Scores by category

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

Safety79#196/924
Economy20#742/925
Housing44#516/925
Health44#517/925
Healthcare59#381/923
Environment71#265/917
Education48#481/925
Infrastructure45#510/925
Community49#475/925
Leisure & amenities62#355/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Hot days · low0 days
98/100Michigan 5 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Property crime rate · low447 /100k
96/100Michigan 1,259 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Average commute time · low17.4 min
93/100Michigan 24.2 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Public libraries · high1.7 /10k
92/100Michigan 0.7 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · high13.0 /10k
90/100Michigan 9.1 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated 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

Weaknesses

Distance to an airport · high245 mi
1/100Michigan 44 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
New business applications · low6.5 /1k
1/100Michigan 15.0 /1kUnited States 16.6 /1k2025U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · low21.9%
2/100Michigan 23.1%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high234 mi
2/100Michigan 25 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · high7.1%
2/100Michigan 5.2%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Gyms and fitness centers · low0.3 /10k
5/100Michigan 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.3 /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.

Drought exposureImproving
32% (2021) → 4% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−29 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Drug overdose deathsWorsening
6.1 /100k (2021) → 12.5 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
+105%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
59.9% (2010 & 2021) → 77.0% (2022 & 2024)
+17 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Homicide rateImproving
5.0 /100k (2021) → 2.3 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−54%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
New business applicationsImproving
4.3 /1k (2020) → 6.5 /1k (2025)
+53%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Hot daysImproving
1 days (2011-2020) → 0 days (2016-2025)
−50%5 yearsUS 41 days → 42 days

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, Sault Ste. Marie, MI micropolitan area improved on 14 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 8 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.

Improved14

Inequality−0.0520.475 → 0.423
Weekly wage+32%$825 → $1,092
Poverty−4.4 points18.4% → 14.0%
Child poverty−7.8 points28.8% → 21.0%
Real income+39%$39,464 → $54,998

Declined4

Homicides+15%2.0 /100k → 2.3 /100k
Arts & recreation−5.3%3.8 /10k → 3.6 /10k
Pharmacies−18%1.4 /10k → 1.1 /10k
Firearm deaths+6.3%12.7 /100k → 13.5 /100k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Sault Ste. Marie, MI micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.8 /10k2020	3.6 /10k2025	−5.3%	Declined	20%
Average commute time	17.9 min2015-2019	17.4 min2020-2024	−0.5 min	Within the margin of error	77%
Average weekly wage	$8252020	$1,0922025	+32%	Improved	97%
Bachelor's degree or higher	21.2%2015-2019	23.3%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Broadband subscriptions	79.2%2015-2019	87.8%2020-2024	+8.6 points	Improved	48%
Child poverty rate	28.8%2015-2019	21.0%2020-2024	−7.8 points	Improved	91%
Distance to an airport	247 mi2020	245 mi2025	−2 mi	Little change	97%
Drug overdose deaths	14.9 /100k2020	12.5 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−16%	Improved	41%
Effective property tax rate	1.21%2015-2019	1.12%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	37%
Firearm deaths	12.7 /100k2020	13.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+6.3%	Declined	38%
Grocery stores	1.6 /10k2020	1.9 /10k2025	+19%	Improved	88%
High school diploma or higher	90.0%2015-2019	92.6%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Home price to income ratio	2.6×2015-2019	2.6×2020-2024	+0.0×	Within the margin of error	94%
Homicide rate	2.0 /100k2020	2.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+15%	Declined	13%
Income adjusted for local prices	$39,4642019	$54,9982024	+39%	Improved	89%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4752015-2019	0.4232020-2024	−0.052	Improved	99%
Median household income	$46,4862015-2019	$62,2172020-2024	+34%	Improved	82%
New business applications	4.3 /1k2020	6.5 /1k2025	+53%	Improved	60%
Pharmacies	1.4 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	−18%	Declined	23%
Poverty rate	18.4%2015-2019	14.0%2020-2024	−4.4 points	Improved	95%
Property crime rate	652 /100k2020	447 /100k2025	−31%	Improved	45%
Public libraries	1.6 /10k2019	1.7 /10k2024	+3.3%	Little change	81%
Rent as share of income	27.5%2015-2019	28.9%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Rent-burdened households	44.2%2015-2019	47.3%2020-2024	+3.1 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Restaurants and bars	13.3 /10k2020	13.0 /10k2025	−2.2%	Little change	35%
Traffic deaths	10.6 /100k2015-2019	9.9 /100k2020-2024	−6.6%	Improved	74%
Unemployment rate	8.9%2020	7.1%2025	−1.8 points	Improved	18%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	7.8%2015-2019	7.2%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Violent crime rate	355 /100k2020	286 /100k2025	−20%	Improved	55%

“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 Sault Ste. Marie, MI micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Sault Ste. Marie, 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, Sault Ste. Marie, MI micropolitan area itself moved +3.4 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

36,295 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

14,080 households (±360)

Sault Ste. Marie, MI micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k17%2,448
$25k–50k22%3,062
$50k–75k21%2,952

Homes

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

Owners and renters

14,080 households (±360)

Sault Ste. Marie, MI micropolitan area
United States share

Own75%10,564
Rent25%3,516

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+7.6 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

15,076 workers (±413)

Sault Ste. Marie, MI micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone77%11,575
Carpool9.3%1,401
Public transit0.8%†115

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 Sault Ste. Marie, 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.

