Scores by category

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

Safety41#548/924
Economy40#555/925
Housing33#624/925
Health45#509/925
Healthcare70#273/923
Environment24#697/917
Education74#238/925
Infrastructure71#273/925
Community85#144/925
Leisure & amenities81#172/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Niles, 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
96/100Michigan 25 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · low4%
89/100Michigan 13%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
Voter turnout · high73.0%
86/100Michigan 74.6%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · low21 mi
86/100Michigan 44 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · low22.8%
85/100Michigan 25.4%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · high11.3 /10k
81/100Michigan 9.1 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

High ozone days · high8 days
4/100Michigan 3 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Violent crime rate · high512 /100k
10/100Michigan 416 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2024Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · high5.3%
14/100Michigan 5.2%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Depression · high27.1%
20/100Michigan 26.5%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.475
22/100Michigan 0.465United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Pharmacies · low1.1 /10k
22/100Michigan 1.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Child care cost burdenImproving
42.7% (2020 & 2021) → 22.8% (2023 & 2024)
−20 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Suicide rateWorsening
9.1 /100k (2021) → 16.4 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
+80%5 yearsUS 14.5 /100k → 14.1 /100k
Drought exposureImproving
19% (2021) → 4% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−15 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
75.1% (2015-2019) → 89.3% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Homicide rateImproving
7.8 /100k (2021) → 3.2 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−59%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
23.8% (Dec 2021) → 30.7% (Aug 2026)
+6.9 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%

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, Niles, MI metro area improved on 16 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 5 moved within the margin of error and 4 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

Broadband+14 points75.1% → 89.3%
Firearm deaths−40%18.8 /100k → 11.2 /100k
Homicides−65%9.1 /100k → 3.2 /100k
Traffic deaths−19%13.7 /100k → 11.1 /100k
Grocery stores+13%1.6 /10k → 1.8 /10k

Declined6

Overdose deaths+5.1%17.5 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Commute+1.3 min19.9 min → 21.2 min
Pharmacies−18%1.4 /10k → 1.1 /10k
Transit use−0.5 points0.7% → 0.3%
Price / income+0.5×3.0× → 3.4×

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Niles, MI metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	4.4 /10k2020	5.4 /10k2025	+22%	Improved	78%
Average commute time	19.9 min2015-2019	21.2 min2020-2024	+1.3 min	Declined	23%
Average weekly wage	$1,0342020	$1,1192025	+8.2%	Improved	1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	27.8%2015-2019	30.9%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Improved	58%
Broadband subscriptions	75.1%2015-2019	89.3%2020-2024	+14 points	Improved	87%
Child poverty rate	25.0%2015-2019	22.1%2020-2024	−2.9 points	Improved	56%
Distance to an airport	21 mi2020	21 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	17.5 /100k2020	18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+5.1%	Declined	25%
Effective property tax rate	1.16%2015-2019	1.02%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	55%
Firearm deaths	18.8 /100k2020	11.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−40%	Improved	97%
Grocery stores	1.6 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	+13%	Improved	82%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.9 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	+8.5%	Improved	57%
High school diploma or higher	89.7%2015-2019	92.3%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Improved	72%
Home price to income ratio	3.0×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	48%
Homicide rate	9.1 /100k2020	3.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−65%	Improved	87%
Income adjusted for local prices	$56,3472019	$69,3892024	+23%	Improved	4%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4842015-2019	0.4752020-2024	−0.009	Within the margin of error	77%
Median household income	$50,7952015-2019	$65,4252020-2024	+29%	Improved	59%
New business applications	9.4 /1k2020	12.2 /1k2025	+29%	Improved	25%
Pharmacies	1.4 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−18%	Declined	24%
Poverty rate	16.1%2015-2019	15.1%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Property crime rate	1,927 /100k2020	1,484 /100k2025	−23%	Improved	30%
Public libraries	0.9 /10k2019	0.9 /10k2024	+0.6%	Little change	68%
Public transit commuters	0.7%2015-2019	0.3%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Declined	37%
Rent as share of income	29.0%2015-2019	29.9%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Rent-burdened households	48.1%2015-2019	49.9%2020-2024	+1.7 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Restaurants and bars	11.0 /10k2020	11.3 /10k2025	+2.5%	Little change	56%
Suicide rate	15.6 /100k2020	16.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+5.1%	Declined	48%
Traffic deaths	13.7 /100k2015-2019	11.1 /100k2020-2024	−19%	Improved	88%
Unemployment rate	8.9%2020	5.3%2025	−3.6 points	Improved	69%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.5%2015-2019	7.9%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	60%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 675 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 Niles, MI metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Niles, 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, Niles, MI metro area itself moved +3.7 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

153,288 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

63,999 households (±596)

Niles, MI metro area
United States share

Under $25k19%12,100
$25k–50k21%13,206
$50k–75k17%10,881

Homes

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

Owners and renters

63,999 households (±596)

Niles, MI metro area
United States share

Own73%46,611
Rent27%17,388

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

68,444 workers (±1,310)

Niles, MI metro area
United States share

Drive alone76%52,325
Carpool8.3%5,654
Public transit0.3%†178

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 Niles, MI employ 12,960 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 8 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Niles, 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
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,670 jobs	1,670	$27,740US $31,200	−11%	1.12×
Cashiers1,610 jobs	1,610

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.

