,530
/month
4 Bed
$1,590
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
Home values
Typical home value
$279,313
Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) · as of March 2026
Year-over-year change
+2.2%
vs. March 2025
5-year change
+34.0%
vs. March 2021
Source: Zillow Research, ZHVI All Homes (SFR, Condo/Co-op) Time Series (zillow.com/research/data). Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) is copyrighted by Zillow, Inc.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
30
Across 30 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $11.9M.
Single-family
30
100% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
0
0% of total units
Single-family value
$11.9M
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.
Income & tax statistics
Tax returns filed
600
Average AGI
$83,683
Avg property tax
$653
EITC participation
15.0%
Income distribution
- $1 – $25,00028.3% · 170
- $25,000 – $50,00026.7% · 160
- $50,000 – $75,00013.3% · 80
- $75,000 – $100,00010.0% · 60
- $100,000 – $200,00015.0% · 90
- $200,000 or more6.7% · 40
Avg mortgage interest
$478
Avg charitable contribution
$700
Avg capital gains
$2,365
Avg total income tax
—
Source: IRS Statistics of Income — Individual Income Tax Statistics by ZIP Code (irs.gov). Public domain. Dollar columns reported in thousands by the IRS; figures here display real dollars. Total ZCTA AGI for the area was $50.2M across all reported brackets.
Business & employment
Business establishments
23
Total employment
330
Annual payroll
$12.1M
Average annual pay
$36,661
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$48,384
Average weekly wage
$930
Total employment
5,046
Total establishments
420
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
5.9%
That is 1.9 percentage points above the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
6,308
Employed
5,934
Unemployed
374
Based on Gogebic 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
9
Date Range
1977–2020
Most Recent Declaration
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Biological — declared March 27, 2020 (DR-4494)
Incident period: January 20, 2020 – May 11, 2023
Top Incident Types
- Flood3 (33%)
- Biological2 (22%)
- Hurricane1 (11%)
- Freezing1 (11%)
- Snowstorm1 (11%)
- Other1 (11%)
Households Program
1
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
9
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
4
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
40°F
29° – 51°
Annual precipitation
32.1"
Annual snowfall
76.5"
Heating · cooling days
— · 226.5
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: EAGLE RVR, WI US, 23.2 miles from the centroid of Watersmeet, MI (ZIP 49969)
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)
9,301
That is roughly 1,101 years per 100,000 above 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
17%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
4.4
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
6.1
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
6.1%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
84
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
2,056
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
7.5
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
77%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
34%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 6.2% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Gogebic 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
Moderate food access challenges
15.1% of Gogebic County, MI residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.22
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
—
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
1.51
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.58
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 4.9% 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 Gogebic 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 · 4 reports
Property crime rate
—
per 100K residents · 5 reports
Homicide
0
Robbery
0
Burglary
2
Vehicle theft
1
County-level data for Gogebic (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)
▲+34 people
+26 households • +$3.8M net AGI flow
Moved in
532households
872 people • $29.8M AGI
Moved out
506households
838 people • $26.0M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Iron County, WI — 38 households
Where departing residents went
- Iron County, WI — 47 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $56,064 versus departing households' $51,385.
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 49969. 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 49969: Applied to this ZIP's typical home value of $279,313, that works out to roughly $3,255/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 49969
Nearby ZIPs by distance
54540 (10.2 mi) · 54519 (13.8 mi) · 54554 (15 mi) · 54561 (16.3 mi) · 49912 (Bruce Crossing, 17 mi) · 49967 (21.1 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
SourcesFresh.CDC PLACES · Apr 24, 2026Fresh.NCES CCD via Urban Institute EDP · Apr 27, 2026Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026
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
35.6%
2.6pp above the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
45.5%
13.5pp above the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
23.8%
Tracks close to the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
84.6%
8.6pp above the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
5.5%
7.5pp below the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
15.7%
4.7pp above the 11.0% national rate.
Schools in this ZIP
1 school serves this ZIP, including 1 non-charter.
| School | Type | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watersmeet Township School | Public | 0–12 | 134 |
Schools listed from NCES Common Core of Data via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal.
