City · Sanilac County, Michigan

Croswell, Michigan

Croswell is a city in Sanilac County, Michigan. It has 2,488 residents. Croswell, Michigan has a quality-of-life score of 31 out of 100 (low), ranking #10,866 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Michigan it ranks #311 of 444 cities and towns. It ranks best on job growth (high), property crime rate (low) and homicide rate (low). It ranks worst on pharmacies (low), bachelor's degree or higher (low) and access to exercise opportunities (low).

31Low

Quality-of-life score: #10,866 of 15,651 cities and towns
Michigan: #311 of 444 in MI
Population: 2,488 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 1,055.5 /mi²
FIPS code: 2618920

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety82#2,766/15,637
Economy21#12,342/15,631
Housing43#8,557/14,977
Health22#12,236/15,609
Healthcare24#11,834/15,650
Environment64#5,533/15,453
Education19#12,749/15,649
Infrastructure24#11,919/15,650
Community45#8,609/15,651
Leisure & amenities50#7,777/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Croswell, Michigan ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Sanilac 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

Job growth · high6.0%
99/100Michigan 0.3%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataSanilac County value
Property crime rate · low329 /100k
96/100Michigan 1,259 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationSanilac County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Michigan 4.7 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataSanilac County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low111 min
92/100Michigan 163 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesSanilac County value
Public libraries · high2.0 /10k
91/100Michigan 0.7 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesSanilac County value
Drought exposure · low3%
89/100Michigan 13%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAASanilac County value

Weaknesses

Pharmacies · low0.3 /10k
2/100Michigan 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsSanilac County value
Bachelor's degree or higher · low7.9%
4/100Michigan 32.5%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Access to exercise opportunities · low40.5%
6/100Michigan 85.7%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteSanilac County value
Unemployment rate · high11.6%
6/100Michigan 5.2%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Depression · high29.2%
8/100Michigan 26.5%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Suicide rate · high24.8 /100k
9/100Michigan 14.5 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataSanilac County value

Trends

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

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
75.2% (2015-2019) → 89.8% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
51.0% (2015-2019) → 63.1% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.0× (2015-2019) → 2.7× (2020-2024)
+38%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Unemployment rateWorsening
5.1% (2015-2019) → 11.6% (2020-2024)
+6.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$41,887 (2015-2019) → $55,081 (2020-2024)
+31%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
High school diploma or higherImproving
82.5% (2015-2019) → 88.3% (2020-2024)
+5.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%

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, Croswell, Michigan improved on 3 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 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.

Improved3

Property tax−0.9 points1.65% → 0.72%
Broadband+15 points75.2% → 89.8%
Household income+31%$41,887 → $55,081

Declined1

Price / income+0.8×2.0× → 2.7×

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Croswell, Michigan between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	30.6 min2015-2019	26.3 min2020-2024	−4.3 min	Within the margin of error	87%
Bachelor's degree or higher	11.8%2015-2019	7.9%2020-2024	−3.8 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Broadband subscriptions	75.2%2015-2019	89.8%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	78%
Child poverty rate	23.2%2015-2019	27.3%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Effective property tax rate	1.65%2015-2019	0.72%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Improved	99%
High school diploma or higher	82.5%2015-2019	88.3%2020-2024	+5.8 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	+0.8×	Declined	33%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4002015-2019	0.3952020-2024	−0.005	Within the margin of error	55%
Median household income	$41,8872015-2019	$55,0812020-2024	+31%	Improved	59%
Poverty rate	20.0%2015-2019	17.1%2020-2024	−3 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Rent as share of income	30.2%2015-2019	33.8%2020-2024	+3.6 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Rent-burdened households	51.0%2015-2019	63.1%2020-2024	+12 points	Within the margin of error	19%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.6%2015-2019	5.8%2020-2024	−1.8 points	Within the margin of error	67%

“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 Croswell, Michigan five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Croswell, 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, Croswell, Michigan itself moved +2.9 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

2,488 residents (±339)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

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

Household income

1,065 households (±135)

Croswell, Michigan
Michigan share

Under $25k26%†280
$25k–50k15%†165
$50k–75k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

1,065 households (±135)

Croswell, Michigan
Michigan share

Own73%773
Rent27%†292

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

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

1,104 workers (±185)

Croswell, Michigan
Michigan share

Drive alone79%868
Carpool4.9%†54
Public transit0.0%0

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 Sanilac County, the county holding most of Croswell's residents.

Sanilac County has 848 employer establishments, 210 for every 10,000 residents (0.85× the US rate of 248; 0.92× Michigan's), with 8,997 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,409. The Census Bureau also counts 3,198 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 848; 3,198 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 210; US 248 · Michigan 228
Paid employees: 8,997
Average annual pay: $46,409; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	66	16.3	0.78×Fewer than typical	364	$51,154	127
Restaurants and other eating places	59	14.6	0.80×Fewer than typical	716	$18,656	10
Specialty trade contractors	59	14.6	0.94×About typical	248	$59,593	339
Religious organizations	36	8.9	1.61×More than typical	86	$21,360	—
Truck transportation	36	8.9	1.76×More than typical	249	$63,269	125
Construction of buildings	34	8.4	1.11×About typical	132	$49,470	217
Full-service restaurants	32	7.9	1.03×About typical	306	$21,206	5
Offices of physicians	27	6.7	1.03×About typical	148	$62,764	6
Banks and credit unions	26	6.4	1.99×More than typical	208	$56,457	—
Gasoline stations	26	6.4	1.99×More than typical	206	$25,636	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	25	6.2	0.92×About typical	66	$42,864	251
Insurance agencies and brokerages	23	5.7	1.30×More than typical	89	$49,303	31

Rank places for an industry Open Sanilac County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 40,389 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 $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Croswell, Michigan: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; 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

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

3.5KFY2021
2.2KFY2023

What was bought

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 Croswell, Michigan, so they do not add up across cities.

Croswell, Michigan's figures are part of those of Sanilac County, MI ($13.6M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

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

See federal money in Sanilac 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.

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

House

Lisa C. McClainR-MI-9 · 100% of residentsWith party 98%Missed 2.7%

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.

Sanilac County45100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Sanilac 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
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/2618920

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends