Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Station · National Register of Historic Places
Petoskey’s story
Petoskey in pictures
38 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →
PetoskeyMI
A town of 5,856. Home to 38 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Todd Van Hoosear · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
5,856
+3.7% since 2010
Typical home
$475K
+6.7% in a year
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
41.0
years
Jobs based here
6,201
A job hub
What makes Petoskey stand out
The 3 things Petoskey does most differently from other towns.
Chesapeake & Ohio Railway StationHistory
38 historic places
38 places on the National Register
Listed for their history, architecture or both.
Outdoors
#2 most trails in MI
29 miles of trails across 21 parks and preserves
18% of the town is conserved land.
6,201jobs here
Work
6,201 jobs
based in Petoskey, a regional job hub
32% of working residents work in town.
Get outside
29 miles of trails in Petoskey
18% of the town is conserved land, across 21 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Petoskey’s report card
Outdoors29 mi#2 for trails in MICommute5 miHalf of commuters travel lessHousing$475K78% above the MI typical homeSchoolsA−Beats 83% of MI districtsHealthA−Healthier than 84% of U.S. townsHazards0/100Very low risk of storm & flood damageSafetyB+Less crime than 74% of U.S. townsClimate76°/15°Summer high · winter low · 124″ snow
Now in Petoskey
What neighbors are saying. Town Square →
Residents weigh in
Petoskey is #2 of 598 in MI for “Most trails”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Petoskey’s Town Square.
TT Weaver · 1w · Town talk
Free Afternoon Fun
With our average commute being just 15 minutes, it's easy to find some extra time to spend with the kids or take the dog out on a beautiful…
Or start one of these
Weather
Forecast →66°
Mostly Cloudy
H 0° · L 50°
Local news
All →- Petoskey vs Sault Ste Marie - Girls Freshman Basketball 01/26/2027 | Watch Live & On Demandnfhsnetwork.com · Sep 29
- Petoskey vs Traverse City - Girls Varsity Basketball 01/19/2027 | Watch Live & On Demandnfhsnetwork.com · Sep 28
- Petoskey vs Traverse City - Boys Varsity Basketball 02/16/2027 | Watch Live & On Demandnfhsnetwork.com · Sep 28
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Petoskey. Another town gets a different order.
Outdoors
18% of Petoskey is conserved land
29 miles of trails across 21 parks and preserves.
#2for trails in MI
18%
conserved · 610 of 3,390 acres
29 mi
of trails · 5.5 per sq mi
#50
most conserved land in MI
#121
most walkable in MI
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bear River Valley Recreation Area | 1.9 mi | 35 |
| 2. East Park | 0.9 mi | 36 |
| 3. Petoskey Winter Sports Park | 0.7 mi | 39 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Petoskey
About one in 3 of Petoskey’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Bear Creek (12%), Little Traverse (5%) and Resort (4%). Half commute less than 5 miles.
32%work in town
Where working residents work
In Petoskey32%
Bear Creek12%
Little Traverse5%
Resort4%
Traverse City3%
5 mi
median commute distance
6,201
jobs based in Petoskey
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
A typical Petoskey home is worth about $475K
The typical Petoskey home is worth about $475,000, up 6.7% in a year, 78% above the Michigan typical home.
$475KZillow home value
Typical home value
Petoskey$475K
Michigan$266K
+6.7%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Schools
Petoskey’s public schools outperform 83% of Michigan districts
The public schools Petoskey’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 83% of Michigan’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
A−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheridan School | K–5 | 252 | A− |
| Ottawa Elementary School | PK–5 | 250 | B+ |
| Lincoln School | K–5 | 237 | A |
| Central Elementary School | K–5 | 234 | B+ |
| St. Francis Xavier School Private | PK–8 | 290 | |
| Petoskey Middle School | 6–8 | 561 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduationAll 8 schools →
Health
Healthier than 84% of U.S. towns
Petoskey beats the Michigan average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
A−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Michigan
16 better15 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Petoskey | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.9% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.5% | 11.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 8.9% |
Mclaren Northern Michigan
2.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
94th
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
Very low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 0% of U.S. communities.
0risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 2014
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 74% of U.S. towns
Petoskey reports less crime per resident than 74% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
B+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Petoskey1.6
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Petoskey5
Michigan13
U.S.15.5
74th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
75th
percentile among MI towns
9
violent crimes reported in 2025
29
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Petoskey has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 124 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
124″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–30°
Spring31–50°
Summer56–75°
Fall41–56°
Oct 20
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
College town
North Central Michigan College calls Petoskey home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Landmarks
38 places in Petoskey on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Petoskey
City in Michigan, United States
Petoskey ( pə-TOSS-kee) is the largest city in and the county seat of Emmet County, Michigan, and is the largest settlement within the county. Petoskey has a population of 5,877 at the 2020 census, up from 5,670 at the 2010 census. Petoskey is part of Northern Michigan, and is one of the northernmost cities in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Petoskey is located on the southern shore of Little Traverse Bay, a bay of Lake Michigan. Petoskey sits directly across the bay from Harbor Springs, another Emmet County city. Petoskey is a popular Midwestern resort town. Petoskey lends its name to the Petoskey stone, a fossilized coral that is the state stone of Michigan.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 5,877
- Area
- 5.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 663 ft
- ZIP code
- 49770
- Area code
- 231
Petoskey’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Petoskey.
Bear CreekResortBay ShoreBay ViewPetoskey
More about Petoskey
Still missing for Petoskey:archive photosupcoming events