Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety57#6,723/15,637
Economy44#8,751/15,631
Housing4#14,315/14,977
Health92#1,243/15,609
Healthcare96#627/15,650
Environment28#11,151/15,453
Education95#707/15,649
Infrastructure98#281/15,650
Community88#1,823/15,651
Leisure & amenities73#4,262/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Ann Arbor, Michigan ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Washtenaw County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Dentists · high209 /100k
100/100Michigan 82 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWashtenaw County value
Primary care physicians · high185 /100k
100/100Michigan 81 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWashtenaw County value
Bachelor's degree or higher · high77.9%
99/100Michigan 32.5%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
High school diploma or higher · high97.8%
99/100Michigan 92.1%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Mental health providers · high779 /100k
98/100Michigan 371 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWashtenaw County value
Public transit commuters · high7.2%
96/100Michigan 0.9%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301

Weaknesses

Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.524
2/100Michigan 0.465United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Time spent in the emergency room · high263 min
2/100Michigan 163 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesWashtenaw County value
Rent-burdened households · high60.4%
6/100Michigan 50.4%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Poverty rate · high23.8%
7/100Michigan 13.4%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Rent as share of income · high37.4%
8/100Michigan 30.2%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high9.1 µg/m³
10/100Michigan 8.6 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyWashtenaw County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

New homes permittedImproving
1.8 /1k (2021) → 5.7 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+210%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
53.0% (2015-2019) → 60.4% (2020-2024)
+7.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
31.8% (2015-2019) → 37.4% (2020-2024)
+5.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Median household incomeImproving
$65,745 (2015-2019) → $82,212 (2020-2024)
+25%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
90.1% (2015-2019) → 93.9% (2020-2024)
+3.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateWorsening
9.8% (2015-2019) → 13.2% (2020-2024)
+3.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Ann Arbor, Michigan improved on 2 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 7 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved2

Household income+25%$65,745 → $82,212
Broadband+3.8 points90.1% → 93.9%

Declined5

Rent / income+5.6 points31.8% → 37.4%
Child poverty+3.4 points9.8% → 13.2%
Rent burden+7.4 points53.0% → 60.4%
Transit use−3.3 points10.5% → 7.2%
Price / income+0.6×4.9× → 5.5×

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Ann Arbor, Michigan between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	20.0 min2015-2019	20.0 min2020-2024	−0.1 min	Within the margin of error	48%
Bachelor's degree or higher	76.0%2015-2019	77.9%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Broadband subscriptions	90.1%2015-2019	93.9%2020-2024	+3.8 points	Improved	24%
Child poverty rate	9.8%2015-2019	13.2%2020-2024	+3.4 points	Declined	25%
Effective property tax rate	1.81%2015-2019	1.68%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	43%
High school diploma or higher	97.3%2015-2019	97.9%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Home price to income ratio	4.9×2015-2019	5.5×2020-2024	+0.6×	Declined	42%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5092015-2019	0.5242020-2024	+0.014	Within the margin of error	38%
Median household income	$65,7452015-2019	$82,2122020-2024	+25%	Improved	44%
Poverty rate	22.3%2015-2019	23.8%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Public transit commuters	10.5%2015-2019	7.2%2020-2024	−3.3 points	Declined	10%
Rent as share of income	31.8%2015-2019	37.4%2020-2024	+5.6 points	Declined	20%
Rent-burdened households	53.0%2015-2019	60.4%2020-2024	+7.4 points	Declined	30%
Unemployment rate	3.9%2015-2019	3.9%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	47%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	3.0%2015-2019	2.9%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	47%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Ann Arbor, Michigan five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ann Arbor, Michigan in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Ann Arbor, Michigan itself moved −4.7 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

122,036 residents (±55)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 women (+0.9 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

122,036 residents (±55)

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan share

White66%81,100
Black6.4%7,791
Hispanic or Latino5.5%6,698
Asian16%18,992
American Indian and Alaska Native0.2%†277
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races5.9%7,178

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Other or two or more races (+1.9 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

67,556 residents (±1,079)

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan share

No high school diploma2.1%1,451
High school or GED6.9%4,633
Some college9.4%6,339
Associate degree3.7%2,498
Bachelor's degree30%20,235
Graduate degree48%32,400

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

50,499 households (±906)

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan share

Under $25k19%9,609
$25k–50k14%7,286
$50k–75k14%6,930
$75k–100k9.9%4,976
$100k–150k15%7,639
$150k–200k10.0%5,036
$200k or more18%9,023

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $200k or more (+6.8 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

50,499 households (±906)

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan share

Own45%22,955
Rent55%27,544

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

27,074 households (±880)

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan share

Under $7506.9%1,855
$750–1,0005.7%1,540
$1,000–1,50029%7,867

Home values

22,955 homes (±721)

