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Ishpeming Municipal Building 2009

IshpemingMI

A town of 6,181. More miles of trail than almost any town in Michigan.

4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
6,181
−5.1% since 2010
Median home value
$112K
Census ACS
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
34.8
years
Jobs based here
2,764
Balanced

What makes Ishpeming stand out

The 3 things Ishpeming does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Ishpeming’s report card

See the data ↓

Now in Ishpeming

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Ishpeming is #1 of 598 in MI for “Most trails”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Ishpeming’s Town Square.
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The data

Ordered by what stands out in Ishpeming. Another town gets a different order.

Outdoors

1.7% of Ishpeming is conserved land

70 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves. More trails than any other town in Michigan.

#1for trails in MI
1.7%
conserved · 102 of 5,946 acres
70 mi
of trails · 7.5 per sq mi
#230
most walkable in MI
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. RAMBA Trailhead - The HOB0.3 mi4
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Housing

Homes in Ishpeming sell for about $218K

The median sale price was $218,000 in May 2026.

$218Kmedian sale price
4
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Work & commute

About one in four working residents works right in Ishpeming

About one in 4 of Ishpeming’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Marquette (26%), Negaunee (5%) and Ishpeming (4%). Half commute less than 13 miles.

25%work in town

Where working residents work

In Ishpeming25%
Marquette26%
Negaunee5%
Ishpeming4%
Marquette4%
13 mi
median commute distance
2,764
jobs based in Ishpeming
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACSCommute map →
Schools

Ishpeming’s public schools outperform 62% of Michigan districts

The public schools Ishpeming’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 62% of Michigan’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

BSchool Grade
SchoolGradesStudentsGrade
Birchview SchoolPK–4233B
Ishpeming Middle School5–8185B−
Ishpeming High School9–12172B−
IshpemingNegauneeNICE Comm Ed Division7–1222Not graded
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduationAll 4 schools →
Natural hazards

Low risk, with cold waves at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 28% of U.S. communities.

28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
28Low riskLowerHigher
Cold wavesInland floodingHail
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Health

Healthier than 31% of U.S. towns

Ishpeming beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3.

CHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better29 too close to call3 worse
What stands outIshpemingMI
More older adults who have lost all their teeth16.9%10.2%
More adults with COPD9.8%8.1%
More adults with heart disease7.9%7%
Bell Hospital
2.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
39th
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Climate

Snowy winters, pleasant summers

Ishpeming has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 197 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

197″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter8–24°
Spring26–49°
Summer51–75°
Fall34–52°
Sep 25
typical first frost
May 26
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 59% of U.S. towns

Ishpeming reports less crime per resident than 59% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

BSafety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Ishpeming1.9
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Ishpeming3.9
Michigan13
U.S.15.5
59th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
57th
percentile among MI towns
12
violent crimes reported in 2025
24
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Ishpeming Michigan statue
1884 · Ishpeming Michigan statue · Wikimedia Commons
Ishpeming’s story

Ishpeming in pictures

12 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 6 places on the National Register.

Island Lake, near Ishpeming, MichIsland Lake near Ishpeming, MichOn the eleven mile drive near Ishpeming, Mich., birch drive
Explore the history →

Landmarks

6 places in Ishpeming on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Famous people from Ishpeming

13 notable people were born in Ishpeming.

See all 13 →

About Ishpeming

City in Michigan, United States

Official town website ↗

Ishpeming ( ISH-pə-ming) is a city in Marquette County, Michigan, United States. Located in the Upper Peninsula, the population was 6,140 at the 2020 census, less than it was in the 1950s and 1960s when the iron ore mines employed more workers. A statue of a Native American figure, erected in 1884 in the small town square, is referred to as Old Ish. Ishpeming Township is located to the northwest of the city but is administratively autonomous. Ishpeming is considered the birthplace of organized skiing in the United States and is home to the National Ski Hall of Fame. The city was also prominently featured in the 2010 documentary Catfish. The name Ishpeming comes from Ojibwa ishpiming 'above.…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Population
6,140
Area
9.4 sq mi
Elevation
1,407 ft
ZIP code
49849
Area code
906

Ishpeming’s neighbors

4 towns share a border with Ishpeming.

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More about Ishpeming

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Photo of Ishpeming

Ishpeming, MI · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source ↗