Jackson receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Muskegon
Jackson
Opportunity
10 · Bottom 1%
vs9 · Bottom 1%
Growth
36 · Bottom 26%
vs52 · Top 47%
Climate
64 · Bottom 30%
vs61 · Bottom 19%
Physical resilience
98 · Top 1%
vs90 · Top 11%
Housing affordability
78 · Bottom 46%
vs86 · Top 41%
Schools
16 · Bottom 6%
vs34 · Bottom 28%
Access
75 · Bottom 17%
vs81 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability
26 · Bottom 4%
vs36 · Bottom 13%
Measured values
| Metric | Muskegon | Jackson | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,226 | 31,058 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $44,735 | $44,558 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $24,151 | $25,996 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,632/sq mi | 2,883/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $142,300 | $103,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $996 | $898 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 53.1% | 54.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 7.0% | 9.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -7.9% | -6.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.5% | 16.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 24.9% | 24.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 54 | 181 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 5.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -8.5% | 110.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 21°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 35.1" | 32.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 44 mi | 38 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.0 min | 18.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.0 | 35.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 20 | 18 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.49 | 13.76 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 10.3% | 19.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 27.8% | 36.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 78.4% | 73.1% | 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
Muskegon
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind.
Jackson
Elevated or high exposure: tornado, strong wind.
Full profiles: Muskegon, MI · Jackson, MI · How this is calculated: methodology