Niles, MI has 3,561 employer establishments, 234 for every 10,000 residents (0.94× the US rate of 248), with 52,794 paid employees at an average annual pay of $53,811. The Census Bureau also counts 11,015 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 3,561; 11,015 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 234; US 248
Paid employees: 52,794
Average annual pay: $53,811; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	290	19	1.04×About typical	4,900	$22,221	43
Ambulatory health care services	243	15.9	0.77×Fewer than typical	3,577	$60,346	483
Specialty trade contractors	184	12.1	0.78×Fewer than typical	1,103	$63,466	736
Lessors of real estate	148	9.7	0.79×Fewer than typical	456	$47,300	1,286
Full-service restaurants	135	8.9	1.15×About typical	2,389	$26,780	20
Limited-service restaurants	126	8.3	1.03×About typical	2,231	$17,678	20
Religious organizations	121	7.9	1.43×More than typical	1,021	$28,040	—
Construction of buildings	116	7.6	1.01×About typical	403	$56,682	472
Services to buildings and dwellings	104	6.8	1.01×About typical	575	$45,390	836
Building equipment contractors	88	5.8	0.96×About typical	673	$61,180	116
Offices of physicians	88	5.8	0.89×About typical	1,995	$71,791	69
Automotive repair and maintenance	84	5.5	1.09×About typical	397	$45,484	133

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 152,384 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 $26.6M on contracts performed in Niles, MI metro area: $174 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $26.6M; −22% vs FY2025
Per resident: $174; US $1,994
Sole-source: 1.7%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.5%; 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

Office of Procurement Operations$23.7M89%
U.S. Coast Guard$569.8K2.1%
Department of the Army$538.8K2.0%
Defense Logistics Agency$513K1.9%
Agricultural Research Service$355.9K1.3%
Environmental Protection Agency$326.1K1.2%
Food Safety and Inspection Service$158.4K0.6%
Department of Energy$139.6K0.5%

Top recipients

TRIPLE CANOPY INC$23.2M87%
LECO CORP$986.6K3.7%
ANGELS GENERAL CONSTRUCTION INC$569.8K2.1%
UNIVERSAL PROTECTION SERVICE, LIMITED PARTNERSHIP$562.7K2.1%
US JACK CO$510.8K1.9%

Spending by fiscal year

7.6MFY2017
8.6MFY2018
7.4MFY2019
8.8MFY2020
4.4MFY2021
3.6MFY2022
7.7MFY2023
11.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Investigation and security services · 5616$23.7M89%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$927.7K3.5%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$569.8K2.1%
Paint, coating, and adhesive manufacturing · 3255$505.9K1.9%
Other general purpose machinery manufacturing · 3339$268.8K1.0%
Cutlery and handtool manufacturing · 3322$234.8K

Largest awards

ARMED PROTECTIVE SECURITY OFFICER (PSO) SERVICES IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN$12.3M
TRIPLE CANOPY INC· Berrien County, MI· Facilities & utilities· Jan 14, 2026 – Aug 20, 2026· 70RFP426FRE500002
ARMED PROTECTIVE SECURITY OFFICER (PSO) SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF MICHIGAN IN SUPPORT OF FPS REGION 5 SECTION 2 (D).$11.3M
TRIPLE CANOPY INC· Berrien County, MI· Facilities & utilities· May 13, 2025 – Sep 2, 2026· 70RFP425FRE500004
ARMED PROTECTIVE SECURITY OFFICER (PSO) SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF MICHIGAN IN SUPPORT OF FPS REGION 5.$9.1M
TRIPLE CANOPY INC· Berrien County, MI· Facilities & utilities· Sep 18, 2023 – Sep 2, 2026· 70RFP423FRE500025

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 Niles, MI metro area: $7,227 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.1B; −13% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,227; US $12,955
Loan face value: $37.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.0%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$749.6M68%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$83.6M7.6%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$72M6.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$60.7M5.5%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$32.2M2.9%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$19.6M1.8%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$8.7M0.8%
14.195 · Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)$8.1M0.7%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION, MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF$27.6M2.5%
LANSING, MI
POKAGON BAND OF POTAWATOMI$7.2M0.7%
DOWAGIAC, MI
BENTON HARBOR HOUSING COMMISSION$4M0.4%
BENTON HARBOR, MI
LAKE MICHIGAN COLLEGE$3.4M0.3%
BENTON HARBOR, MI
ANDREWS UNIVERSITY$2.8M

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$926M84%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$81.7M7.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$27.6M2.5%
Department of Transportation
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$14.4M1.3%
Department of Health and Human Services
Farm Service Agency

Assistance by fiscal year

968.3MFY2021
937.8MFY2022
1.1BFY2023
1.1BFY2024
1.3BFY2025
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 Niles, 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.

Berrien CountyCentral county58152,444

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

NilesPrincipal city11,803

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
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
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/M35660

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Niles, 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 Niles, 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