A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $190 more a month in Ishpeming

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Alma$1,120/mo

Typical home $167K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.72% · or rent about $836/mo · Housing →

Ishpeming$1,310/mo

Typical home $202K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.51% · or rent about $733/mo · Housing →

The difference: $190 a month, about $2,300 a year, between Ishpeming and Alma.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Alma places higher on 12 of 21 MI lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Michigan ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

CAlmaSafer than 34% of U.S. towns BIshpemingSafer than 59% of U.S. towns

Schools

BAlmaBetter than 60% of districts in the state BIshpemingBetter than 62% of districts in the state

Health

C+AlmaHealthier than 42% of U.S. towns CIshpemingHealthier than 31% of U.S. towns

12Alma

8Ishpeming

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 723 towns #14#707 Lowest obesityHealth · 723 towns #260#551 Fastest growingGrowth · 723 towns #377#650 Most conserved landOutdoors · 712 towns #315#547 Most trailsOutdoors · 601 towns #171#1 Most remote workersWork · 714 towns #332#518 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 723 towns #529#353 Lowest depressionHealth · 723 towns #439#610

Left end = #1 in Michigan. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Alma’s rankings →

Where they are

259 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

AlmaMI IshpemingMI

Alma ↔ Ishpeming259 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Michigan average

AlmaIshpeming

People

Population 9,396Highest 6,181Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.1%Highest MI: +2% -5.1%Lowest MI: +2%

Median age 33.1±2.6Lowest 18% below MI 34.8±2.4Highest 13% below MI

Ishpeming and Alma are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 19.3%±3Lowest MI: 21.2% 24.8%±3.9Highest MI: 21.2%

Ishpeming and Alma are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 17.5%±2.8Highest MI: 18.6% 17.2%±2.7Lowest MI: 18.6%

Alma and Ishpeming are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28%Highest MI: 32.4% 27%Lowest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 17.8%±2.1Highest MI: 6.1% 4.2%±2.2Lowest MI: 6.1%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $53,307±$9kHighest 27% below MI $52,754±$5kLowest 28% below MI

Alma and Ishpeming are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $115,900±$15kHighest 50% below MI $111,900±$8kLowest 52% below MI

Alma and Ishpeming are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $836±$39Highest 26% below MI $733±$76Lowest 35% below MI

Alma and Ishpeming are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,991Highest 31% below MI $1,689Lowest 42% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50.7%±13Lowest MI: 50.4% 52.7%±14.4Highest MI: 50.4%

Ishpeming and Alma are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 21.7%Highest MI: 13.2% 18.7%Lowest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 65.9%Lowest MI: 73.2% 69.8%Highest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1964Highest 8 yrs older than MI 1941Lowest 31 yrs older than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 19 minHighest 20% below MI 19 minLowest 22% below MI

Work from home 10.7%±3.9Highest MI: 13.5% 7.5%±2.3Lowest MI: 13.5%

Alma and Ishpeming are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 24.1%Lowest 24.6%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miHighest 12.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.65Highest 1.13Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Mount Pleasant (7%)Marquette (26%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in IshpemingFew work in Alma

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.9%Highest 1.7%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 5.4 miLowest 69.5 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miLowest 7.5 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 13Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 49.2Highest 36.6Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #270 of 493 in MI #281 of 493 in MI

School district Alma Public Schools · Ashley Community SchoolsIshpeming Public School District No. 1

High school in town Alma Senior High SchoolIshpeming High School

Students per teacherat that high school 15.9Highest 12.7Lowest

Michigan average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Alma neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alma’s Town Square.

Ishpeming neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ishpeming’s Town Square.

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Bordering Alma

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Pine River Township2,687 people · $156K homes

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Arcada Township1,684 people · $219K homes

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St. Louis7,367 people · $119K homes

Towns like Alma

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Sault Ste. Marie13,335 people · $139K homes

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Charlotte9,277 people · $154K homes

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Harper Woods15,116 people · $157K homes

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Carrollton Township5,665 people · $82K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Alma vs Ishpeming

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Ishpeming gets 158 more inches of snow a year

A typical home costs $190 more a month in Ishpeming

Alma places higher on 12 of 21 MI lists

259 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Alma and Ishpeming

Bordering Alma

Towns like Alma

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