Scores by category

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

Safety49#472/924
Economy51#454/925
Housing96#40/925
Health41#550/925
Healthcare10#833/923
Environment10#828/917
Education11#822/925
Infrastructure55#420/925
Community59#380/925
Leisure & amenities36#593/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.406
96/100Michigan 0.465United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Child care cost burden · low20.1%
95/100Michigan 25.4%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
93/100Michigan 4.7 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Rent as share of income · low25.0%
90/100Michigan 30.2%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Rent-burdened households · low38.7%
90/100Michigan 50.4%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Drought exposure · low5%
87/100Michigan 13%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Primary care physicians · low25 /100k
3/100Michigan 81 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · high9.2 µg/m³
5/100Michigan 8.6 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Depression · high28.7%
9/100Michigan 26.5%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Bachelor's degree or higher · low16.9%
10/100Michigan 32.5%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Some college · low49.3%
11/100Michigan 68.5%United States 67.8%2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Dentists · low35 /100k
11/100Michigan 82 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

New homes permittedImproving
1.3 /1k (2021) → 4.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+212%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.2 /10k (2020) → 0.5 /10k (2025)
+200%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Homicide rateImproving
6.1 /100k (2021) → 0.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Drought exposureImproving
23% (2021) → 5% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−17 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Child care cost burdenImproving
32.5% (2020 & 2021) → 20.1% (2023 & 2024)
−12 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
49.8% (2010 & 2021) → 61.7% (2022 & 2024)
+12 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%

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, Sturgis, MI micropolitan area improved on 18 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 6 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.

Improved18

Gyms+200%0.2 /10k → 0.5 /10k
Homicides−100%3.1 /100k → 0.0 /100k
Child poverty−8.1 points22.5% → 14.4%
Poverty−3.4 points14.8% → 11.4%
Arts & recreation+31%2.1 /10k → 2.8 /10k

Declined4

Pharmacies−33%1.5 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Uninsured+2.4 points9.9% → 12.3%
Traffic deaths+11%18.1 /100k → 20.0 /100k
Price / income+0.3×2.3× → 2.7×

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Sturgis, MI micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.1 /10k2020	2.8 /10k2025	+31%	Improved	87%
Average commute time	21.8 min2015-2019	21.0 min2020-2024	−0.8 min	Within the margin of error	85%
Average weekly wage	$8312020	$1,0712025	+29%	Improved	89%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.2%2015-2019	16.9%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Broadband subscriptions	77.4%2015-2019	88.8%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	74%
Child poverty rate	22.5%2015-2019	14.4%2020-2024	−8.1 points	Improved	92%
Distance to an airport	43 mi2020	43 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	18.1 /100k2020	11.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−35%	Improved	63%
Effective property tax rate	1.17%2015-2019	1.01%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	62%
Firearm deaths	13.0 /100k2020	10.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−21%	Improved	83%
Grocery stores	1.3 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	+12%	Improved	80%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.2 /10k2020	0.5 /10k2025	+200%	Improved	99%
High school diploma or higher	87.0%2015-2019	86.7%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	4%
Home price to income ratio	2.3×2015-2019	2.7×2020-2024	+0.3×	Declined	63%
Homicide rate	3.1 /100k2020	0.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−100%	Improved	95%
Income adjusted for local prices	$43,3252019	$58,0632024	+34%	Improved	65%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4222015-2019	0.4062020-2024	−0.015	Within the margin of error	85%
Median household income	$52,0862015-2019	$66,4252020-2024	+28%	Improved	53%
New business applications	6.0 /1k2020	9.0 /1k2025	+52%	Improved	59%
Pharmacies	1.5 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−33%	Declined	6%
Poverty rate	14.8%2015-2019	11.4%2020-2024	−3.4 points	Improved	90%
Property crime rate	1,493 /100k2020	1,297 /100k2025	−13%	Improved	15%
Public libraries	1.3 /10k2019	1.3 /10k2024	−0.3%	Little change	61%
Rent as share of income	26.9%2015-2019	25.0%2020-2024	−1.9 points	Within the margin of error	85%
Rent-burdened households	41.8%2015-2019	38.7%2020-2024	−3.1 points	Within the margin of error	80%
Restaurants and bars	8.7 /10k2020	9.5 /10k2025	+9.4%	Improved	78%
Suicide rate	16.4 /100k2020	15.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−8.5%	Improved	77%
Traffic deaths	18.1 /100k2015-2019	20.0 /100k2020-2024	+11%	Declined	44%
Unemployment rate	9.4%2020	5.2%2025	−4.2 points	Improved	83%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.9%2015-2019	12.3%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Declined	5%
Violent crime rate	487 /100k2020	456 /100k2025	−6.5%	Improved	36%

