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Place dossier plate
SheetMI-NORTON-SHORES-MI · Norton Shores, MI 25,000 pop · income 54th pct
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 Norton Shores
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Norton Shores on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Barberton · lowest
48,943
Barberton · lowest
48,943 median HH income
28.5% of the leader · rank #1
Dallas · near
73,387
Dallas · near
73,387 median HH income
42.7% of the leader · rank #2
Norton Shores · this city
73,390
Norton Shores · this city
73,390 median HH income
42.7% of the leader · rank #3
Glidden · near
73,393
Glidden · near
73,393 median HH income
42.7% of the leader · rank #4
Morrowville · near
73,393
Morrowville · near
73,393 median HH income
42.7% of the leader · rank #5
Belden · near
73,393
Belden · near
73,393 median HH income
42.7% of the leader · rank #6
Sienna · highest
171,709
Sienna · highest
171,709 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 Norton Shores 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: 25,000.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Norton Shores - the verdict
Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Norton Shores places in the 54th percentile for household income and the 30th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
54th
percentile, household income
47th
percentile, home value
32nd
percentile, median rent
30th
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: Norton Shores, MI
Norton Shores is a small city in Michigan, home to 25,000 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $73,390 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.7%. Norton Shores's housing stock carries a median value of $214,000, and the median resident age is 40.1 years. About 33.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 57.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 36 residential building permits were authorized in Norton Shores (Building Boom), up 260% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2075.9 incidents per 100,000 residents, near the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Living costs in Michigan run below the national norm: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Michigan scores 96.2 (Below Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,113 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Michigan's average monthly utility costs around $238 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 49.6 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Norton Shores'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 population change to schools and households to work and mobility to housing and income to comparison shortlist to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Norton Shores, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, annual population history, matched public-school count, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Population change
Is Norton Shores growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
The recent population line is broadly flat. That makes the composition of change more important than the headline count: housing turnover, household size, and age structure can shift even when the total barely moves.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +68 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +0.3% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 36 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
What does the education layer cover for Norton Shores?
The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 33.2% 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.
What does the journey to work look like in Norton Shores?
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 81.1%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Which cities make useful reference points for Norton Shores?
Within Michigan, the closest population matches are Romulus (24,951 residents, $72,235 income); Auburn Hills (24,911 residents, $78,727 income); Walker (25,201 residents, $73,835 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Hastings, NE (25,005 residents); Loma Linda, CA (25,021 residents); Barberton, OH (24,977 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.
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.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Norton Shores?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.9 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 4.7%, 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. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
Household income
$73,390
Home value
$214,000
Value / income
2.9×
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 Norton Shores?
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 2075.9 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, near the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 9% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
1883.9
Violent rate
192.0
Total reported rate
2075.9
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Above median income · poverty 4.7% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
96.2 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Michigan average
C
City profile score · Norton Shores, MI
57/100
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.
Poverty rate B-
4.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share C+
33.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
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.
Household income C-
$73,390
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime D
192 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Norton Shores profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Poverty rate: 67/100 (B-) · 4.7%
Bachelor's+ share: 63/100 (C+) · 33.2%
Cost of living: 57/100 (C) · 96.2 index
Household income: 53/100 (C-) · $73,390
Violent crime: 49/100 (D) · 192 /100k
Where Norton Shores sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Norton Shores'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 - Norton Shores highlighted among 9 peers.Read the chart values
Norton Shores, MI (this city): home $214,000, crime 2,076/100k
Hastings, NE : home $177,200, crime 2,325/100k
Loma Linda, CA : home $557,800, crime 1,878/100k
Barberton, OH : home $120,100, crime 2,380/100k
Newport, RI : home $669,500, crime 1,667/100k
Romulus, MI : home $149,100, crime 2,943/100k
Auburn Hills, MI : home $233,900, crime 2,279/100k
Walker, MI : home $266,400, crime 2,667/100k
Wyandotte, MI : home $159,700, crime 1,064/100k
How does Norton Shores compare to other US cities?
Where Norton Shores sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income54% higher than other cities
Home value47% pricier than other cities
Median rent32% pricier than other cities
Safety30% 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, Norton Shores ranks #186 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 Norton Shores 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 Norton Shores near the bottom of Michigan's cities
Among the 727 Michigan cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Norton Shores ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Norton Shores only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#196 of 718
73rd percentile in Michigan
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 727
0th percentile in Michigan
Median Home Value
#189 of 721
74th percentile in Michigan
Poverty Rate
#486 of 727
33rd percentile in Michigan
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#171 of 727
76th 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
54th percentile nationally for median household income · 30th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Norton Shores's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Norton Shores'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 Norton Shores's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$214,000Among the most affordablemore affordable than 53% 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
Norton Shores's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.9×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#6,232 of 15,516
More affordable than 60% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#792 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 2.9×, Norton Shores sits in the affordable band:
national rank #6,232 of 15,516 and #792 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
$73,390Norton Shores, MI median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Norton Shores, 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 Norton Shores, MI.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)33.2%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)4.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)57.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
25,000
Median Income
$73,390
Median Home Value
$214,000
Median Age
40.1
Poverty Rate
4.7%
Labor force participation
57.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
33.2%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2075.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
192.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1883.9
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.
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
Norton Shores's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
25,020 residents
2021
25,074 residents
2022
24,993 residents
2023
24,967 residents
2024
25,050 residents
2025
25,088 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
36
housing units authorized
Single-Family
36
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1.4
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
10
10
0
$2.9M
2020
11
11
0
$3.2M
2021
23
23
0
$7.6M
2022
17
17
0
$6.3M
2023
22
22
0
$4.8M
2024
36
36
0
$14.2M
Permit volume increased 260% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
81.1%
Carpool
7.8%
Public Transit
0.1%
Walk
0.5%
Work from Home
9.6%
Other
0.9%
Based on 11,269 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 Norton Shores. 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 Norton Shores 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 Norton Shores sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Norton Shores 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, 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.