ZIP Code 49117 — New Buffalo city, MI Demographics & Data

ZIP code 49117 covers New Buffalo, MI in Berrien County with a population of about 3,512.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 56.0 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 269; U.S. House district MI-5; the SOUTH BEND - ELKHART media market.

New Buffalo, MI fits a retirement-oriented profile (high share of residents 65+ (35.2%)). 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 49117 is about $75,268 — about even with the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 13.2%; unemployment rate near 10.0%; 45.6% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 11.9 points above the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Education, Food services, and Manufacturing; about 19.9% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 4.7 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 $448,400 — about 29% above the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $685 (about 41% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 76.2% (about 10.8 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 49117 in New Buffalo, MI, a household would need roughly $123,000 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 $2,880. That is about 63% above the local median household income ($75,268), 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 New Buffalo city, MI as Relatively Moderate (composite score 81.7), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are flood (86.0) and hurricane (31.7). 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 New Buffalo city, MI show little to no average snow and around 42.5 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 137 for ZIP 49117 (New Buffalo city, 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.