Niles receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Kalamazoo
Niles
Opportunity
21 · Bottom 2%
vs20 · Bottom 1%
Growth
7 · Bottom 1%
vs15 · Bottom 4%
Climate
62 · Bottom 20%
vs61 · Bottom 17%
Physical resilience
92 · Top 9%
vs86 · Top 15%
Housing affordability
80 · Bottom 49%
vs95 · Top 18%
Schools
38 · Bottom 33%
vs51 · Bottom 49%
Access
93 · Top 44%
vs99 · Top 14%
Economic stability
43 · Bottom 22%
vs46 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Kalamazoo | Niles | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 73,076 | 11,803 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $52,272 | $51,376 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,341 | $27,036 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,966/sq mi | 2,037/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $179,000 | $135,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,078 | $855 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 42.3% | 63.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -7.5% | -7.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38.5% | 17.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.9% | 17.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 0 | 2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.0 | 0.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -100.0% | -95.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 83°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 18°F | 17°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.2" | 39.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 17 mi | 9 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 19.8 min | 23.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 26.9 | 39.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 42 | 15 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.13 | 18.27 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 26.8% | 35.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 40.2% | 46.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 61.3% | 60.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Kalamazoo
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado, strong wind.
Niles
No hazard reaches elevated exposure.
Full profiles: Kalamazoo, MI · Niles, MI · How this is calculated: methodology