Pontiac, MI
Census place 2665440 · pop 62,104
Namesake of the Pontiac automobile, both named for the 18th-century Ottawa war leader Pontiac.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
983 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
20.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$44,329 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
43.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
20.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
24.4% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
46.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
16.1% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
33.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
86.0% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
13.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
96/100 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 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1658 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
45 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 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.8% 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 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.03% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+3.6% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
1 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 24 min · better than most cities
21 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,312/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$121,700 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
Frequently asked
- Is Pontiac, MI a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Pontiac scores 35/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is housing cost and its weakest is violent crime 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 Pontiac, MI?
- Pontiac reports 983 violent crimes per 100k and 1658 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Pontiac, MI expensive to live in?
- Pontiac has a median home value of $121,700 and typical rent around $1,312/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Pontiac, MI?
- Its weakest measured area is violent crime rate (983/100k) — 4/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Pontiac, MI best at?
- Its strongest measured area is housing cost ($121,700) — 92/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Namesake of the Pontiac automobile, both named for the 18th-century Ottawa war leader Pontiac.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.