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Place dossier plate
SheetMI-NILES-MI · Niles, MI 11,838 pop · income 16th pct · 15 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Niles
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Niles on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Picayune · lowest
37,270
Picayune · lowest
37,270 median HH income
22.1% of the leader · rank #1
Barnes City · near
47,813
Barnes City · near
47,813 median HH income
28.4% of the leader · rank #2
Oberlin · near
47,813
Oberlin · near
47,813 median HH income
28.4% of the leader · rank #3
Kingsville · near
47,813
Kingsville · near
47,813 median HH income
28.4% of the leader · rank #4
Niles · this city
47,815
Niles · this city
47,815 median HH income
28.4% of the leader · rank #5
Cumberland · near
47,819
Cumberland · near
47,819 median HH income
28.4% of the leader · rank #6
East Grand Ra… · highest
168,487
East Grand Ra… · highest
168,487 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Niles on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 11,838.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Niles - the verdict
Niles ranks in the 16th percentile for household income and the 25th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
16th
percentile, household income
15th
percentile, home value
32nd
percentile, median rent
25th
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: Niles, MI
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 11,838 residents in Niles, a small town within Michigan. The typical household in Niles brings in $47,815 a year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 18.1%. Home values in Niles run a median of $115,400, and the median resident age is 39.2 years. 17.1% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 57.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 3 residential building permits were authorized in Niles (Building Boom), up 50% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2351.7 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, near the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 50.3°F with 41.7 inches of precipitation per year and 62.5 inches of snowfall.
Living costs in Michigan run below the national norm: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Michigan at 96.2 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Below Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,113 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Michigan run around $238, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 49.6 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Niles's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from climate and hazard context to schools and households to work and mobility to population change to comparison shortlist to housing and income to within-city variation to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Niles, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, within-city Census tract profiles, matched public-school count, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, annual population history.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
Question 1
What physical conditions frame life in Niles?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 50.3°F, with 41.7 inches of precipitation and 62.5 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Michigan is 49.6 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 17.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
Which cities make useful reference points for Niles?
Within Michigan, the closest population matches are South Lyon (11,825 residents, $83,822 income); Fenton (11,950 residents, $83,077 income); New Baltimore (12,060 residents, $97,027 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Lawrenceburg, KY (11,838 residents); Picayune, MS (11,839 residents); Lantana, FL (11,845 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 15 Census tracts to this city.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Niles?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 81.2%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Public transit
0.3%
Work from home
5.1%
Drive alone
81.2%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 5,443 workers age 16+.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -305 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -2.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 3 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
-2.5%
2025 estimate
11,665
2020 estimate
11,970
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
How far does income reach against housing in Niles?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 18.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
Household income
$47,815
Home value
$115,400
Value / income
2.4×
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Niles?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2351.7 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, near the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 3% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
1876.2
Violent rate
475.5
Total reported rate
2351.7
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Michigan average
F
City profile score · Niles, MI
26/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living C
96.2 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Bachelor's+ share F
17.1%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$47,815
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate F
18.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
476 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Niles profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 57/100 (C) · 96.2 index
Bachelor's+ share: 26/100 (F) · 17.1%
Household income: 17/100 (F) · $47,815
Poverty rate: 17/100 (F) · 18.1%
Violent crime: 17/100 (F) · 476 /100k
Where Niles sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Niles's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Niles highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Niles, MI (this city): home $115,400, crime 2,352/100k
Lawrenceburg, KY : home $185,400, crime 596/100k
Picayune, MS : home $146,500, crime 2,884/100k
Wallington, NJ : home $493,700, crime 1,598/100k
South Lyon, MI : home $280,900, crime 350/100k
Fenton, MI : home $211,700, crime 2,566/100k
New Baltimore, MI : home $309,800, crime 443/100k
Farmington, MI : home $273,000, crime 441/100k
Riverview, MI : home $200,500, crime 1,142/100k
East Grand Rapids, MI : home $488,500, crime 1,145/100k
How does Niles compare to other US cities?
Where Niles sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income16% higher than other cities
Home value15% pricier than other cities
Median rent32% pricier than other cities
Safety25% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Michigan, Niles ranks #199 of 254 Michigan cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Niles against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Michigan only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Michigan-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Niles near the bottom of Michigan's cities
Among the 727 Michigan cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Niles ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Niles only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#560 of 718
22nd percentile in Michigan
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 727
0th percentile in Michigan
Median Home Value
#497 of 721
31st percentile in Michigan
Poverty Rate
#100 of 727
86th percentile in Michigan
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#417 of 727
42nd percentile in Michigan
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Michigan only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
16th percentile nationally for median household income · 25th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Niles's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Niles'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 Niles's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$115,400Among the most affordablemore affordable than 85% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Niles's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.4×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#3,557 of 15,516
More affordable than 77% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#293 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 2.4×, Niles sits in the affordable band:
national rank #3,557 of 15,516 and #293 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$47,815Niles, MI median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Niles, MI median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Niles, MI.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)17.1%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)18.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)57.1%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
11,838
Median Income
$47,815
Median Home Value
$115,400
Median Age
39.2
Poverty Rate
18.1%
Labor force participation
57.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
17.1%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2351.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
475.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1876.2
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
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
50.3°F
Annual Precipitation
41.7"
Annual Snowfall
62.5"
Schools
Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Niles's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
11,970 residents
2021
11,866 residents
2022
11,763 residents
2023
11,675 residents
2024
11,718 residents
2025
11,665 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
3
housing units authorized
Single-Family
3
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
2
2
0
$0.5M
2020
2
2
0
$0.5M
2021
1
1
0
$0.1M
2022
2
2
0
$0.6M
2023
50
2
48
$8.9M
2024
3
3
0
$0.9M
Permit volume increased 50% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
81.2%
Carpool
10.8%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
1.9%
Work from Home
5.1%
Other
0.7%
Based on 5,443 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Michigan statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $238
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Michigan at $238 (electricity about $105 , water and sewer about $48 ).
These are Michigan statewide averages, not a meter reading for Niles. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Michigan's BEA cost-of-living index is 96.2 (Below Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Niles is $1,113/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Michigan statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.6 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Michigan statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Niles sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Niles compares to similar-size Michigan cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
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.