Vista Theater · National Register of Historic Places
Ely’s story
Ely in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →ElyMI
A town of 1,843.
Population
1,843
−2.7% since 2010
Median home value
$196K
Census ACS
Household income
$100K
median
Median age
39.7
years
Jobs based here
126
A commuter town
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Ely for work
Where Ely’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
126jobs based in Ely
2%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
Ely’s report card
Now in Ely
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Residents weigh in
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Your answer becomes a post in Ely’s Town Square.
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Ely. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Ely
Most working residents leave Ely for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are Ishpeming (32%), Marquette (19%) and Ishpeming (8%). Half commute less than 16 miles.
2%work in town
Where working residents work
In Ely2%
Ishpeming32%
Marquette19%
Ishpeming8%
Negaunee4%
16 mi
median commute distance
126
jobs based in Ely
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACSCommute map →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with cold waves at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 26% of U.S. communities.
26risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingHail
1
paid flood claims since 2023
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Ely has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 4°, and about 118 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
118″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter6–24°
Spring25–49°
Summer50–75°
Fall33–52°
Sep 10
typical first frost
Jun 5
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Health
Healthier than 42% of U.S. towns
Ely beats the Michigan average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Michigan
4 better23 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Ely | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.6% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.9% | 15.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.2% | 10.2% |
Bell Hospital
8.3 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
56th
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
5.6% of Ely is conserved land
102 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves.
5.6%conserved
5.6%
conserved · 5,031 of 89,414 acres
102 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South) | 36.6 mi | 25,793 |
| 2. Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit | 1 mi | 2,009 |
| 3. South Ely Township Park | 0.3 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
About Ely
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Ely Township is a civil township of Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,900 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 1,900
- Area
- 141 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,411 ft
Ely’s neighbors
7 towns share a border with Ely.
TildenHumboldtChampionIshpemingWest BranchFelchSagolaEly