City profile · Michigan · Census ACS 2023

Sandusky, MI

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

2,692
Residents
$60,625
Median income
$112,300
Median home
$973
Median rent (state)

Sandusky - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Sandusky lands in the 36th percentile for household income and the 53rd percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

36th
percentile, household income
14th
percentile, home value
12th
percentile, median rent
53rd
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: Sandusky, MI

2,692 people live in Sandusky, Michigan - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Sandusky households earn a median of $60,625 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.6%. Home values in Sandusky run a median of $112,300, and the median resident age is 42.2 years. Educational attainment runs 19.4% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 56.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Sandusky reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1269.1 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA puts Sandusky's yearly average temperature at 46.4°F.

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). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $973 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Michigan's average monthly utility costs around $238 (state average). Workers in Sandusky report an average commute of 19.4 minutes, with 81.8% driving alone and 3.4% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.3 out of 100 (High).

Population

2,692 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Michigan

Median Household Income

$60,625 /yr

Poverty 4.6%

Cost of Living Index (state)

96.2 (US=100)

Below Average - BEA RPP 2024, Michigan average

How does Sandusky compare to other US cities?

Where Sandusky sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 36% higher than other cities
Home value 14% pricier than other cities
Median rent 12% pricier than other cities
Safety 53% 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: Sandusky ranks #130 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 Sandusky'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.

36thIncome percentile
53rdSafety percentile

36th percentile nationally for median household income · 53rd percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Sandusky's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Sandusky'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 59 Avg. percentile National median
Sandusky'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 Sandusky's home value compares nationally

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

$112,300 Among the most affordable more affordable than 86% 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. Sandusky $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 - Sandusky, MI Sandusky, MI's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Sandusky, 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 Sandusky, MI median $60,625/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%
Sandusky, 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 Sandusky, MI. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 19.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 56.7%

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

Population
2,692
Median Income
$60,625
Median Home Value
$112,300
Median Age
42.2
Poverty Rate
4.6%
Labor force participation
56.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
19.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1269.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
149.3
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
1119.8
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
46.4°F
Annual Precipitation
N/A
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
3
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
2,660 residents2,680 residents2,700 residents2,720 residents 202020212022202320242025 2,703 residents 2,664 residents ▼ -1.4%
Sandusky's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
19.4 minutes
Drive Alone
81.8%
Carpool
10.4%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
3.3%
Work from Home
3.4%
Other
1.1%

Based on 1,291 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 Sandusky 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
70.3 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Michigan

East Tawas
2,686 people
Canadian Lakes
2,701 people
Vassar
2,704 people
West Ishpeming
2,714 people
Croswell
2,667 people
Beechwood
2,736 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Sandusky's 2,692 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

La Grange, NC
2,692 people
Evansburg, PA
2,692 people
Chatfield, MN
2,693 people
Whitehall, NY
2,693 people
Hampton, SC
2,691 people
Cleveland, FL
2,690 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Sandusky's $60,625 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Seba Dalkai, AZ
$60,625 median income
Lead Hill, AR
$60,625 median income
Magalia, CA
$60,625 median income
Whitmore, CA
$60,625 median income
Penney Farms, FL
$60,625 median income
Clark Fork, ID
$60,625 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Sandusky, 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 Sandusky, MI - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 91.0% 6.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 6.8% White 91.0% Black or African American 1.6% Asian 0.2% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.8% Two or more races 6.5% 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 Sandusky 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
Sandusky (this city) 2,692 $60,625
East Tawas 2,686 $41,619
Canadian Lakes 2,701 $69,069
Vassar 2,704 $61,827
Census ACS 5-year FIPS MI FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Sandusky, MI?

What is the population of Sandusky, MI? +

Sandusky, MI counts 2,692 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

Median annual household income in Sandusky runs $60,625, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Sandusky? +

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

Sandusky has a total crime rate of 1269.1 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 Sandusky, MI? +

Homes in Sandusky carry a median value of $112,300, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Sandusky? +

Climate normals put Sandusky's yearly average temperature at 46.4°F. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, 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.