“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 Sturgis, MI micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Sturgis, 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, Sturgis, MI micropolitan area itself moved +5.6 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

60,969 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

23,620 households (±344)

Sturgis, MI micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k15%3,500
$25k–50k23%5,361
$50k–75k18%4,211

Homes

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

Owners and renters

23,620 households (±344)

Sturgis, MI micropolitan area
United States share

Own76%17,980
Rent24%5,640

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

27,025 workers (±650)

Sturgis, MI micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone72%19,553
Carpool16%4,305
Public transit0.2%†42

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 Sturgis, 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.

Sturgis, MI has 1,149 employer establishments, 189 for every 10,000 residents (0.76× the US rate of 248), with 19,429 paid employees at an average annual pay of $54,727. The Census Bureau also counts 4,186 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,149; 4,186 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 189; US 248
Paid employees: 19,429
Average annual pay: $54,727; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	88	14.4	0.79×Fewer than typical	1,537	$17,390	13
Ambulatory health care services	72	11.8	0.57×Fewer than typical	550	$57,260	133
Specialty trade contractors	59	9.7	0.63×Fewer than typical	492	$70,307	382
Religious organizations	56	9.2	1.66×More than typical	413	$15,470	—
Full-service restaurants	45	7.4	0.96×About typical	592	$17,939	7
Automotive repair and maintenance	39	6.4	1.27×More than typical	208	$46,707	60
Banks and credit unions	31	5.1	1.57×More than typical	255	$51,886	—
Limited-service restaurants	31	5.1	0.63×Fewer than typical	805	$16,113	—
Lessors of real estate	29	4.8	0.39×Fewer than typical	63	$49,048	278
Offices of physicians	29	4.8	0.73×Fewer than typical	188	$74,441	13
Fabricated metal product manufacturing	26	4.3	2.67×More than typical	1,303	$71,150	23
Building equipment contractors	25	4.1	0.68×Fewer than typical	362	$74,329	42

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 60,953 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 $33.4K on contracts performed in Sturgis, MI micropolitan area: $0.55 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $33.4K; −79% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.55; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Federal Prison Industries / Unicor$33.4K100%

Top recipients

OWENS PRODUCTS INC$33.4K100%

Spending by fiscal year

54.8KFY2017
109.5KFY2018
16.1KFY2019
46.5KFY2020
603.5KFY2021
19.3KFY2022
120KFY2023
145.1K

Top industries (NAICS)

Motor vehicle parts manufacturing · 3363$33.4K100%

Largest awards

TOOLBOXES$33.4K
OWENS PRODUCTS INC· St. Joseph County, MI· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· May 12, 2026 – May 12, 2026· 15UBAS26F00000619

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 $390.1M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Sturgis, MI micropolitan area: $6,398 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $390.1M; −3.3% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,398; US $12,955
Loan face value: $8.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.9%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$261.8M67%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$39.1M10%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$24.2M6.2%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$22.6M5.8%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$10M2.6%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$9.2M2.4%
14.195 · Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)$3M0.8%
20.265 · Carbon Reduction Program$2.5M0.6%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION, MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF$12.8M3.3%
LANSING, MI
GLEN OAKS COMMUNITY COLLEGE$2.8M0.7%
CENTREVILLE, MI
ST JOSEPH COUNTY INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL DISTRICT$2.1M0.5%
CENTREVILLE, MI
COVERED BRIDGE HEALTHCARE OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, INC.$933.6K0.2%
CENTREVILLE, MI
FHC TWO LDHA LP

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$332.7M85%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$27.3M7.0%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Federal Highway Administration$12.8M3.3%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education$3M0.8%
Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner$3M

Assistance by fiscal year

353.1MFY2021
332.1MFY2022
372.5MFY2023
375.8MFY2024
403.4MFY2025
390.1MFY2026

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 Sturgis, 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.

St. Joseph CountyCentral county4460,968

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

SturgisPrincipal city11,054

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

JSON · /api/v1/places/M44780

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved18

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Sturgis, 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 Sturgis, 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

Improved18

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