Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety64#337/924
Economy15#786/925
Housing46#498/925
Health39#569/925
Healthcare91#83/923
Environment68#291/917
Education42#534/925
Infrastructure33#616/925
Community65#329/925
Leisure & amenities89#107/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Alpena, MI micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Drought exposure · low0%
99/100Michigan 13%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Severe housing problems · low9.1%
96/100Michigan 13.4%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Dentists · high100 /100k
95/100Michigan 82 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · high2.8 /10k
95/100Michigan 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Property crime rate · low489 /100k
93/100Michigan 1,259 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Average commute time · low17.5 min
93/100Michigan 24.2 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013

Weaknesses

Distance to an airport · high181 mi
2/100Michigan 44 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Depression · high30.2%
4/100Michigan 26.5%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · high5.7%
8/100Michigan 5.2%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Distance to an Amtrak station · high139 mi
8/100Michigan 25 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Frequent mental distress · high20.6%
9/100Michigan 20.0%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
New business applications · low8.1 /1k
10/100Michigan 15.0 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties

Trends

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

New homes permittedImproving
1.0 /1k (2021) → 3.1 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+198%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child care cost burdenImproving
46.1% (2020 & 2021) → 25.4% (2023 & 2024)
−21 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Drought exposureImproving
20% (2021) → 0% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−20 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Traffic deathsWorsening
5.6 /100k (2015-2019) → 9.7 /100k (2020-2024)
+73%5 yearsUS 11.3 /100k → 12.3 /100k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
56.9% (2010 & 2021) → 68.1% (2022 & 2024)
+11 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
40.6% (2015-2019) → 51.2% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%

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, Alpena, MI micropolitan area improved on 9 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 10. 5 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved9

Gyms+50%0.7 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Property crime−52%1,015 /100k → 489 /100k
Real income+33%$45,617 → $60,896
Weekly wage+23%$836 → $1,030
Overdose deaths−20%14.2 /100k → 11.4 /100k

Declined10

Traffic deaths+73%5.6 /100k → 9.7 /100k
Poverty+3.7 points14.3% → 18.0%
Child poverty+7.4 points16.1% → 23.5%
Rent burden+11 points40.6% → 51.2%
Restaurants−14%15.2 /10k → 13.2 /10k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Alpena, MI micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.5 /10k2020	4.5 /10k2025	+0.1%	Little change	29%
Average commute time	16.7 min2015-2019	17.5 min2020-2024	+0.8 min	Within the margin of error	36%
Average weekly wage	$8362020	$1,0302025	+23%	Improved	49%
Bachelor's degree or higher	18.0%2015-2019	18.3%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	10%
Broadband subscriptions	76.8%2015-2019	85.1%2020-2024	+8.2 points	Improved	42%
Child poverty rate	16.1%2015-2019	23.5%2020-2024	+7.4 points	Declined	1%
Distance to an airport	180 mi2020	180 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	21%
Drug overdose deaths	14.2 /100k2020	11.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−20%	Improved	44%
Effective property tax rate	1.20%2015-2019	1.01%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	70%
Firearm deaths	16.2 /100k2020	19.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+22%	Declined	23%
Grocery stores	3.5 /10k2020	2.8 /10k2025	−20%	Declined	10%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	+50%	Improved	88%
High school diploma or higher	91.9%2015-2019	92.6%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	19%
Home price to income ratio	2.2×2015-2019	2.9×2020-2024	+0.6×	Declined	31%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,6172019	$60,8962024	+33%	Improved	62%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4392015-2019	0.4682020-2024	+0.029	Within the margin of error	7%
Median household income	$43,3632015-2019	$53,9502020-2024	+24%	Improved	35%
New business applications	7.1 /1k2020	8.1 /1k2025	+15%	Improved	13%
Pharmacies	1.7 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	−20%	Declined	21%
Poverty rate	14.3%2015-2019	18.0%2020-2024	+3.7 points	Declined	2%
Property crime rate	1,015 /100k2020	489 /100k2025	−52%	Improved	87%
Public libraries	0.4 /10k2019	0.3 /10k2024	−1.7%	Little change	50%
Rent as share of income	27.3%2015-2019	30.4%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Declined	11%
Rent-burdened households	40.6%2015-2019	51.2%2020-2024	+11 points	Declined	3%
Restaurants and bars	15.2 /10k2020	13.2 /10k2025	−14%	Declined	7%
Traffic deaths	5.6 /100k2015-2019	9.7 /100k2020-2024	+73%	Declined	2%
Unemployment rate	8.3%2020	5.7%2025	−2.6 points	Improved	39%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.8%2015-2019	6.8%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Violent crime rate	305 /100k2020	298 /100k2025	−2.2%	Little change	29%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Alpena, MI micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Alpena, MI micropolitan area 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, Alpena, MI micropolitan area itself moved −12.9 points in standing on average over the same 28 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

28,880 residents

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: 50–59 men (−2.0 points).

Table view

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

Race and Hispanic origin

28,880 residents

Alpena, MI micropolitan area
United States share

White92%26,675
Black1.0%291
Hispanic or Latino1.7%477

Education

21,702 residents (±35)

Alpena, MI micropolitan area
United States share

No high school diploma7.4%1,616
High school or GED35%7,538
Some college25%5,432

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

13,019 households (±276)

Alpena, MI micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k23%3,024
$25k–50k23%3,029
$50k–75k18%2,364
$75k–100k12%1,516
$100k–150k14%1,846
$150k–200k5.7%743
$200k or more3.8%497

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $25k–50k (−5.4 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

13,019 households (±276)

Alpena, MI micropolitan area
United States share

Own80%10,415
Rent20%2,604

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+2.1 points).

