Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Alpena gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $192K for a typical one, or 3.6 years of the Alpena area’s $54K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 581st of 697 in Michigan. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $48K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line, and residents are less healthy than 88% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 84% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 95% of U.S. towns, with 6 places on the National Register. Alpena’s average trip to work is 11 minutes, against 25 minutes in Michigan’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. On history, just 34 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better. Alpena is home to Alpena Community College.
Where Alpena beats most towns.
Alpena County Courthouse
Census counts: 6,153 in 1880, a peak of 14,682 in 1960, 10,197 in 2020. The archive holds 29 old photos and papers going back to 1875 and 2 maps from 1971 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Alpena is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alpena, 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 Alpena.
Alpena draws workers from Alpena Township and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns.
5,969 jobs are based in Alpena, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 11.1 minutes, against 24.2 across Michigan.
39% of working residents work locally in Alpena. Jobs based in Alpena grew to 5,969 in 2021, 462 more than in 2011. The top destinations are Alpena Township (21%), Lansing (1%) and Gaylord (1%).
| Alpena | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 39% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Alpena Public Schools. Three of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Alpena High School, with 1,091 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Besser Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 470 | B− |
| Alpena High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 1,091 | B |
| Pied Piper SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 45 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Against the 4,855 U.S. towns with household incomes like Alpena’s, it is less healthy than 66%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
17% of Alpena adults report frequent physical distress. Alpena beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 19% of Alpena adults smoke cigarettes.
| Alpena | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Alpena | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.1% | 10.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.9% | 8.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.4% | 7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Alpena | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Island Park | 1.4 mi | 18 |
| 2. Mich-e-ke-wis Park | 0.4 mi | 17 |
| 3. Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 75% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Alpena.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The violent crime rate in Alpena is 4.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Alpena | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9 per 1,000 residents | 7.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Alpena’s median rent is $625 a month. Typical home values rose 8.8% in the year to September 2026.
| Alpena | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $625 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 84% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
July afternoons average 77.7°, cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 14.3°.
Alpena has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. About 59 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Alpena | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 78°F | 82°F | 85°F |
| January low | 14°F | 16°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1 within 15 miles of the center of Alpena
About 3 of every 100 Alpena residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
6 places in Alpena on the National Register of Historic Places.
23 notable people were born in Alpena.
City in Michigan, United States
Alpena ( al-PEE-nə) is the only city in and the county seat of Alpena County, Michigan, United States. The population was 10,197 at the 2020 census, making it the third most populated city in the Northern Michigan region, after Traverse City and Cadillac. The city is surrounded by Alpena Township, but the two are administered autonomously. It is the core city of the Alpena micropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Alpena County and had a total population of 28,907 at the 2020 census. Alpena is located at the head of Thunder Bay, a bay of Lake Huron. Offshore of Alpena is the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which protects an estimated 116 historically significant shipwre…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Alpena grades C− overall, better than 23% of U.S. towns and #581 of 697 in Michigan. It grades D for health, C for safety and C+ for schools. Jobs & income 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+.
23 notable people were born here, including Michael Bailey Smith and Stanley Grenz.