Fresh.NCES CCD via Urban Institute EDP · Apr 27, 2026Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
3
Median in-state tuition
$5,000
Median earnings (10 yr)
$40,950
- 4-Year
Michigan Technological University
Houghton, MI · 49931
- In-state tuition
- $19,123
- Out-of-state tuition
- $42,988
- Acceptance rate
- 92.4%
- Graduation rate
- 68.4%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $78,198
- Median student debt
- $24,990
- 2-Year
Gogebic Community College
Ironwood, MI · 49938
- In-state tuition
- $4,800
- Out-of-state tuition
- $7,530
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 33.7%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $40,950
- Median student debt
- $10,925
- 2-Year
Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College
LAnse, MI · 49946
- In-state tuition
- $5,000
- Out-of-state tuition
- $5,000
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 15.6%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $22,340
- 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
Watersmeet, MI (ZIP 49969) sits in Gogebic County. The page draws on 2 federal data feeds retrieved Apr 27. Top health signal: High Blood Pressure comes in above the national average at 45.5%. NCES lists 1 schools serving the area, 1 non-charter. 3 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $5,000. IRS data shows average household income (AGI) of $83,683, well above the ~$45K national average per return. BLS QCEW reports average annual pay of $48,384 per worker, roughly 26% below the US average. FEMA has issued 9 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1977. Annual average temperature is just 40.0°F per NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals — a notably cold-weather climate. New residents arriving here predominantly come from Iron County, WI (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 $55,694, fair market rent of $1,100 for a two-bedroom, and a typical home value of $279,313, up 2.2% over the past year. 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.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits near the national rate at 23.8%. 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 49969
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 49969?
35.6%, which is 2.6 percentage points above the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 49969?
23.8%, which is 1.8 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 49969?
45.5%, which is 13.5 percentage points above the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
How many schools are in ZIP 49969?
1 school serves this ZIP, including 1 public school (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 27, 2026). No charter schools are listed in this ZIP by NCES CCD.
Does ZIP 49969 have charter schools?
No charter schools are listed in ZIP 49969 by NCES CCD (retrieved Apr 27, 2026).
Are there high schools in ZIP 49969?
Yes, 1 high school serves this ZIP: Watersmeet Township School. (NCES CCD, retrieved Apr 27, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 49969?
1,039 people live in ZIP 49969, with a median age of 59.4 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the median household income in ZIP 49969?
$55,694 per year (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 49969 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 49969, 82.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 17.9% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 49969?
In ZIP 49969, 16.3% 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 49969?
11.9% of the population in ZIP 49969 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 49969 have broadband internet?
77.0% of households in ZIP 49969 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the typical home value in ZIP 49969?
The typical home value in ZIP 49969 is $279,313, up 2.2% from a year ago (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
Are home values rising or falling in ZIP 49969?
Home values are up 2.2% over the past year and up 34.0% over the past five years (Zillow Home Value Index, retrieved May 1, 2026).
What is the average household income in ZIP 49969?
The average Adjusted Gross Income reported on tax returns from ZIP 49969 (Watersmeet, MI) is $83,683 per return (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
How much do homeowners pay in property tax in ZIP 49969?
Tax returns from ZIP 49969 report an average of $653 per return in real-estate tax deductions (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What percentage of residents in ZIP 49969 earn over $200,000?
6.7% of tax returns from ZIP 49969 (Watersmeet, MI) report Adjusted Gross Income of $200,000 or more (IRS SOI Tax Year 2022, retrieved May 2, 2026).
How many businesses are in ZIP 49969?
As of 2022, 23 business establishments operated in ZIP 49969 employing 330 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 49969?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 49969 is $36,661, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 49969 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 49969 ranks in the 31th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a moderate vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 49969?
Housing Type & Transportation is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 49969, ranking in the 60th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 49969 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 9 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 49969 between 1977–2020 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 49969?
Flood is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 49969, accounting for 3 of 9 declarations (33%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 49969?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 49969 was "COVID-19 PANDEMIC" — a biological declared in 2020 (DR-4494) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 49969?
3 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 49969 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including Michigan Technological University, Gogebic Community College, and Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 49969?
Median in-state tuition across 3 nearby institutions is $5,000 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 49969?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $40,950 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 49969?
ZIP 49969 has an average annual temperature of 40.0°F and 32.1" of annual precipitation based on the EAGLE RVR, WI US weather station 23.2 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 49969?
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 49969?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (40 metrics), school information from NCES CCD (1 school), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), home values from the Zillow Home Value Index, colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (3 institutions), income & tax statistics from the IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (9 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. School data retrieved Apr 27, 2026 from NCES CCD. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). Home values retrieved May 1, 2026 from Zillow Research. College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Income & tax statistics retrieved May 2, 2026 from IRS SOI (Tax Year 2022). Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (9 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 49969
Nearby ZIPs by distance
54540 (10.2 mi) · 54519 (13.8 mi) · 54554 (15 mi) · 54561 (16.3 mi) · 49912 (Bruce Crossing, 17 mi) · 49967 (21.1 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 49969?
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
31st percentile
Moderate Vulnerability
Based on 1 census tract, population 989
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
28
Limited English Speakers
1
Persons with Disability
118
Without HS Diploma
42
Without Health Insurance
45
Adults Age 65+
356
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.