Table view

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

Rent paid

2,286 households (±241)

Alpena, MI micropolitan area
United States share

Under $75061%1,387
$750–1,00026%593
$1,000–1,50010%†240

Home values

10,415 homes (±291)

Alpena, MI micropolitan area
United States share

Under $150k48%5,003
$150k–250k29%2,979
$250k–400k15%1,604
$400k–750k

Age of homes

15,707 homes (±85)

Alpena, MI micropolitan area
United States share

2010 or later3.1%487
2000–20097.3%1,142
1980–199917%2,747

Size of homes

15,707 homes (±85)

Alpena, MI micropolitan area
United States share

Studio2.3%†367
1 bedroom8.4%1,318
2 bedrooms25%3,984

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

11,941 workers (±465)

Alpena, MI micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone77%9,234
Carpool7.2%854
Public transit1.1%†126
Walk2.2%†268
Bike0.6%†66
Work from home7.8%928
Other3.9%†465

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−8.1 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

11,013 workers (±468)

Alpena, MI micropolitan area
United States share

Under 15 min53%5,785
15–29 min31%3,458
30–44 min10%1,152

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 no occupation wages for Alpena, MI micropolitan area.

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.

Alpena, MI has 822 employer establishments, 285 for every 10,000 residents (1.15× the US rate of 248), with 10,141 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,993. The Census Bureau also counts 1,849 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 822; 1,849 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 285; US 248
Paid employees: 10,141
Average annual pay: $46,993; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	63	21.8	1.05×About typical	611	$56,912	90
Restaurants and other eating places	50	17.3	0.94×About typical	868	$19,575	3
Machinery manufacturing	46	15.9	24.8×More than typical	978	$68,903	—
Specialty trade contractors	45	15.6	1.01×About typical	234	$57,432	150
Construction of buildings	43	14.9	1.97×More than typical	203	$45,734	73
Automotive repair and maintenance	31	10.7	2.13×More than typical	132	$43,189	33
Religious organizations	26	9	1.62×More than typical	143	$23,182	—
Full-service restaurants	25	8.7	1.13×About typical	347	$20,323	—
Limited-service restaurants	21	7.3	0.91×About typical	484	$19,029	—
Building equipment contractors	17	5.9	0.98×About typical	118	$52,203	29
Gasoline stations	16	5.5	1.71×More than typical	119	$29,908	—
Offices of physicians	16	5.5	0.86×About typical	89	$96,315	12

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 28,868 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $14.8M on contracts performed in Alpena, MI micropolitan area: $514 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $14.8M; −6.2% vs FY2025
Per resident: $514; US $1,994
Sole-source: 65%; US 30%
Single offer: 11%; 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

Department of the Army$13M88%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$1.5M10%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$128.9K0.9%
Defense Information Systems Agency$105.6K0.7%
Federal Acquisition Service$40.4K0.3%

Top recipients

BSET, LLC$8.4M56%
CARDINAL POINT CAPTAINS, INC.$1.5M10%
BENHAM - MEAD & HUNT$1.2M8.1%
ASRC FEDERAL TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, LLC$1.2M7.8%
DEAN MARINE AND EXCAVATING, INC.$826.9K5.6%

Spending by fiscal year

2.8MFY2017
3.3MFY2018
4.7MFY2019
5.7MFY2020
4.2MFY2021
12MFY2022
37.1MFY2023
14.5M

Top industries (NAICS)

Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$10.1M68%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$1.2M7.8%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$975.3K6.6%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$826.9K5.6%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$802.4K5.4%
Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment repair and maintenance · 8113

Largest awards

AIR COMBAT TRAINING SYSTEM SERVICES$37.6M
BSET, LLC· Alpena County, MI· Professional services· May 5, 2022 – May 7, 2026· W9133L22C3013
ALPENA ANG HANGAR AND MAINTENANCE SHOPS AT ALPENA, MI$28.6M
WALSH FEDERAL LLC· Alpena County, MI· Construction & real property· Sep 7, 2023 – May 22, 2026· W912QR23C0021
NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE AND CLIENT SUPPORT SERVICES IAW PWS.$3.4M
ASRC FEDERAL TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS, LLC· Alpena County, MI· IT & telecom· Sep 6, 2024 – Apr 8, 2026· W50S8624PA011
FOLLOW ON TASK ORDER FOR TBNMS VESSEL AND RESEARCH OPERATIONS - CONTRACT 1305M224D0002 VFROSS-V2 TASK ORDER AWARDED TO CARDINAL POINT CAPTAINS TO PROVIDE TBNMS VESSEL SUPPORT OPERATIONS IAW EXECUTIVE ORDER 14222, OR-25-02080.

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $249.2M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Alpena, MI micropolitan area: $8,638 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $249.2M; −11% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,638; US $12,955
Loan face value: $4.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.6%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$159.8M64%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$27.3M11%

Counties in Alpena, MI

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Alpena CountyCentral county6028,853

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

AlpenaPrincipal city10,154

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Michigan

Areas based in Michigan, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M10980

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved9

Declined10

Metro and micro areas like Alpena, MI micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Getting to work

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Counties in Alpena, MI

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Michigan

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved9

Declined10

Household income

Age and sex

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Owners and renters

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

How people get to work

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Top programs

What was bought

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

By type

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates