City · Muskegon County, Michigan

Montague, Michigan

Montague is a city in Muskegon County, Michigan, part of the Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI metro area. It has 2,531 residents. Montague, Michigan has a quality-of-life score of 50 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #7,894 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Michigan it ranks #170 of 444 cities and towns. It ranks best on natural hazard risk (low), unemployment rate (low) and job growth (high). It ranks worst on grocery stores (low), depression (high) and high ozone days (high).

50Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #7,894 of 15,651 cities and towns
Michigan: #170 of 444 in MI
Population: 2,531 (2020-2024)
Land area: 3 mi²
Density: 963.3 /mi²
FIPS code: 2655100

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 76 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.

Safety16#13,197/15,637
Economy81#3,004/15,631
Housing55#6,688/14,977
Health34#10,350/15,609
Healthcare47#8,320/15,650
Environment68#4,965/15,453
Education28#11,194/15,649
Infrastructure71#4,542/15,650
Community68#5,056/15,651
Leisure & amenities26#11,571/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Montague, Michigan ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Muskegon 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 · low2.3
97/100Michigan 10.32025Federal Emergency Management AgencyMuskegon County value
Unemployment rate · low0.2%
96/100Michigan 5.2%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty
Job growth · high2.0%
88/100Michigan 0.3%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataMuskegon County value
Average commute time · low18.1 min
88/100Michigan 24.2 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
High school diploma or higher · high96.9%
87/100Michigan 92.1%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.362
86/100Michigan 0.465United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083

Weaknesses

Grocery stores · low0.8 /10k
7/100Michigan 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMuskegon County value
Depression · high29.2%
8/100Michigan 26.5%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
High ozone days · high9 days
8/100Michigan 3 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyMuskegon County value
Food environment index · low6.6
9/100Michigan 7.1United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteMuskegon County value
Time spent in the emergency room · high220 min
12/100Michigan 163 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesMuskegon County value
Homicide rate · high7.9 /100k
13/100Michigan 4.7 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataMuskegon County value

Trends

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

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
72.8% (2015-2019) → 92.0% (2020-2024)
+19 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
18.1% (2015-2019) → 2.0% (2020-2024)
−16 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
New homes permittedImproving
2.3 /1k (2021) → 3.6 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+55%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.0× (2015-2019) → 3.0× (2020-2024)
+49%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Poverty rateImproving
11.7% (2015-2019) → 4.8% (2020-2024)
−6.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Unemployment rateImproving
6.7% (2015-2019) → 0.2% (2020-2024)
−6.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%

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, Montague, Michigan improved on 2 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 8 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

Broadband+19 points72.8% → 92.0%
Poverty−6.9 points11.7% → 4.8%

Declined1

Price / income+1.0×2.0× → 3.0×

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Montague, Michigan between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	19.6 min2015-2019	18.1 min2020-2024	−1.6 min	Within the margin of error	66%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.6%2015-2019	22.0%2020-2024	+0.4 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Broadband subscriptions	72.8%2015-2019	92.0%2020-2024	+19 points	Improved	89%
High school diploma or higher	95.1%2015-2019	96.9%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Home price to income ratio	2.0×2015-2019	3.0×2020-2024	+1.0×	Declined	23%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3602015-2019	0.3622020-2024	+0.002	Within the margin of error	49%
Median household income	$56,3142015-2019	$66,7502020-2024	+19%	Within the margin of error	30%
Poverty rate	11.7%2015-2019	4.8%2020-2024	−6.9 points	Improved	87%
Rent as share of income	27.8%2015-2019	27.3%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Rent-burdened households	44.3%2015-2019	43.1%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	4.0%2015-2019	3.9%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	49%

“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 Montague, Michigan five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Montague, 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, Montague, Michigan itself moved +2.1 points in standing on average over the same 9 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

2,531 residents (±424)

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

986 households (±110)

Montague, Michigan
Michigan share

Under $25k13%†124
$25k–50k18%†174
$50k–75k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

986 households (±110)

Montague, Michigan
Michigan share

Own79%775
Rent21%†211

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+10.0 points).

† 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

1,194 workers (±200)

Montague, Michigan
Michigan share

Drive alone82%982
Carpool7.6%†91
Public transit0.0%0

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 Muskegon-Norton Shores, 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 Muskegon County, the county holding most of Montague's residents.

Muskegon County has 3,147 employer establishments, 179 for every 10,000 residents (0.72× the US rate of 248; 0.78× Michigan's), with 51,826 paid employees at an average annual pay of $50,802. The Census Bureau also counts 11,153 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,147; 11,153 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 179; US 248 · Michigan 228
Paid employees: 51,826
Average annual pay: $50,802; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	258	14.6	0.80×Fewer than typical	4,760	$22,921	43
Ambulatory health care services	246	14	0.67×Fewer than typical	3,753	$68,842	478
Specialty trade contractors	179	10.2	0.66×Fewer than typical	1,743	$73,367	851
Limited-service restaurants	129	7.3	0.91×About typical	2,333	$21,351	13
Religious organizations	119	6.7	1.22×About typical	637	$22,300	—
Full-service restaurants	104	5.9	0.77×Fewer than typical	2,287	$24,331	20
Construction of buildings	99	5.6	0.74×Fewer than typical	461	$59,779	506
Automotive repair and maintenance	83	4.7	0.93×About typical	419	$46,437	147
Building equipment contractors	78	4.4	0.74×Fewer than typical	1,070	$75,530	132
Services to buildings and dwellings	76	4.3	0.64×Fewer than typical	464	$31,834	786
Lessors of real estate	70	4	0.32×Fewer than typical	304	$36,655	1,002
Fabricated metal product manufacturing	67	3.8	2.38×More than typical	2,593	$61,089	41

Rank places for an industry Open Muskegon County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 176,299 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

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

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

See federal money in Muskegon 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.

Montague, Michigan is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

County

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

Muskegon County39100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI39

Other cities and towns in Muskegon 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/2655100

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends