City profile · Michigan · Census ACS 2023

Owosso, MI

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

14,658
Residents
$53,702
Median income
$121,500
Median home
$1,066
Median rent (state)

Owosso - the verdict

Nationally, Owosso sits in the 25th percentile for household income and the 41st percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

25th
percentile, household income
18th
percentile, home value
26th
percentile, median rent
41st
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: Owosso, MI

Michigan's Owosso is a small town, with 14,658 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Owosso households earn a median of $53,702 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.7%. Home values in Owosso run a median of $121,500, and the median resident age is 38.1 years. Educational attainment runs 19.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 59.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 5 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 62% from five years earlier. Owosso reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 1636.5 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).

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). Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,066 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $238 across Michigan, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 21.9 minutes, with 79.6% driving alone and 5.5% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 62.2 out of 100 (Moderate).

Population

14,658 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Michigan

Median Household Income

$53,702 /yr

Poverty 11.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

96.2 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Michigan average

How does Owosso compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 25% higher than other cities
Home value 18% pricier than other cities
Median rent 26% pricier than other cities
Safety 41% 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: Owosso ranks #164 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 Owosso'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.

25thIncome percentile
41stSafety percentile

25th percentile nationally for median household income · 41st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Owosso's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Owosso'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 48 Avg. percentile National median
Owosso'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 Owosso's home value compares nationally

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

$121,500 Among the most affordable more affordable than 82% 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. Owosso $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 - Owosso, MI Owosso, MI's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Owosso, 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 Owosso, MI median $53,702/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%
Owosso, 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 Owosso, MI. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 19.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 59.6%

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

Population
14,658
Median Income
$53,702
Median Home Value
$121,500
Median Age
38.1
Poverty Rate
11.7%
Labor force participation
59.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
19.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1636.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
563.8
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1072.7
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.

Schools

Total Schools
7
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
14,400 residents14,500 residents14,600 residents14,700 residents14,800 residents 202020212022202320242025 14,687 residents 14,437 residents ▼ -1.7%
Owosso's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
5
housing units authorized
Single-Family
3
detached homes
Multifamily
2
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 13
2020 8
2021 2
2022 3
2023 5
2024 5

Permit volume decreased 62% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
21.9 minutes
Drive Alone
79.6%
Carpool
10.7%
Public Transit
0.5%
Walk
2.6%
Work from Home
5.5%
Other
1.1%

Based on 7,078 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 Owosso sits in

Cost of Living Index
96.2
Below Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,066/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
62.2 / 100
Moderate
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Michigan

Fraser
14,604 people
Hazel Park
14,945 people
Berkley
15,084 people
Harper Woods
15,205 people
Northview
15,225 people
Coldwater
13,847 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Owosso's 14,658 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Black Forest, CO
14,658 people
Gladeview, FL
14,657 people
Thonotosassa, FL
14,660 people
Greendale, WI
14,656 people
Lakeland North, WA
14,664 people
Sterling, IL
14,670 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Owosso's $53,702 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Mora, MN
$53,704 median income
Brainerd, MN
$53,705 median income
Gallant, AL
$53,698 median income
Alexis, NC
$53,708 median income
Morris, IN
$53,710 median income
New Salisbury, IN
$53,711 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Owosso, 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 Owosso, MI - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 94.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.5% White 94.7% Black or African American 1.0% Asian 0.2% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.4% Two or more races 3.4% 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 Owosso 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
Owosso (this city) 14,658 $53,702
Fraser 14,604 $61,118
Hazel Park 14,945 $62,878
Berkley 15,084 $113,103
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MI FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Owosso, MI?

What is the population of Owosso, MI? +

14,658 people live in Owosso, MI according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Owosso households earn a median of $53,702 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Owosso? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Owosso; 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 Owosso, MI safe? +

Owosso has a total crime rate of 1636.5 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 Owosso, MI? +

A typical home in Owosso is worth $121,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

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 Editorial

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

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.