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Shepherd vs Perry

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

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Shepherd, MIOne of the healthiest townsMichigan · 1,457 people
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Perry, MIKnown for its schoolsMichigan · 2,073 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.

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

Shepherd$1,470/mo
Typical home $224K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.57% · or rent about $789/mo · Housing →
Perry$1,760/mo
Typical home $267K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.60% · or rent about $1,091/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
BShepherdSafer than 59% of U.S. towns –PerryNot graded
Schools
–ShepherdNot graded BPerryBetter than 63% of districts in the state
Health
CShepherdHealthier than 34% of U.S. towns C+PerryHealthier than 40% 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
ShepherdPerry
Snow a year39″46″
January low15°F—
July high82°F—
Growing season (days)164d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)35th23rd
Outdoors & history
ShepherdPerry
Trails4 mi2 mi
Conserved land2.4%2.7%
Settled—1893
National Register places—2
Archive photos—6
Community
ShepherdPerry
Library hours a week44 hrs42 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.

ShepherdMIPerryMI
Shepherd ↔ Perry53 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.

ShepherdPerry
People
Population 1,457Lowest 2,073Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -3%Highest MI: +2% -4.4%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 32.9±6.3Lowest 18% below MI 36.3±6.9Highest 10% 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 19.9%±4.7Lowest MI: 21.2% 23%±7.5Highest 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+ 13.1%±2.3Highest MI: 18.6% 11.8%±3.4Lowest 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+ 26.6%Highest MI: 32.4% 23.1%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.2%±3.3Highest MI: 6.1% 1.8%±1.3Lowest MI: 6.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $70,156±$11kLowest 4% below MI $75,321±$19kHighest 3% above 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 $157,000±$10kLowest 32% below MI $164,000±$14kHighest 29% 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 $789±$88Lowest 30% below MI $1,091±$191Highest 3% below MI
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,468Lowest 15% below MI $2,627Highest 10% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.2%±18.9Highest MI: 50.4% 39.5%±22.5Lowest 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 17%Lowest MI: 13.2% 19.1%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 66.4%Highest MI: 73.2% 61.3%Lowest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1964Lowest 8 yrs older than MI 1973Highest 1 yr newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 26% below MI 27 minHighest 12% above MI
Work from home 2.8%±1.2Lowest MI: 13.5% 11.4%±6.3Highest MI: 13.5%
Work in townworking residents 6.9%Lowest 7.3%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.3 miLowest 21.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.75Lowest 0.79Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Mount Pleasant (22%)East Lansing (9%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PerryFew work in Shepherd
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.4%Lowest 2.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 3.8 miHighest 1.5 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 3.8 miHighest 0.6 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 2Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 69.3Highest 32.3Lowest
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.

Shepherd neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Shepherd’s Town Square.

Perry neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Perry’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Shepherd and Perry

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Towns like Shepherd

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Laingsburg1,769 people · $210K homes
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Three Oaks1,503 people · $216K homes
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Kingsley1,785 people · $269K homes
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Onsted1,155 people · $171K 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.

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