ZIP Code 48834 — Palo CDP, MI Demographics & Data

ZIP code 48834 covers Palo, MI in Montcalm County with a population of about 2,296.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 37.8 (near the U.S. median).

It sits in telephone area code 989; U.S. House district MI-2; the GRAND RAPIDS - KALMZOO - B. CRK media market.

Median household income in ZIP 48834 is about $60,870 — about 19% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 11.7%; unemployment rate near 4.6%; 9.2% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 24.5 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Manufacturing, Construction, and Retail trade; about 5.8% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 9.4 points below 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 $171,500 — about 51% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $760 (about 35% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 81.7% (about 16.3 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 48834 in Palo, MI, a household would need roughly $47,000 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 $1,102. That sits below the local median household income ($60,870), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. 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 Palo CDP, MI as Relatively Low (composite score 56.9), which is near the middle of the national distribution. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (61.6) and wildfire (32.4). 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 Palo CDP, MI show little to no average snow and around 36.6 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 90 for ZIP 48834 (Palo CDP, 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.