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Perry vs Shepherd

53 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (+38% in Perry) and trails (2.5× in Shepherd).

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Perry, MIKnown for its schoolsMichigan · 2,073 people
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Shepherd, MIOne of the healthiest townsMichigan · 1,457 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

PerryKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 63%of MI districts All about Perry →
ShepherdOne of the healthiest towns
Health66% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Shepherd →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Rent+38%
Rent runs higher in Perry
Perry $1,091Shepherd $789
Trails2.5×
Shepherd has more miles of trail
Shepherd 3.8 miPerry 1.5 mi
Street grid2.1×
Shepherd has the more walkable street grid
Shepherd 69.3Perry 32.3
Average commute9 min
Shepherd has the shorter commute
Perry 27 minShepherd 18 min
Work from home+8.6 pts
More people work from home in Perry
Perry 11.4%Shepherd 2.8%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $290 more a month in Perry

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.

Perry$1,760/mo
Typical home $267K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.60% · or rent about $1,091/mo · Housing →
Shepherd$1,470/mo
Typical home $224K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.57% · or rent about $789/mo · Housing →

The difference: $290 a month, about $3,500 a year, between Perry and Shepherd.

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

Grades and rankings, side by side

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
–PerryNot graded BShepherdSafer than 59% of U.S. towns
Schools
BPerryBetter than 63% of districts in the state –ShepherdNot graded
Health
C+PerryHealthier than 40% of U.S. towns CShepherdHealthier than 34% of U.S. towns
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
PerryShepherd
Snow a year46″39″
January low—15°F
July high—82°F
Growing season (days)—164d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)23rd35th
Outdoors & history
PerryShepherd
Trails2 mi4 mi
Conserved land2.7%2.4%
National Register places2—
Archive photos6—
Community
PerryShepherd
Library hours a week42 hrs44 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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.

Where they are

53 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PerryMIShepherdMI
Perry ↔ Shepherd53 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.

PerryShepherd
People
Population 2,073Highest 1,457Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.4%Lowest MI: +2% -3%Highest MI: +2%
Median age 36.3±6.9Highest 10% below MI 32.9±6.3Lowest 18% below MI
Perry and Shepherd are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23%±7.5Highest MI: 21.2% 19.9%±4.7Lowest MI: 21.2%
Perry and Shepherd are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 11.8%±3.4Lowest MI: 18.6% 13.1%±2.3Highest MI: 18.6%
Shepherd and Perry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.1%Lowest MI: 32.4% 26.6%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.8%±1.3Lowest MI: 6.1% 8.2%±3.3Highest MI: 6.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $75,321±$19kHighest 3% above MI $70,156±$11kLowest 4% below MI
Perry and Shepherd are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $164,000±$14kHighest 29% below MI $157,000±$10kLowest 32% below MI
Perry and Shepherd are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,091±$191Highest 3% below MI $789±$88Lowest 30% below MI
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,627Highest 10% below MI $2,468Lowest 15% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 39.5%±22.5Lowest MI: 50.4% 46.2%±18.9Highest MI: 50.4%
Shepherd and Perry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 19.1%Highest MI: 13.2% 17%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 61.3%Lowest MI: 73.2% 66.4%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1973Highest 1 yr newer than MI 1964Lowest 8 yrs older than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minHighest 12% above MI 18 minLowest 26% below MI
Work from home 11.4%±6.3Highest MI: 13.5% 2.8%±1.2Lowest MI: 13.5%
Work in townworking residents 7.3%Highest 6.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miHighest 9.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.79Highest 0.75Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town East Lansing (9%)Mount Pleasant (22%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ShepherdFew work in Perry
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.7%Highest 2.4%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 1.5 miLowest 3.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miLowest 3.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 5Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 32.3Lowest 69.3Highest
Schools
School district Perry Public Schools—
High school in town Perry Secondary Campus Home to Perry Middle Perry High Sc—
Students per teacherat that high school 17.1 —
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.

Perry neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Perry’s Town Square.

Shepherd neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Shepherd’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Perry and Shepherd

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Perry

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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.

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