Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Algonac gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $261K for a typical one, or 3.4 years of the Detroit metro’s $77K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 459th of 697 graded towns in Michigan. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 88% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates, and the median household income is $57K, and 14% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 86% of U.S. towns. Algonac’s average trip to work is 31 minutes, above both the Michigan town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Algonac's public schools beat 70% of Michigan towns on state tests and graduation.
Where Algonac beats most towns.
Where Algonac’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Algonac is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Its founding year, 1805, comes before those of 99% of the Michigan towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 754 in 1870, 4,196 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1898 and 5 maps from 1914 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Algonac, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Algonac.
Algonac trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and has added half again as many jobs in ten years.
1.1 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The trail density in Algonac is 0.7 miles per square mile.
| Algonac | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Riverfront Park | 0.5 mi | 7 |
| 2. Lions Field | 0.3 mi | 9 |
| 3. Smith Field | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
20% of adults smoke cigarettes in Algonac. Algonac beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 17% of adults report frequent physical distress in Algonac.
| Algonac | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | Algonac | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.8% | 10.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.7% | 8.1% |
| More smokers | 20% | 14.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here grew from 408 in 2011 to 719.
Most working residents leave Algonac for work: only 5% work in town. Jobs based in Algonac grew to 719 in 2021, 311 more than in 2011. 15% of Algonac residents live below the poverty line.
| Algonac | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 5.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Algonac has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Algonac’s July high is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 85 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Algonac.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Homes are within reach (about $261K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 25 miles. 66.6% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 50.4% across Michigan.
The typical Algonac home is worth about $261,000, up 2.4% in a year, close to the Michigan typical home.
| Algonac | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $910 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 84% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Algonac. Close and well known come first.
14 mi LakeLake Saint Clair
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaFord Field
33 mi Stadium & arenaComerica Park
33 mi TheatreFox Theatre
30 mi GardenBelle Isle Park
33 mi MuseumDetroit Institute of ArtsLake Saint Clair: Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Ford Field: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 · Comerica Park: City of Detroit, Public domain · Fox Theatre: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Belle Isle Park: WMrapids, CC0 · Detroit Institute of Arts: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Algonac; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Algonac residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
City in Michigan, United States
Algonac ( AWL-gə-nack) is a city in St. Clair County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,196 at the 2020 census. Incorporated as a village in 1867 and again as a city in 1967, Algonac is located at the southern end of the St. Clair River and contains a long boardwalk and riverfront park. Algonac State Park is located just north of the city. The city is also notable for the founding and headquarters of the now-defunct Chris-Craft Boats company.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Algonac.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algonac | #459 | C+ | B+ | — | B+ | D |
| Pearl Beach | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Algonac reports no FBI crime data of its own. Pearl Beach isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Algonac with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Algonac grades C+ overall, better than 43% of U.S. towns and #459 of 697 in Michigan. It grades D for health and B+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
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