M-81, Cass City, Michigan, 2020
Cass City’s story
158 years in pictures
Census counts: 313 in 1880, 2,494 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2020 and 2 maps from 1963 on.
- 1868Cass City is settled
Cass CityMI
A town of 2,487, settled in 1868. 72% more nonprofits per person than the typical Michigan town.
Trash day: Thursday2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Drdpw · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,487
2025 Census estimate · −1.2% since 2020
Typical home
$176K
+2.8% in a year
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
42.5
years
Jobs based here
1,253
Balanced
Is Cass City a good place to live?
The best of Cass City’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and civic life and an A− for schools; the weakest is a D for incomes. On hazard risk, just 35 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do worse. 12% of the land in Cass City is conserved, where Michigan’s towns sit at 4.4% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Only 89 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on the outdoors. The biggest park or preserve is Cass City Public Park, at 66 acres. Cass City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Cass City stand out
Where Cass City beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Cass City5.3
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MI town3.1
Civic lifeA
72% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Michigan town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Typical home value
Cass City$176K
Michigan$264K
Cost of livingA
2.8 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 88% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
How Cass City grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Cass City is from typical.
Jobs & income$53K median household incomeDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →SchoolsBeat 79% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationA−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →HealthHills & Dales General Hospital 0.4 miles awayCOpen →SafetyB−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 7.6% of households have no car; 1.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailAOpen →History3 notable people born hereBOpen →Civic life5.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 42.5; 20% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Cass City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cass City, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Cass City water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpThursdayTrash dayTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereElkland Township ClerkElkland Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4872648726 100%Census 2020
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 Cass City.
HousingCost of living grade A
Compared with most of Michigan and the rest of the country, the median rent in Cass City is lower
Cass City’s median rent is $642 a month, below both Michigan’s towns ($1,046 a month) and U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The typical Cass City home is worth about $176,000, up 2.8% in a year, 33% below the Michigan typical home.
$176KZillow home value
| Cass City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $642 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 83% | 84% | 73% |
Typical home value
Cass City$176K
Michigan$264K
+2.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthC
On CDC estimates, Cass City is less healthy than 67% of U.S. towns
Cass City beats the Michigan average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 40% of Cass City adults have obesity.
33%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Cass City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
1 better28 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Cass City | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.3% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 8.9% |
Hills & Dales General Hospital
0.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Cass City stands out in Michigan and nationally, with the FEMA risk score higher than most
The FEMA risk score in Cass City is 68 of 100.
68risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Cass City, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Cass City has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Cass City’s July high is 81°F.
43″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–32°
Spring34–55°
Summer57–79°
Fall40–59°
Oct 10
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
A job hub: Cass City has 1.4 jobs for every working resident and draws in 1,061 commuters
About one in 5 of Cass City’s working residents works in town. 21% of residents live below the poverty line in Cass City. Since 2011, Cass City has lost 237 jobs, to 1,253 in 2021.
22%work in town
| Cass City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Cass City22%
Elkland Township23%
Caro9%
Winsor Township5%
Bad Axe4%
17 mi
median commute distance
1,253
jobs based in Cass City
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 50% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
OutdoorsA
Cass City has set aside 12.2% of its land for conservation
1.1 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
12.2%conserved
12.2%
conserved · 138 of 1,135 acres
1.1 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cass City Public Park | — | 66 |
| 2. Northwood Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
47%of U.S. towns report more crimeB−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Cass City2.8
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Cass City6.9
Michigan13
U.S.15.5
47th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
7
violent crimes reported in 2025
17
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cass City
20pages on Cass City
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 79% of MI districtsSafetyB−2.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than MI on 1 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$176K typical home · up 2.8% in a yearWork & commuteD$53K median household income · 1,253 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 68% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Cass City; the nearest are
Saginaw Valley State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · University Center39.9 mi$12,930 in-state tuitionDelta CollegeCommunity college · Public · University Center40.6 mi$4,820 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Cass City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Famous people from Cass City
3 notable people were born in Cass City.
About Cass City
Village in Michigan, United States
Cass City is a village in Elkland Township, Tuscola County in the Flint/Tri-Cities area of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, Cass City had a population of 2,494. It is located along M-81 approximately four miles (6.4 km) west of that highway's intersection with M-53. Cass City is surrounded by several communities, including Colwood, Deford, Elmwood and Ellington.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 745 ft
- ZIP code
- 48726
Cass City’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Cass City.
Elkland TownshipNovesta TownshipCass City
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass City | — | — | A | B− | A− | C |
| Elkland Township | #429 | B− | A− | — | A− | C |
| Novesta Township | — | — | B− | — | A− | C |
Cass City and Novesta Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Elkland Township and Novesta Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Cass City with a neighbor →
Questions about Cass City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cass City, MI a good place to live?
72% more nonprofits per person than the typical Michigan town.
Is Cass City, MI expensive?
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 A.
What is Cass City, MI known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Brewster H. Shaw and James Brooker.