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan share

Under $150k3.3%758
$150k–250k7.6%1,748
$250k–400k26%6,044

Age of homes

54,399 homes (±880)

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan share

2010 or later9.3%5,057
2000–20096.6%3,580
1980–199921%11,260

Size of homes

54,399 homes (±880)

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan share

Studio4.7%2,544
1 bedroom16%8,945
2 bedrooms29%15,743

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

61,208 workers (±1,653)

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan share

Drive alone43%26,308
Carpool5.2%3,202
Public transit7.2%4,424
Walk13%7,973
Bike2.1%1,294
Work from home29%17,554
Other0.7%†453

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+20.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

43,654 workers (±1,299)

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Michigan share

Under 15 min36%15,522
15–29 min42%18,319
30–44 min13%5,878

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Ann Arbor, MI

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Washtenaw County, the county holding most of Ann Arbor's residents.

Washtenaw County has 8,322 employer establishments, 226 for every 10,000 residents (0.91× the US rate of 248; 0.99× Michigan's), with 158,858 paid employees at an average annual pay of $70,778. The Census Bureau also counts 34,024 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 8,322; 34,024 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 226; US 248 · Michigan 228
Paid employees: 158,858
Average annual pay: $70,778; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Washtenaw County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	741	20.1	0.97×About typical	11,496	$85,124	2,538
Restaurants and other eating places	681	18.5	1.01×About typical	13,303	$24,395	100
Specialty trade contractors	339	9.2	0.60×Fewer than typical	2,864	$78,799	1,419
Lessors of real estate	338	9.2	0.75×Fewer than typical	1,793	$64,239	3,098
Limited-service restaurants	303	8.2	1.03×About typical	5,245	$21,132	47
Full-service restaurants	293	8	1.04×About typical	6,853	$27,559	35
Management, scientific and technical consulting	272	7.4	1.10×About typical	2,031	$107,452	2,571
Offices of other health practitioners	258	7	1.15×About typical	1,739	$47,095	1,413
Services to buildings and dwellings	240	6.5	0.97×About typical	2,387	$43,290	1,555
Construction of buildings	214	5.8	0.77×Fewer than typical	1,196	$65,294	772
Religious organizations	209	5.7	1.02×About typical	1,520	$27,625	—
Computer systems design and related services	204	5.5	1.28×More than typical	2,604	$117,270	585

Rank places for an industry Open Washtenaw County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 367,845 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $89.8M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Ann Arbor, Michigan: $736 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $89.8M; +27% vs FY2025
Per resident: $736; US $1,994
Sole-source: 16%; US 30%
Single offer: 9.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Defense Logistics Agency$32.8M36%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$8.4M9.3%
Department of Veterans Affairs$7.9M8.8%
National Institutes of Health$7.3M8.2%
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office$5.4M6.0%
Department of the Army$3.4M3.8%
Environmental Protection Agency$3.4M3.8%
Department of the Navy$3.2M3.6%

Top recipients

AVFUEL CORP$31.7M35%
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN$29.3M33%
CPA GLOBAL (LANDON IP) INC$5.1M5.7%
TETRA TECH/MASON & HANGER JOINT VENTURE$3.4M3.8%
FLEXSYS INC$1.3M1.4%

Spending by fiscal year

82MFY2017
86.5MFY2018
75.8MFY2019
86.7MFY2020
61MFY2021
75MFY2022
83MFY2023
78.5M

Top industries (NAICS)

Petroleum and coal products manufacturing · 3241$31.7M35%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$12.2M14%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$8.8M9.8%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$6.8M7.6%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$6M6.6%

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in Ann Arbor, Michigan

MIDS IDIQ TASK ORDER AWARD FOR KIDNEY DISEASE QUALITY MEASURE DEVELOPMENT, MAINTENANCE, AND SUPPORT$13.9M
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN· Washtenaw County, MI· Professional services· Aug 24, 2023 – Aug 19, 2026· 75FCMC23F0001
DRAGONFLY MASS SPECTROMETER (DRAMS), ELECTRONICS MODULES (EM)$10M
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN· Washtenaw County, MI· Research & development· Mar 25, 2021 – Aug 31, 2026· 80GSFC21C0037
ICE CONTROL ENHANCEMENT WITH CLOSED LOOP MOLECULAR DESIGN$8.4M
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN· Washtenaw County, MI· Research & development· Jan 25, 2024 – Jan 22, 2026· HR001124C0315

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Ann Arbor, Michigan, so they do not add up across cities.

Ann Arbor, Michigan's figures are part of those of Washtenaw County, MI ($370.3M in FY2026), never added to them: 24% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Ann Arbor is mostly in Washtenaw County.

See federal money in Washtenaw County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Ann Arbor, Michigan is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Debbie DingellD-MI-6 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 3.1%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Washtenaw County82100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Ann Arbor, MI86

Other cities and towns in Washtenaw County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/2603000

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends