Census-designated place · Michigan
Crystal, Michigan
Crystal, census-designated place, in Montcalm County, Michigan. Crystal had 888 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,114 (±229). GEOID 2619060.
Residents, 2020 Census
888
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 1,114 ±229
Median household income
$41,806
±$23,081 (90% margin)
Michigan: $72,875
Median home value
$197,300
±$25,348 (90% margin)
Michigan: $231,600
Median gross rent
$597
±$553 (90% margin)
Michigan: $1,129
Where is Crystal and what county is it in?
Crystal is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Montcalm County, Michigan. It covers 2.8 square miles of land, 322 residents per square mile in 2020.
Crystal is in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 5 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Crystal lies entirely within Crystal Township (Montcalm County), a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Crystal, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 888 residents in Crystal, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 1,114 (±229).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Crystal is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Crystal | Montcalm County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,114 ±229 | 67,816 | – |
| Households | 518 ±90 | 24,511 | – |
| Average household size | 2.15 ±0.36 | 2.66 | – |
| Housing units | 800 ±106 | 28,147 | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Crystal?
The median resident of Crystal is 55.7 years old; 14.8% are under 18 and 34.7% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 97.6%, then non-Hispanic Asian residents at 1.5%.
| Measure | Crystal | Montcalm County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.7 ±6.4 | 40.4 | – |
| Under 18 years | 14.8% ±8.2 pts | 20.8% | – |
| 65 years and over | 34.7% ±11.0 pts | 17.9% | – |
| Male | 42.3% ±8.2 pts | 53.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 4.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 97.6% ±3.1 pts | 87.0% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 3.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.5% ±2.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.9% ±1.5 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.5% ±2.7 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.5% ±1.8 pts | 4.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 7.2% ±4.2 pts | 8.1% | – |
| With a disability | 21.0% ±9.1 pts | 16.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.2% ±1.9 pts | 8.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 97.3% ±2.3 pts | 88.5% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 29.8% ±14.0 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 16.9% ±14.6 pts | 5.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 97.4% ±2.8 pts | 89.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±2.7 pts | 0.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Crystal earn?
Half of Crystal's 518 households earn less than $41,806 a year (±$23,081), against $67,344 in Montcalm County and $72,875 in Michigan. 12.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Crystal | Montcalm County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $41,806 ±$23,081 | $67,344 | – |
| Mean household income | $66,198 ±$15,990 | $79,730 | – |
| Per capita income | $32,215 ±$7,808 | $30,876 | – |
| People below the poverty line | 12.6% ±7.8 pts | 12.6% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0% ±22.5 pts | 17.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 15.4% ±9.3 pts | 12.8% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.1% ±3.5 pts | 91.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 83.4% ±13.6 pts | 83.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Crystal?
Owners occupy 90.0% of Crystal's occupied homes and renters 10.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $197,300 by its owner (±$25,348).
| Measure | Crystal | Montcalm County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $197,300 ±$25,348 | $185,500 | – |
| Median gross rent | $597 ±$553 | $869 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 57.7% ±46.5 pts | 35.3% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,516 ±$166 | $1,352 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 90.0% ±6.4 pts | 83.1% | – |
| Renter-occupied homes | 10.0% ±6.4 pts | 16.9% | – |
| Housing units | 800 ±106 | 28,147 | – |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±6.2 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±39.5 pts | 5.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 88.8% ±7.1 pts | 76.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 7.0% ±6.3 pts | 13.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±3.7 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.1% ±3.3 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 12.9% ±6.3 pts | 16.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.3% ±6.4 pts | 5.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Crystal work and get to work?
88.0% of Crystal's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 38.6 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 19.4%.
| Measure | Crystal | Montcalm County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 33.1% ±11.1 pts | 56.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 19.4% ±12.5 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 88.0% ±8.0 pts | 81.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 2.9% ±4.1 pts | 9.3% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±11.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 2.5% ±3.6 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 6.6% ±5.8 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 38.6 min ±8.2 | 30.7 min | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Crystal?
No census tract lies mostly in Crystal; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9709Montcalm County | 3,263 | $63,158 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Crystal) · Census block assignment files
How does Crystal compare with other places in Michigan?
Crystal is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
Crystal's figures with every place in Michigan (CSV)
Every place in Michigan, sortable · Compare Crystal with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Crystal?
24 of the 57 figures for Crystal on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Crystal are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.