M-27-Au Sable River Bridge · National Register of Historic Places
Grayling’s story
Grayling in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →GraylingMI
A town of 1,671. Nearly 10.6% of it is conserved land.
Population
1,671
−0.9% since 2010
Median home value
$161K
Census ACS
Household income
$33K
median
Median age
43.4
years
Jobs based here
1,822
A job hub
What makes Grayling stand out
The 3 things Grayling does most differently from other towns.
2 miof trails
Outdoors
#17 most trails in MI
1.9 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves
10.6% of the town is conserved land.
1,822jobs here
Work
1,822 jobs
based in Grayling, a regional job hub
27% of working residents work in town.
B+School Grade
Schools
Better than 73%
of MI districts
School Grade B+.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,662 people come to Grayling for work
Where Grayling’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,822jobs based in Grayling
27%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
Grayling’s report card
Now in Grayling
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Grayling is #711 of 719 in MI for “Longest growing season”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Grayling’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →63°
Cloudy
H 67° · L 43°
Local news
All →- Bath vs Grayling - Boys Varsity Football 10/16/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 29
- Grayling vs Oscoda - Boys Varsity Soccer 09/28/2026 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 28
- Game Recap: Varsity Football Kingsley Area High School vs. Grayling High SchoolNFHS Network · Sep 28
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Grayling. Another town gets a different order.
Outdoors
10.6% of Grayling is conserved land
1.9 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
#17for trails in MI
10.6%
conserved · 140 of 1,324 acres
1.9 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
#37
most conserved land in MI
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit | — | 36 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Work & commute
About one in four working residents works right in Grayling
About one in 4 of Grayling’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Grayling (14%), Traverse City (6%) and Beaver Creek (3%). Half commute less than 23 miles.
27%work in town
Where working residents work
In Grayling27%
Grayling14%
Traverse City6%
Beaver Creek3%
Gaylord3%
23 mi
median commute distance
1,822
jobs based in Grayling
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACSCommute map →
Schools
Grayling’s public schools outperform 73% of Michigan districts
The public schools Grayling’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 73% of Michigan’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
B+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grayling Elementary School | PK–4 | 624 | B |
| Grayling Middle School | 5–8 | 450 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduationAll 2 schools →
Health
Healthier than 28% of U.S. towns
Grayling beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
CHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better25 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Grayling | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.1% | 10.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.4% | 8.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.7% | 7% |
Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital
0.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
33rd
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Grayling has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 88 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
88″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–29°
Spring30–54°
Summer53–78°
Fall37–57°
Sep 27
typical first frost
May 23
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 37% of U.S. towns
Grayling reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 63% report less.
C+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Grayling4.6
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Grayling17.2
Michigan13
U.S.15.5
37th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
36th
percentile among MI towns
9
violent crimes reported in 2025
34
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 40% of U.S. communities.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesLightning
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
About Grayling
City in Michigan, United States
Grayling ( GRAY-ling) is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the only incorporated community in Crawford County. As of the 2020 census, Grayling had a population of 1,867. The city is surrounded by Grayling Charter Township, but the two are administered autonomously. The city is located in the middle of the Northern Michigan region at the junctions of Interstate 75, U.S. Route 127, M-72, and M-93. Grayling is well known for hosting the Au Sable River Canoe Marathon in July of every year since 1947. The city is named after the grayling species of fish once abundant in the Au Sable River, although the species has been extirpated in Michigan si…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 1,867
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,138 ft
- ZIP code
- 49738, 49739
- Area code
- 989