Scores by category

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

Safety45#8,562/15,637
Economy49#8,000/15,631
Housing23#11,527/14,977
Health33#10,513/15,609
Healthcare47#8,360/15,650
Environment97#405/15,453
Education42#9,097/15,649
Infrastructure53#7,407/15,650
Community65#5,463/15,651
Leisure & amenities91#1,442/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Natural hazard risk · low0.5
100/100Michigan 10.32025Federal Emergency Management AgencyOtsego County value
Voter turnout · high84.5%
99/100Michigan 74.6%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionOtsego County value
Job growth · high5.3%
98/100Michigan 0.3%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataOtsego County value
Child care cost burden · low20.2%
94/100Michigan 25.4%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteOtsego County value
Restaurants and bars · high13.8 /10k
93/100Michigan 9.1 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsOtsego County value
Hot days · low3 days
92/100Michigan 5 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationOtsego County value

Weaknesses

Distance to an airport · high153 mi
2/100Michigan 44 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauOtsego County value
Distance to an emergency room · high20.7 mi
3/100Michigan 5.8 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesOtsego County value
Distance to an Amtrak station · high147 mi
5/100Michigan 25 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauOtsego County value
Depression · high30.2%
5/100Michigan 26.5%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Pharmacies · low0.8 /10k
7/100Michigan 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsOtsego County value
Comfortable days · low23.1%
8/100Michigan 23.1%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationOtsego County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
3,663 (2015-2019) → 4,357 (2020-2024)
+19%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Child poverty rateImproving
26.5% (2015-2019) → 3.4% (2020-2024)
−23 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Poverty rateImproving
19.9% (2015-2019) → 8.0% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
78.4% (2015-2019) → 90.0% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Average commute timeWorsening
12.1 min (2015-2019) → 18.1 min (2020-2024)
+50%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.9× (2015-2019) → 4.3× (2020-2024)
+47%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

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, Gaylord, Michigan improved on 2 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 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.

Improved2

Poverty−12 points19.9% → 8.0%
Broadband+12 points78.4% → 90.0%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Gaylord, Michigan between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	12.1 min2015-2019	18.1 min2020-2024	+6.0 min	Within the margin of error	7%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.9%2015-2019	24.7%2020-2024	+5.8 points	Within the margin of error	73%
Broadband subscriptions	78.4%2015-2019	90.0%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	67%
Effective property tax rate	1.71%2015-2019	1.35%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	81%
High school diploma or higher	92.1%2015-2019	91.2%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Home price to income ratio	2.9×2015-2019	4.3×2020-2024	+1.4×	Within the margin of error	12%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4062015-2019	0.4222020-2024	+0.015	Within the margin of error	37%
Median household income	$32,2952015-2019	$44,7012020-2024	+38%	Within the margin of error	71%
Poverty rate	19.9%2015-2019	8.0%2020-2024	−12 points	Improved	95%
Rent as share of income	31.0%2015-2019	31.9%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Rent-burdened households	52.5%2015-2019	57.0%2020-2024	+4.5 points	Within the margin of error	39%

“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 Gaylord, Michigan five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Gaylord, 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, Gaylord, Michigan itself moved −4.2 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

4,357 residents (±18)

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: Under 10 women (−4.6 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 B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

4,357 residents (±18)

Gaylord, Michigan
Michigan share

White94%4,087
Black0.8%†36
Hispanic or Latino0.8%†33

Education

2,909 residents (±257)

Gaylord, Michigan
Michigan share

No high school diploma8.8%†255
High school or GED34%987
Some college23%†660

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

2,306 households (±191)

Gaylord, Michigan
Michigan share

Under $25k29%†673
$25k–50k24%†555
$50k–75k22%†509
$75k–100k8.7%†200
$100k–150k13%†305
$150k–200k1.6%†36
$200k or more1.2%†28

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $100k–150k (+7.9 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 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

2,306 households (±191)

Gaylord, Michigan
Michigan share

Own31%712
Rent69%1,594

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−11.1 points).

Table view

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

Rent paid

1,500 households (±241)

Gaylord, Michigan
Michigan share

Under $75023%†342
$750–1,00030%†452
$1,000–1,50034%†515

Home values

712 homes (±155)

Gaylord, Michigan
Michigan share

Under $150k23%†161
$150k–250k40%†286
$250k–400k36%†254

Age of homes

2,401 homes (±189)

Gaylord, Michigan
Michigan share

2010 or later18%†437
2000–200912%†287
1980–199925%†600

Size of homes

2,401 homes (±189)

Gaylord, Michigan
Michigan share

Studio5.0%†120
1 bedroom22%†518
2 bedrooms37%877

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

2,349 workers (±218)

Gaylord, Michigan
Michigan share

Drive alone68%1,596
Carpool11%†265
Public transit1.8%†42
Walk2.2%†51
Bike0.0%0
Work from home13%†305
Other3.8%†90

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−13.7 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

2,044 workers (±291)

Gaylord, Michigan
Michigan share

Under 15 min61%1,246
15–29 min14%†289
30–44 min6.2%†127

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

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 Otsego County, the county holding most of Gaylord's residents.

Otsego County has 846 employer establishments, 328 for every 10,000 residents (1.32× the US rate of 248; 1.44× Michigan's), with 9,372 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,809. The Census Bureau also counts 1,990 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 846; 1,990 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 328; US 248 · Michigan 228
Paid employees: 9,372
Average annual pay: $47,809; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	71	27.5	1.32×More than typical	510	$55,447	71
Restaurants and other eating places	55	21.3	1.16×About typical	899	$23,057	4
Specialty trade contractors	52	20.1	1.30×More than typical	498	$81,197	180
Construction of buildings	30	11.6	1.54×More than typical	233	$53,107	104
Full-service restaurants	26	10.1	1.31×More than typical	417	$26,626	—
Limited-service restaurants	26	10.1	1.26×More than typical	439	$20,030	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	25	9.7	1.92×More than typical	140	$57,057	30
Gasoline stations	23	8.9	2.75×More than typical	202	$26,550	—
Building equipment contractors	22	8.5	1.42×More than typical	124	$63,339	24
Offices of other health practitioners	21	8.1	1.34×More than typical	124	$43,323	38
Offices of physicians	21	8.1	1.26×More than typical	105	$77,200	10
Lessors of real estate	19	7.4	0.60×Fewer than typical	25	$53,200	238

Rank places for an industry Open Otsego County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 25,811 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 $994 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Gaylord, Michigan: $0.23 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $994; −39% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.23; US $1,995
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 24%; 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

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$56257%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$23524%
Department of the Army$19620%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

10.4KFY2017
-19.5KFY2018
2.2KFY2019
1.9KFY2020
2.8KFY2021
-228.8FY2022
5KFY2023
1.4KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Services to buildings and dwellings · 5617$41842%
Basic chemical manufacturing · 3251$34134%
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing · 3241$23524%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 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 Gaylord, Michigan, so they do not add up across cities.

Gaylord, Michigan's figures are part of those of Otsego County, MI ($51K in FY2026), never added to them: 1.9% of that total.

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

See federal money in Otsego 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.

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

House

Jack BergmanR-MI-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 2.4%

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.

Otsego County79100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Otsego County

Largest first.

Vanderbilt341

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/2631720

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends