Scores by category

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

Safety26#680/924
Economy50#467/925
Housing66#318/925
Health37#580/925
Healthcare62#352/923
Environment20#736/917
Education49#468/925
Infrastructure76#223/925
Community63#345/925
Leisure & amenities12#810/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Distance to an Amtrak station · low6 mi
95/100Michigan 25 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · low21.0%
92/100Michigan 25.4%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low6.0%
85/100Michigan 6.2%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Mammography screening · high53.0%
83/100Michigan 49.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Hot days · low6 days
82/100Michigan 5 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Broadband subscriptions · high91.5%
81/100Michigan 90.5%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002

Weaknesses

Gyms and fitness centers · low0.4 /10k
12/100Michigan 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · high5.4%
12/100Michigan 5.2%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high8.8 µg/m³
13/100Michigan 8.6 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Depression · high28.0%
13/100Michigan 26.5%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · high3,694 /100k
15/100Michigan 3,367 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Income adjusted for local prices · low$56,189
17/100Michigan $66,194United States $73,2042024U.S. Bureau of Economic AnalysisAggregated from counties

Trends

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

New homes permittedImproving
1.1 /1k (2021) → 2.1 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+95%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child care cost burdenImproving
37.4% (2020 & 2021) → 21.0% (2023 & 2024)
−16 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Homicide rateImproving
8.7 /100k (2021) → 4.2 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−52%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
New business applicationsImproving
6.8 /1k (2020) → 10.2 /1k (2025)
+51%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
81.5% (2015-2019) → 91.5% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Drought exposureImproving
24% (2021) → 14% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−9.4 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%

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, Jackson, MI metro area improved on 16 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 7 moved within the margin of error and 3 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.

Improved16

Restaurants+22%5.9 /10k → 7.1 /10k
Libraries+6.9%0.8 /10k → 0.9 /10k
Unemployment−4 points9.4% → 5.4%
Poverty−2.1 points13.8% → 11.6%
Child poverty−4.8 points21.2% → 16.3%

Declined6

Overdose deaths+94%10.0 /100k → 19.4 /100k
Traffic deaths+33%11.1 /100k → 14.8 /100k
Gyms−22%0.6 /10k → 0.4 /10k
Grocery stores−5.2%1.1 /10k → 1.1 /10k
Price / income+0.5×2.5× → 2.9×

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of Jackson, MI metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.7 /10k2020	3.0 /10k2025	+9.5%	Improved	52%
Average commute time	23.0 min2015-2019	22.5 min2020-2024	−0.5 min	Within the margin of error	78%
Average weekly wage	$1,0362020	$1,2462025	+20%	Improved	24%
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.2%2015-2019	23.4%2020-2024	+1.3 points	Within the margin of error	20%
Broadband subscriptions	81.5%2015-2019	91.5%2020-2024	+10 points	Improved	62%
Child poverty rate	21.2%2015-2019	16.3%2020-2024	−4.8 points	Improved	75%
Distance to an airport	54 mi2020	54 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	10.0 /100k2020	19.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+94%	Declined	3%
Effective property tax rate	1.30%2015-2019	1.11%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	71%
Firearm deaths	19.3 /100k2020	17.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−8.8%	Improved	64%
Grocery stores	1.1 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−5.2%	Declined	33%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.6 /10k2020	0.4 /10k2025	−22%	Declined	18%
High school diploma or higher	90.8%2015-2019	92.4%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Home price to income ratio	2.5×2015-2019	2.9×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	46%
Homicide rate	8.1 /100k2020	4.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−48%	Improved	76%
Income adjusted for local prices	$42,3242019	$56,1892024	+33%	Improved	58%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4452015-2019	0.4452020-2024	+0.000	Within the margin of error	54%
Median household income	$53,6582015-2019	$66,0732020-2024	+23%	Improved	29%
New business applications	6.8 /1k2020	10.2 /1k2025	+51%	Improved	58%
Pharmacies	1.1 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−5.2%	Declined	57%
Poverty rate	13.8%2015-2019	11.6%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Improved	76%
Property crime rate	1,677 /100k2020	1,527 /100k2025	−9%	Improved	12%
Public libraries	0.8 /10k2019	0.9 /10k2024	+6.9%	Improved	88%
Public transit commuters	0.4%2015-2019	0.2%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	66%
Rent as share of income	29.2%2015-2019	28.2%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Rent-burdened households	48.0%2015-2019	45.3%2020-2024	−2.6 points	Within the margin of error	77%
Restaurants and bars	5.9 /10k2020	7.1 /10k2025	+22%	Improved	94%
Suicide rate	16.2 /100k2020	16.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+4.3%	Little change	51%
Traffic deaths	11.1 /100k2015-2019	14.8 /100k2020-2024	+33%	Declined	16%
Unemployment rate	9.4%2020	5.4%2025	−4 points	Improved	79%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.0%2015-2019	6.0%2020-2024	−1 points	Improved	70%
Violent crime rate	554 /100k2020	409 /100k2025	−26%	Improved	68%

“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 Jackson, MI metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Jackson, MI metro 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, Jackson, MI metro area itself moved +0.8 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

160,060 residents

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

62,540 households (±601)

Jackson, MI metro area
United States share

Under $25k15%9,498
$25k–50k22%13,475
$50k–75k19%12,030

Homes

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

Owners and renters

62,540 households (±601)

Jackson, MI metro area
United States share

Own75%46,927
Rent25%15,613

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+1.6 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

68,901 workers (±1,393)

Jackson, MI metro area
United States share

Drive alone79%54,419
Carpool7.8%5,373
Public transit0.2%†166

Jobs and pay

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

The 10 largest occupations in Jackson, MI employ 11,970 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 9 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Jackson, MI by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Home Health and Personal Care Aides1,700 jobs	1,700	$34,180US $35,800	−5%	1.09×
Cashiers1,690 jobs	1,690

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.

