Jackson, MI: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 31,309 at the 2020 census. It is served by Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127. It is approximately 65 miles (105 km) east of Kalamazoo, 35 miles (56 km) west of Ann Arbor, 75 miles (121 km) west of Detroit and 35 miles (56 km) south of Lansing. Jackson is the core city of the Jackson metropolitan area, which includes all of Jackson County and has a population of 160,248. The city was founded in 1829 and named after President Andrew Jackson. Michigan's first prison, Michigan State Prison (or Jackson State Prison), opened in 1838 and remains in operation.

Official town website ↗

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

How Jackson ranks

All →

#25Most affordable in MI #46Shortest commute in MI #93Lowest property tax in MI All MI rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code49201, 49202, 49203

Area code517

Living in Jackson

Housing in Jackson

$192K▲ 2.6% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Jackson home is worth about $192,000, up 2.6% in a year, 28% below the Michigan typical home.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s

Days on market44

Sale-to-list98.4%

Sold in May39

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Jackson

D⁻

Safety Grade D-

Jackson reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 97% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Jackson 8.8

Michigan 4.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Jackson 31.4

Michigan 13

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Jackson

D⁻

Health Grade D−

Healthier than 4% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Michigan

1better than MI·25worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 6 are too close to call.

Conditions 1▲ 10▼ 1 close Habits 3▼ 1 close Care 4▼ 3 close Mind 4▼ 1 close Everyday needs 4▼ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

7.5%Fewer adults who have had cancerMI 8.9% · better 18.7%More older adults who have lost all their teethMI 10.2% · worse

Care nearby

Henry Ford Allegiance HealthJackson · 0.8 mi · ER

Center for Family Health DentalJackson · 0.7 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Jackson · CMS · HRSAHealth in Jackson →

Schools in Jackson

All Jackson schools →

C

School Grade C

The public schools Jackson’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 75% of Michigan’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Jackson’s schools compare in MI →

DistrictJackson Public SchoolsSchools17

Cascades Elementary School DElementary · Grades K–5 · 398 students Northeast Elementary School C-Elementary · Grades K–5 · 396 students Hunt Elementary School C-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 366 students Sharp Park Academy B+Elementary · Grades K–5 · 337 students JPS Montessori Center CElementary · Grades K–5 · 146 students Local Based Special Education Early Childhood ProgramsElementary · Grades PK–K

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within MI. Ratings are from neighbors.

Famous people from JacksonWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Jackson.Meet them →