City profile · Michigan · Census ACS 2023

Alpena, MI

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Alpena - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

10,178
Residents
$47,604
Median income
$110,400
Median home
$973
Median rent (state)

Alpena - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Alpena lands in the 16th percentile for household income and the 46th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

16th
percentile, household income
13th
percentile, home value
12th
percentile, median rent
46th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Alpena, MI

10,178 people live in Alpena, Michigan - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $47,604 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 12.8%. Typical homes in Alpena are valued around $110,400, and the median resident age is 45.2 years. About 15.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 50.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 0 residential units authorized here in 2024 (No Permits), down 100% from five years earlier. Alpena reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1503.7 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 43.5°F.

Living costs in Michigan run below the national norm: the state registers 96.2 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Below Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $973 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Michigan run around $238, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 11.1 minutes, with 77.5% driving alone and 6.0% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 21.8 out of 100 (Very Low).

Population

10,178 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Michigan

Median Household Income

$47,604 /yr

Poverty 12.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

96.2 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Michigan average

How does Alpena compare to other US cities?

Here's how Alpena stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 16% higher than other cities
Home value 13% pricier than other cities
Median rent 12% pricier than other cities
Safety 46% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Michigan and the picture shifts: Alpena ranks #156 of 254 Michigan cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Alpena's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Michigan, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

16thIncome percentile
46thSafety percentile

16th percentile nationally for median household income · 46th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Alpena's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Alpena's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 50 Avg. percentile National median
Alpena's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Alpena's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$110,400 Among the most affordable more affordable than 87% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). This entry sits in this band. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Above this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Above this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Above this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Alpena $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Alpena, MI Alpena, MI's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Alpena, MI-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Alpena, MI median $47,604/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Alpena, MI's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Alpena, MI. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 15.2%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 12.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 50.5%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
10,178
Median Income
$47,604
Median Home Value
$110,400
Median Age
45.2
Poverty Rate
12.8%
Labor force participation
50.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
15.2%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1503.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
514.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
989.3
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
43.5°F
Annual Precipitation
N/A
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
8
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
10,050 residents10,100 residents10,150 residents10,200 residents10,250 residents10,300 residents 202020212022202320242025 10,227 residents 10,088 residents ▼ -1.4%
Alpena's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

Total Permits (2024)
0
housing units authorized
Single-Family
0
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 7
2020 8
2021 2
2022 0
2023 3
2024 0

Permit volume decreased 100% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
11.1 minutes
Drive Alone
77.5%
Carpool
8.2%
Public Transit
1.3%
Walk
2.0%
Work from Home
6.0%
Other
5.0%

Based on 4,316 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Michigan - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$105
avg/month
Natural Gas
$85
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$238
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Michigan state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Michigan state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Alpena sits in

Cost of Living Index
96.2
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$973/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
21.8 / 100
Very Low
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Michigan

Howell
10,074 people
Comstock Park
10,306 people
Grosse Pointe Farms
9,957 people
Cadillac
10,404 people
Marysville
9,942 people
Flat Rock
10,418 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Alpena's 10,178 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Baker City, OR
10,177 people
Snohomish, WA
10,177 people
Cross Lanes, WV
10,172 people
Glenwood Springs, CO
10,171 people
La Grange, KY
10,188 people
Molalla, OR
10,168 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Alpena's $47,604 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Tryon, NC
$47,604 median income
Alton, MO
$47,606 median income
Havana, TX
$47,599 median income
South Carthage, TN
$47,610 median income
Mulberry, AR
$47,596 median income
Walnut Ridge, AR
$47,612 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Alpena, MI Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Alpena, MI - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 92.6% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.5% White 92.6% Black or African American 1.9% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.1% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.0% Two or more races 5.4% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Alpena compares to nearby Michigan cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Alpena (this city) 10,178 $47,604
Howell 10,074 $57,122
Comstock Park 10,306 $54,871
Grosse Pointe Farms 9,957 $160,589
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MI FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Alpena, MI?

What is the population of Alpena, MI? +

Alpena, MI has a population of 10,178 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Alpena, MI? +

The median household income in Alpena is $47,604 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Alpena? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Alpena; the closest available measure is the Michigan state average, a cost of living index of 96.2 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Below Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Michigan vary by metro area.

Is Alpena, MI safe? +

Alpena has a total crime rate of 1503.7 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Alpena, MI? +

A typical home in Alpena is worth $110,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Alpena? +

The average annual temperature in Alpena runs 43.5°F. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.