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%

Ishpeming$1,310/mo

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

Alma$1,120/mo

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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

8Ishpeming

12Alma

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

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

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

Where they are

259 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

IshpemingMI AlmaMI

Ishpeming ↔ Alma259 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

IshpemingAlma

People

Population 6,181Lowest 9,396Highest

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

Median age 34.8±2.4Highest 13% below MI 33.1±2.6Lowest 18% 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 24.8%±3.9Highest MI: 21.2% 19.3%±3Lowest 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+ 17.2%±2.7Lowest MI: 18.6% 17.5%±2.8Highest 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+ 27%Lowest MI: 32.4% 28%Highest MI: 32.4%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $52,754±$5kLowest 28% below MI $53,307±$9kHighest 27% 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 $111,900±$8kLowest 52% below MI $115,900±$15kHighest 50% 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 $733±$76Lowest 35% below MI $836±$39Highest 26% 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 $1,689Lowest 42% below MI $1,991Highest 31% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.7%±14.4Highest MI: 50.4% 50.7%±13Lowest 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 18.7%Lowest MI: 13.2% 21.7%Highest MI: 13.2%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 7.5%±2.3Lowest MI: 13.5% 10.7%±3.9Highest 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 24.6%Highest 24.1%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.8 miLowest 15.8 miHighest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AlmaFew work in Ishpeming

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.7%Lowest 4.9%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 69.5 miHighest 5.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 7.5 miHighest 0.9 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 13Highest

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

Schools

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

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

High school in town Ishpeming High SchoolAlma Senior High School

Students per teacherat that high school 12.7Lowest 15.9Highest

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.

Ishpeming neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ishpeming’s Town Square.

Alma neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alma’s Town Square.

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Bordering Ishpeming

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Ishpeming Township3,416 people · $206K homes

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Tilden Township1,124 people · $143K homes

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Negaunee4,656 people · $170K homes

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West Ishpeming2,851 people · $194K homes

Towns like Ishpeming

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Hastings7,520 people · $175K homes

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Carrollton Township5,665 people · $82K homes

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Fremont4,568 people · $195K homes

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Paw Paw Township6,910 people · $197K 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.

Ishpeming vs Alma

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 Ishpeming and Alma

Bordering Ishpeming

Towns like Ishpeming

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