Midland, MI
Census place 2653780 · pop 42,724
Birthplace and global headquarters of Dow Chemical, founded here by Herbert H. Dow to extract chemicals from local brine.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
5.8% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.47 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.60% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+1.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
90.8% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$73,325 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
10.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
67.1% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,620/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
12.2% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
131 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$203,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
30.8% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
20.6% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
71/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
20 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
44.6% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
674 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
37 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
5.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
Frequently asked
- Is Midland, MI a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Midland scores 60/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is uninsured adults and its weakest is unemployment rate. Michigan overall ranks #42 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Midland, MI?
- Midland reports 131 violent crimes per 100k and 674 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Midland, MI expensive to live in?
- Midland has a median home value of $203,900 and typical rent around $1,620/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Midland, MI?
- Its weakest measured area is unemployment rate (5.8%) — 5/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Midland, MI best at?
- Its strongest measured area is uninsured adults (5.6%) — 88/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Birthplace and global headquarters of Dow Chemical, founded here by Herbert H. Dow to extract chemicals from local brine.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.