Jackson, MI has 2,991 employer establishments, 187 for every 10,000 residents (0.75× the US rate of 248), with 50,612 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,806. The Census Bureau also counts 9,813 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,991; 9,813 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 187; US 248
Paid employees: 50,612
Average annual pay: $57,806; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	272	17	0.82×About typical	4,049	$79,687	479
Restaurants and other eating places	213	13.3	0.73×Fewer than typical	4,266	$18,796	42
Specialty trade contractors	186	11.7	0.75×Fewer than typical	1,507	$73,345	750
Fabricated metal product manufacturing	103	6.5	4.04×More than typical	3,219	$58,275	32
Limited-service restaurants	96	6	0.75×Fewer than typical	1,943	$17,316	22
Lessors of real estate	93	5.8	0.47×Fewer than typical	406	$42,468	929
Religious organizations	91	5.7	1.03×About typical	622	$22,744	—
Full-service restaurants	86	5.4	0.70×Fewer than typical	1,970	$21,228	13
Offices of other health practitioners	85	5.3	0.88×About typical	563	$41,973	222
Building equipment contractors	83	5.2	0.86×About typical	779	$79,172	120
Offices of physicians	83	5.2	0.80×About typical	1,835	$114,869	65
Construction of buildings	81	5.1	0.67×Fewer than typical	299	$58,950	466

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 159,607 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 $17.4M on contracts performed in Jackson, MI metro area: $109 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $17.4M; −45% vs FY2025
Per resident: $109; US $1,994
Sole-source: 22%; US 30%
Single offer: 51%; 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 Navy$11.2M65%
Defense Logistics Agency$5.6M32%
Environmental Protection Agency$286.7K1.7%
Department of the Army$105K0.6%
Smithsonian Institution$71.3K0.4%
Food and Drug Administration$34.7K0.2%
Department of Veterans Affairs$21.1K0.1%
Federal Aviation Administration$16.7K0.1%

Top recipients

SEALANDAIRE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.$11.2M64%
EATON AEROQUIP LLC$4.3M25%
P & C INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES, INCORPORATED$988.6K5.7%
NORCATEC LLC$535.7K3.1%
CDM FEDERAL PROGRAMS CORPORATION$286.7K1.7%

Spending by fiscal year

22.2MFY2017
37.3MFY2018
19MFY2019
20.2MFY2020
16.4MFY2021
24.5MFY2022
27.2MFY2023
24.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$11.2M64%
Other fabricated metal product manufacturing · 3329$2.8M16%
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$1.9M11%
Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing · 3391$524.4K3.0%
Audio and video equipment manufacturing · 3343$411.9K2.4%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629

Largest awards

ENGINEERING AND PROGRAM MGMT SUPPORT$16.4M
SEALANDAIRE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.· Jackson County, MI· Research & development· May 7, 2025 – Apr 13, 2026· N6833525C0010
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT$15.9M
SEALANDAIRE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.· Jackson County, MI· Research & development· Dec 22, 2022 – Mar 5, 2026· N6833523F0030
MICHNER PLATING SUPERFUND SITE: RAF, DES, CLIN 0002, RI/FS TASK ORDER$4.8M
CDM FEDERAL PROGRAMS CORPORATION· Jackson County, MI· Facilities & utilities· Sep 29, 2023 – Sep 11, 2026· 68HE0523F0111
NATIONAL ROOFING PROGRAM #12 MI005 AND MI014

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 $1.1B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Jackson, MI metro area: $6,886 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.1B; −10% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,886; US $12,955
Loan face value: $185.5M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.4%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$717.7M65%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$107.9M9.8%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$68.5M6.2%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$61.3M5.6%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$35.6M3.2%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$16.9M1.5%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$13.8M1.3%
93.600 · Head Start$10.9M1.0%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION, MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF$23.3M2.1%
LANSING, MI
JACKSON COLLEGE$15.7M1.4%
JACKSON, MI
COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY$11.7M1.1%
JACKSON, MI
JACKSON HOUSING COMMISSION$4.8M0.4%
JACKSON, MI
CENTER FOR FAMILY HEALTH$3.5M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$922.4M84%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$79.5M7.2%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$23.3M2.1%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$18.3M1.7%
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$13.6M

Assistance by fiscal year

1.1BFY2021
985.6MFY2022
1BFY2023
1.2BFY2024
1.2BFY2025
1.1BFY2026

County aggregates

93%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Jackson, 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.

Jackson CountyCentral county48159,552

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

JacksonPrincipal city31,058

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.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, 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
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M27100

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Jackson, MI metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people 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

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Jackson, MI

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Michigan

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved16

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought