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Place dossier plate
SheetMI-SWARTZ-CREEK-MI · Swartz Creek, MI 5,856 pop · income 55th 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 Swartz Creek
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Swartz Creek on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Buena Vista · lowest
38,835
Buena Vista · lowest
38,835 median HH income
29.4% of the leader · rank #1
Talladega Spr… · near
73,854
Talladega Spr… · near
73,854 median HH income
55.9% of the leader · rank #2
Swartz Creek · this city
73,862
Swartz Creek · this city
73,862 median HH income
55.9% of the leader · rank #3
Thedford · near
73,867
Thedford · near
73,867 median HH income
55.9% of the leader · rank #4
Grandview · near
73,867
Grandview · near
73,867 median HH income
55.9% of the leader · rank #5
Oxford · near
73,869
Oxford · near
73,869 median HH income
55.9% of the leader · rank #6
Rincon Valley · highest
132,167
Rincon Valley · highest
132,167 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
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Swartz Creek on ACS population and median household income
. 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: 5,856.
Nationally, Swartz Creek sits in the 55th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.
55th
percentile, household income
33rd
percentile, home value
32nd
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Swartz Creek, MI
5,856 people live in Swartz Creek, Michigan - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Swartz Creek report a median income of $73,862 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.1%. Swartz Creek's housing stock carries a median value of $168,900, and the median resident age is 45.8 years. Educational attainment runs 21.5% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 54.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 6 residential building permits were authorized in Swartz Creek (Building Boom), up 200% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data.
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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,113 monthly. 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 Swartz Creek'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 housing and income to comparison shortlist to work and mobility to schools and households to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Swartz Creek, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, local building permits, annual population history, commute-mode shares.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Swartz Creek?
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.
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 2.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 5.1%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Which cities make useful reference points for Swartz Creek?
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.
Within Michigan, the closest population matches are Petoskey (5,851 residents, $71,783 income); Richmond (5,839 residents, $61,715 income); Buena Vista (5,904 residents, $38,835 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Bartonville, IL (5,854 residents); Harris Hill, NY (5,853 residents); Steele Creek, AK (5,861 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.
What does the journey to work look like in Swartz Creek?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 83.6%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
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.
What does the education layer cover for Swartz Creek?
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.
The NCES join finds 1 public school within the city match. 21.5% 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.
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.
Population change
Is Swartz Creek growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -59 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -1.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 6 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
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.
2020 estimate
5,886
2025 estimate
5,827
Period change
-1.0%
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Above median income · poverty 5.1% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
96.2 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Michigan average
C-
City profile score · Swartz Creek, MI
54/100
4 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-
5.1%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
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-
$73,862
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share F
21.5%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Violent crime N/A
N/A
No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).
Swartz Creek profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Poverty rate: 65/100 (B-) · 5.1%
Cost of living: 57/100 (C) · 96.2 index
Household income: 53/100 (C-) · $73,862
Bachelor's+ share: 39/100 (F) · 21.5%
How does Swartz Creek compare to other US cities?
Where Swartz Creek sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income55% higher than other cities
Home value33% pricier than other cities
Median rent32% pricier than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Swartz Creek 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 Swartz Creek near the bottom of Michigan's cities
Among the 727 Michigan cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Swartz Creek ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Swartz Creek only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#188 of 718
74th percentile in Michigan
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 727
0th percentile in Michigan
Median Home Value
#306 of 721
58th percentile in Michigan
Poverty Rate
#472 of 727
35th percentile in Michigan
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#318 of 727
56th 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
55th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
How Swartz Creek's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$168,900Among the most affordablemore affordable than 67% 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
Swartz Creek's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.3×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#2,877 of 15,516
More affordable than 81% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,662 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 2.3×, Swartz Creek sits in the affordable band:
national rank #2,877 of 15,516 and #2,662 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
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
$73,862Swartz Creek, MI median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Swartz Creek, 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 Swartz Creek, MI.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)21.5%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)5.1%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)54.7%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
5,856
Median Income
$73,862
Median Home Value
$168,900
Median Age
45.8
Poverty Rate
5.1%
Labor force participation
54.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
21.5%
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
Swartz Creek's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
5,886 residents
2021
5,871 residents
2022
5,834 residents
2023
5,834 residents
2024
5,829 residents
2025
5,827 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
6
housing units authorized
Single-Family
6
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
1
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
2
2
0
$0.4M
2020
6
6
0
$1.2M
2021
10
7
3
$2.1M
2022
6
6
0
$1.2M
2023
3
3
0
$0.6M
2024
6
6
0
$1.5M
Permit volume increased 200% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
83.6%
Carpool
3.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.8%
Work from Home
12.1%
Based on 2,665 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 Swartz Creek. 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 Swartz Creek 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 Swartz Creek sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Swartz Creek 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, 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.