Empire is a township in Leelanau County, Michigan, home to about 1,173 people across 35 square miles. Its ZIP code is 49630, and parts of 49636 and 49640 are in Empire too.
Homes sold for a median of $336 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Empire; also Leland and Kasson
Mostly Glen Arbor; part is in Empire
Mostly Homestead; part is in Empire
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Empire. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
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| Nearest major airport | Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR)136 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Cherry Capital Airport (TVC)21 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Milwaukee, WI155 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL222 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Empire; 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.
Empire had 1,126 residents in the 2020 census, up 4% since 2000.
It’s the 1109th largest of 1,531 towns in Michigan by population.
Leelanau County grew from 10,556 residents in 1900 to 22,301 in 2020.
Leelanau County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 80°F in summer, and winter lows average 16°F. About 35.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 143 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Maple City 1e, MI weather station (9 miles away).
5,239 jobs at 796 businesses in Leelanau County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
6 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Empire.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 2 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Dentists | 1 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 1 |
| Mental health providers | 1 |
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 (3 nearby)
Grocery stores
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 4 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.
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Shares ZIP codes with Leland, Homestead, Lake Township (Benzie County), Platte, Glen Arbor, Kasson, Almira and Benzonia.
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.