Bates is a township in Iron County, Michigan, home to about 927 people across 126 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 49903 and 49935.
Homes sold for a median of $275 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Hematite; part is in Bates
Mostly Iron River City; part is in Bates
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Bates. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Bates’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)221 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Ford Airport (IMT)32 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Madison, WI212 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL298 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Bates; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Bates had 925 residents in the 2020 census, down 9% since 2000.
It’s the 1220th largest of 1,531 towns in Michigan by population.
Iron County grew from 8,990 residents in 1900 to 11,631 in 2020.
Iron County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 77°F in summer, and winter lows average 0°F. About 30.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 67 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Stambaugh 2sse, MI weather station (3 miles away).
2,475 jobs at 358 businesses in Iron County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
45 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Bates’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 6 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 5 |
| Dentists | 3 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 7 |
| Mental health providers | 13 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 5 |
| Optometrists | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 4 |
| Pharmacies | 2 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (10 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 7.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by West Iron County Public Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stambaugh Elementary SchoolIron River | Pre-K–6 | 353 | Public | 1.5 mi |
| West Iron County Middle High SchoolIron River | 6–12 | 407 | Public | 1.6 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Iron River City, Stambaugh, Iron River Township, Hematite and Crystal Falls Township.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.