Sault Ste. Marie, MI has 778 employer establishments, 214 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248), with 8,650 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,487. The Census Bureau also counts 2,085 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 778; 2,085 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 214; US 248
Paid employees: 8,650
Average annual pay: $43,487; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Sault Ste. Marie, MI by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	60	16.5	0.90×About typical	672	$23,307	3
Specialty trade contractors	57	15.7	1.02×About typical	180	$74,372	160
Ambulatory health care services	50	13.8	0.66×Fewer than typical	532	$67,090	59
Full-service restaurants	33	9.1	1.18×About typical	365	$25,542	—
Construction of buildings	32	8.8	1.17×About typical	150	$96,873	92
Automotive repair and maintenance	25	6.9	1.37×More than typical	73	$32,164	31
Lessors of real estate	22	6.1	0.49×Fewer than typical	89	$36,427	158
Limited-service restaurants	22	6.1	0.76×Fewer than typical	283	$20,449	—
Religious organizations	22	6.1	1.09×About typical	78	$16,538	—
Banks and credit unions	21	5.8	1.79×More than typical	196	$48,383	—
Gasoline stations	20	5.5	1.70×More than typical	136	$28,029	—
Traveler accommodation	20	5.5	3.05×More than typical	1,305	$34,686	30

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 36,276 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 $140.8M on contracts performed in Sault Ste. Marie, MI micropolitan area: $3,901 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $140.8M; −12% vs FY2025
Per resident: $3,901; US $1,994
Sole-source: 15%; US 30%
Single offer: 35%; 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$114.8M82%
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention$15.1M11%
U.S. Coast Guard$7.4M5.3%
Federal Acquisition Service$1.9M1.3%
Public Buildings Service$782.8K0.6%
Forest Service$267.6K0.2%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$159.1K0.1%
Defense Logistics Agency$155.3K0.1%

Top recipients

KOKOSING ALBERICI TRAYLOR, LLC$48.8M35%
KOONTZ ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED$45.4M32%
SAULT TRIBE SOLUTION SERVICES, LLC$8.1M5.8%
CHIPPEWA GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS, LLC$7M5.0%
HOWARD W. PENCE, INC.$5.2M3.7%

Spending by fiscal year

16.4MFY2017
20.1MFY2018
28.5MFY2019
184.1MFY2020
37.7MFY2021
1.1BFY2022
317.3MFY2023
489MFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$57.4M41%
Utility system construction · 2371$45.4M32%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$8.1M5.8%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$7M5.0%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$6.9M4.9%
Building equipment contractors · 2382

Largest awards

CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW THIRD LOCK, NEW LOCK AT THE SOO, SAULT STE. MARIE, MICHIGAN.$1.9B
KOKOSING ALBERICI TRAYLOR, LLC· Chippewa County, MI· Construction & real property· Jul 1, 2022 – Jun 8, 2026· W911XK22C0006
SOO LOCKS GENERATOR AND DUCT BANK$45.4M
KOONTZ ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED· Chippewa County, MI· Construction & real property· Mar 12, 2026 – Mar 12, 2026· W911XK26CA009
INFLUENZA SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT PERSONNEL$24.1M
CHIPPEWA GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS, LLC· Chippewa County, MI· Professional services· Jun 28, 2023 – Jun 9, 2026· 75D30123C16924
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE SUPPORT SERVICES FOR SAP-BASED SOLUTIONS

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 $301.8M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Sault Ste. Marie, MI micropolitan area: $8,364 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $301.8M; −11% vs FY2025
Per resident: $8,364; US $12,955
Loan face value: $8.6M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$148.6M49%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$31.7M10%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$24.3M8.1%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$12.9M4.3%
14.867 · Indian Housing Block Grants$9.3M3.1%
32.004 · Universal Service Fund - Schools and Libraries$7.1M2.3%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$6.4M2.1%
20.901 · Payments for Essential Air Services$6M2.0%

Top recipients (organizations)

BAY MILLS INDIAN COMMUNITY$13.8M4.6%
BRIMLEY, MI
SAULT TRIBE HOUSING AUTHORITY$8.4M2.8%
KINCHELOE, MI
MERIT NETWORK INC$7M2.3%
ANN ARBOR, MI
SKYWEST AIRLINES INC$6M2.0%
SAINT GEORGE, UT
BAY MILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE$5.8M

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$192.1M64%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$35.8M12%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$11.8M3.9%
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$11.1M3.7%
Department of the Interior
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing

Assistance by fiscal year

290.7MFY2021
280.7MFY2022
282.6MFY2023
333.6MFY2024
339.6MFY2025
301.8MFY2026

County aggregates

76%

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 Sault Ste. Marie, 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.

Chippewa CountyCentral county5636,081

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Sault Ste. MariePrincipal city13,335

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
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

JSON · /api/v1/places/M42300

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Sault Ste. Marie, MI micropolitan 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 Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Michigan

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined4

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

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