BrimleyMI
A town of 345, settled in 1896.
Is Brimley a good place to live?
Brimley’s typical July afternoon high is 75°F, where Michigan’s towns sit at 82°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. Among 702 Michigan towns, just 2 have a higher owner-occupancy rate than Brimley. Brimley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
345 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Brimley: who provides what
Brimley is unincorporated, so Chippewa County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Brimley.
The median age in Brimley is higher than in most of Michigan or the rest of the country
People 65 and older are just over two in five residents (19% statewide); children under 18 are 10% of residents (21% statewide). 30% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 32% across Michigan.
| Brimley | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 59.3 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 26% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
57% women, 43% men
About 76 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.4 points). Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Brimley | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.1% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.3% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1.2% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.1% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.4% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 26.1% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 16.2% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.2% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.1% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.3% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.5% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.3% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.5% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
The biggest natural risk in Brimley is inland flooding, at a very low overall level
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 95% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in Brimley, 74% come from inland flooding and 17% from cold waves.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Brimley has 0.5 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
Brimley’s average trip to work is 19 minutes. Just 2% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Employers in Brimley added 69 jobs between 2011 and 2021, to 105. The top destinations are Sault Ste. Marie (36%), Bay Mills Township (22%) and Kinross Township (7%).
| Brimley | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Brimley stands out in Michigan and nationally, with a typical January night colder than most
Summers in Brimley are cool, and winters cold, snowy. July afternoons reach 75°, January nights drop to 8° and about 120 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical home in Brimley is valued at about $228K
Typical home values rose 14% in the year to September 2026.
Typical home value
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
How healthy Brimley is
The share of adults in Brimley who worry about having enough food: 16%. This Michigan town beats the Michigan average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11. Two figures for adults locally: 18% report frequent physical distress, 16% have diabetes.
| Brimley | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 16% |
| What stands out | Brimley | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82% | 77.6% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 89.6% | 87.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.4% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Superior State Forest - Sault Ste. Marie Unit | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Soo Locks and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brimley. Close and well known come first.
13 mi DamSoo Locks
34 mi WaterfallTahquamenon Falls37 mi Park & preserveMackinac National Park
38 mi LandmarkFort Mackinac
13 mi MuseumSS Valley Camp
31 mi MuseumGreat Lakes Shipwreck MuseumPhoto credits
Soo Locks: USGS, Public domain · Tahquamenon Falls: Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0 · Fort Mackinac: P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0 · SS Valley Camp: Cason at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum: Doug Coldwell, CC BY-SA 4.0
Everything we know about Brimley
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Brimley
About 3 of every 100 Brimley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
98% of working residents leave Brimley for work
Where Brimley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
About Brimley
Census-designated place and unincorporated community in Michigan, United States
Brimley is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Chippewa County, Michigan. The CDP had a population of 501 at the 2020 census. Brimley is located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and is located along the southern shore of Lake Superior. The community is located within Superior Township. Brimley is home to Brimley State Park and Bay Mills Resort & Casino, the latter operated by the Bay Mills Indian Community. As an unincorporated community, Brimley has no legal autonomy of its own, however it does have its own post office with the 49715 ZIP Code.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 659 ft
- ZIP code
- 49715
Questions about Brimley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Brimley, MI a good place to live?
Brimley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.