Isabella County, MI
County Profile
64,565 residents. Safety, jobs, income, housing cost, climate and natural-hazard risk for Isabella County, MI.
Several figures AreaProfile publishes are measured by county and nowhere finer — death rates by intent among them. On this page those describe the geography they are printed on, which is not true of the city and ZIP pages that inherit them.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 13 sourcesEmployment conditions sit below most comparable counties measured: unemployment is 5.3% and the Opportunity signal places Isabella County in the bottom 4%.
In the public schools here, 42% of students met the state standard in mathematics, with 16.1 students for every teacher.
Rent takes 31% of renter income here, above the 30% threshold conventionally called cost-burdened, and the median home is 2.2 times what its owners earn.
These sentences are written by fixed rules from the measurements below — a statement appears because a number crossed a stated threshold, and the values behind it are stored with it. No figure anywhere on this site is invented, estimated or inferred to fill a gap. How this works.
At a glance
Jobs & opportunity
Unemployment of 5.3% — higher than in all but 15% of the 1,467 measured US counties.
Employment fell 6.1% over the past year, to 27,864 employed residents.
31% of adults hold a four-year degree, higher than 79% of measured US counties.
Median household income of $55,237 is lower than in 76% of measured US counties.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income of new arrivalsfiling years 2022–2023 | $40,383 | 3rd percentileof 1,417 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Income of those who leftfiling years 2022–2023 | $46,941 | 14th percentileof 1,417 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Median household income ±$2,1952024 ACS 5-Year | $55,237 | Bottom 24%of 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$1,2462024 ACS 5-Year | $30,707 | Bottom 28%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per-capita personal income2023 | $48,156 | Bottom 17%of 1,389 | 2023 |
| Poverty rate ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 16.1% | Bottom 30%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±0.8 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 21.1 min | Top 20%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 31.3% | Top 21%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 73.9% | 28th percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentJuly 2026 | 27,864 | Bottom 44%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)July 2026 | −6.4% | Bottom 3%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)July 2026 | −6.1% | Bottom 2%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceJuly 2026 | 29,422 | 44th percentileof 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 75.8% | Top 49%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public transit to work ±0.3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.8% | 81st percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)July 2026 | −0.8% | Top 16%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateJuly 2026 | 5.3% | Bottom 15%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 7.8% | 42nd percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Unemployment rate
Median household income, successive ACS releases
42% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 54% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 16.1 students for every full-time teacher across 17 public schools, more than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt Pleasant Senior High School | Mt. Pleasant City School District | 1,066 | 15.9 | 43% | 60% |
| Mt Pleasant Middle School | Mt. Pleasant City School District | 666 | 14.2 | 35% | 47% |
| Shepherd Elementary School | Shepherd Public Schools | 544 | 16.0 | 34% | 41% |
| Shepherd High School | Shepherd Public Schools | 519 | 23.6 | 42% | 62% |
| Fancher School | Mt. Pleasant City School District | 431 | 16.0 | 45% | 57% |
| Renaissance Public School Academy · charter | Renaissance Public School Academy | 428 | 15.9 | 41% | 53% |
| Shepherd Middle School | Shepherd Public Schools | 390 | 17.7 | 42% | 52% |
| Beal City High School | Beal City Public Schools | 376 | 18.8 | 52% | 62% |
| Pullen Elementary School | Mt. Pleasant City School District | 303 | 15.2 | — | — |
| Mary McGuire School | Mt. Pleasant City School District | 276 | 13.1 | 28% | 39% |
| Beal City Elementary School | Beal City Public Schools | 265 | 15.6 | 37% | 42% |
| Weidman Elementary School | Chippewa Hills School District | 258 | 17.2 | 57% | 57% |
46.3% of students here are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That describes the circumstances families arrive with, not how the schools perform, so it is shown and not scored.
Public schools only, from the NCES Common Core of Data, placed by ZIP code — which schools are in this place, not which one a particular address is zoned for. A dash in a proficiency column is a gap in the federal file, not a bad result. Proficiency is measured against Michigan’s own standard, so it is ranked within state. How to read school figures.
Housing & affordability
How it’s calculated — housing affordability →The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s house price index for the non-metropolitan parts of Michigan is up 58% over five years, and up 5.6% over the last year. It follows repeat sales of the same homes, so it measures price change rather than which homes happened to sell.
Homeowners here who pay a tax bill pay a median of $2,276 a year in real estate taxes, about 1.34% of the median home value.
HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom, set near the 40th percentile of recent new leases, is $1,013, some 11% above the $913 tenants already here pay.
At HUD’s Fair Market Rent of $1,013 a month for a two-bedroom, keeping rent to 30% of income takes a household income of about $40,500 a year, about 73% of the median household income here of $55,237.
The typical renter household here spends 31% of its income on rent, above the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $913 a month.
A median home at $170,400 costs 2.2 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $76,413, close to the historic benchmark for an affordable market.
The figures above are measured against Isabella County’s median household income of $55,237, which describes the place rather than you. Enter your own and the ratio is recomputed against it. It stays in this browser.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home price change (1 year)the non-metropolitan parts of Michigan’s figure2026 Q2 | +5.6% | 83rd percentileof 1,431 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (5 years)the non-metropolitan parts of Michigan’s figure2026 Q2 | +57.9% | 92nd percentileof 1,431 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (10 years)the non-metropolitan parts of Michigan’s figure2026 Q2 | +119.4% | 88th percentileof 1,431 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price to income ±0.12024 ACS 5-Year | 2.2 | Top 34%of 3,217 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 61.8% | 9th percentileof 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±682024 ACS 5-Year | 28,660 | 73rd percentileof 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Market rent, one bedroomFY2026 | $880 | Top 39%of 1,423 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, three bedroomFY2026 | $1,321 | Top 28%of 1,423 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, two bedroomFY2026 | $1,013 | Top 28%of 1,423 | FY2026 |
| Median gross rent ±$392024 ACS 5-Year | $913 | Bottom 42%of 3,215 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$3,6602024 ACS 5-Year | $170,400 | 44th percentileof 3,219 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$972024 ACS 5-Year | $2,276 | 71st percentileof 3,172 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$4,0532024 ACS 5-Year | $76,413 | Top 50%of 3,218 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.06%2024 ACS 5-Year | 1.34% | 83rd percentileof 3,126 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 31.0% | Bottom 20%of 3,216 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±3242024 ACS 5-Year | 2,449 | 87th percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 8.5% | 77th percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 4.5% | 12th percentileof 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±4192024 ACS 5-Year | 3,746 | 73rd percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
These measures come from the same ACS release as the income they are compared with. They compare housing cost with local earnings only: transport, groceries, healthcare, insurance and taxes are not in them. How to read affordability, the two rent figures.
Growth & development
How it’s calculated — growth →Development Momentum
An AreaProfile calculation combining permit volume per resident, its direction over one and three years, population change and employment growth. Permit volume alone is not the measure.
Population has grown 1% since 2020, reaching 65,072 in 2024.
Permit activity rose in each of the 3 calendar years through 2025.
New construction is predominantly single-family: of 92 units permitted over the past twelve months, none were in buildings of five or more homes.
Federal tax returns show Isabella County lost about 0.3% of its residents through moves within the US in the most recent year, counting those who arrived against those who left. Households that moved in reported an average income of $40,383, below the $46,941 of households that moved out.
At 1.4 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is below the median for measured US counties.
Population, annual estimates
People moving in and out
Where newcomers came from
- Clare County, MI 312 people · 10.0% of arrivals
- Gratiot County, MI 301 people · 9.6% of arrivals
- Midland County, MI 210 people · 6.7% of arrivals
- Mecosta County, MI 158 people · 5.0% of arrivals
- Montcalm County, MI 115 people · 3.7% of arrivals
Where people who left went
- Clare County, MI 285 people · 8.7% of departures
- Gratiot County, MI 273 people · 8.3% of departures
- Midland County, MI 251 people · 7.6% of departures
- Mecosta County, MI 150 people · 4.6% of departures
- Montcalm County, MI 131 people · 4.0% of departures
Based on the address on federal tax returns, compared with the same filers a year earlier. It counts people who file, and sees a move only when the address on a return changes. Domestic moves only: people arriving from abroad are left out. IRS Statistics of Income, filing years 2022–2023.
Housing units permitted per year
Weather & climate
5 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 82°F and January a low of 13°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 34.0 inches, including 48.5 inches of snow.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 34.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual snowfall1991-2020 Normals | 48.5" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 13°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average July high1991-2020 Normals | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Comfortable months1991-2020 Normals | 5 | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Seasonal temperature swing1991-2020 Normals | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
Climate figures are thirty-year normals, not current conditions. How to read climate and air quality.
Physical risk
The hazards accounting for most of this area's expected annual loss are inland flooding, tornado and cold wave, with inland flooding alone responsible for 55% of it. Inland flooding is independently rated low or minimal nationally, so this describes how the loss is composed, not how large that hazard is.
Overall hazard risk is lower than 82% of measured US counties.
Low or minimal exposure: winter weather, inland flooding, ice storm, lightning, landslide, earthquake, hurricane, wildfire, drought, coastal flooding, tsunami, avalanche, volcanic activity.
Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). These are FEMA’s own figures for this county rather than a value derived from surrounding geographies. FEMA does not endorse this presentation. Higher physical resilience means lower exposure.
These are deaths, not offenses — they say nothing about burglary, theft or assault.
Isabella County records 0.0 homicide deaths per 100,000 residents a year, lower than most counties measured. The CDC does not publish this below county level.
Firearm deaths of all intents run at about 11.7 per 100,000 — more than the homicide rate, since the figure counts suicides and accidents as well as homicides.
Drug overdose deaths run at about 10.0 per 100,000 residents in Isabella County.
Firearm deaths count every intent together, and nationally the majority are suicides rather than homicides, so the firearm figure and the homicide figure above it count some of the same deaths twice over. They overlap and should not be added together.
Death rates are crude rates — deaths divided by population, not adjusted for age — except where a count was too small for the CDC to publish and it modeled the rate, which the card marks. They come from provisional death certificate records, published by the CDC by county and not below it. So they describe Isabella County as a whole. They are shown and not scored. How to read death rates.
What this profile does not cover
Each of these is absent for a reason, not by oversight. The Area Score is calculated without them; the weighting is on the methodology page.
- Reported crime
- Offenses reported to police are published by department rather than by town, so AreaProfile shows a rate only on city profiles, and only where that city’s department submitted every month of a year. City profiles inside this area carry their own figure where their department reported a full year. A partial year is never scaled up to look complete, and arrest counts or news volume are never substituted for it.
- Cost of living
- Price parities are published for metropolitan areas, and this place lies outside one.
- Air quality
- The EPA publishes an air-quality index only where a monitor sits. There is none in this county, and a modeled value would be a different kind of number from the measured ones everywhere else on this page.
- Taxes
- Income and sales taxes are not published: no source covers them nationally with a method open enough to check. Property taxes are shown in the housing section but are not part of the score. Cost of living is published where the Bureau of Economic Analysis measures it, though not for this place. Nothing here is individualized tax advice.
- Anything about a specific address
- Every figure describes an area, not a street or a house.
Access
5 major airports lie within 100 miles, the nearest Mbs Intl at 39 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 81.7% | Bottom 18%of 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 39 mi | Bottom 45%of 1,463 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 5 | Top 26%of 1,463 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 7.3% | Top 26%of 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mbs Intl | MBS | 39 mi | 8,002 ft |
| Capital Region Intl | LAN | 61 mi | 8,506 ft |
| Gerald R Ford Intl | GRR | 63 mi | 10,001 ft |
Airport identity, position and runway data come from the FAA. “Major airport” is an AreaProfile classification — a public-use civil airport with a paved runway of at least 8,000 feet — not an FAA hub designation. Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
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Similar places
Matched on AreaProfile signals, not geographyData & methodology
| Used for | Source | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Federal Aviation Administration Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service | NASR current cycle |
| Physical risk | Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index | National Risk Index December 2025 (v1.20.0) |
| Demographics, Income | Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division U.S. Population Migration Data (county to county) | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Climate | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Monthly) | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Income | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional price parities and county personal income | 2023 |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics | July 2026 |
| Access, Demographics, Housing, Income, Jobs | U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File) | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Development | U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Demographics | U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program | July 1, 2024 estimate |
| Safety | U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics Provisional county-level mortality by intent | March 2025 to February 2026; May 2025 to April 2026 |
| Schools | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data and EDFacts assessments | 2018-19 school year; 2024-25 school year |
| Housing | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research Fair Market Rents | FY2026 |
| Housing | U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (traditional, all-transactions) | 2026 Q2 |
| Current conditions | NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service current conditions | Live observation, read when the page opens |
Profile recalculated October 8, 2026. Recalculation is not the same as new source data — each figure above shows the period its source actually covers. Read the full methodology, or every source with how often each updates.
Cities in Isabella County, MI
ZIP areas
Only ZIP areas whose income or home value differ from their city’s by at least ten percent get a profile of their own, so this is a selection rather than every ZIP code in the county.