Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,804, settled in 1870. 72% more nonprofits per person than the typical Michigan town.
Cheboygan gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $229K, 3.6 years of the county’s $63K median household income. It grades C+ overall, 497th among Michigan's 697 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $42K, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line, and CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 87% of the country. On the plus side, 7% of its land is conserved. Only 86 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on walkability. Cheboygan's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 91% of U.S. towns. Cheboygan has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Cheboyan Bascule Bridge and Newton-Allaire House.
Where Cheboygan beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Cheboygan is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,269 in 1880, a peak of 6,859 in 1910, 4,770 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1869 and 2 maps from 1957 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cheboygan, 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 Cheboygan.
Cheboygan trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns, but it is a long drive from an emergency room.
The nearest emergency room, Mackinac Straits Hospital and Health Center, is 21.3 miles away in a straight line. Against the 3,123 U.S. towns with household incomes like Cheboygan’s, it is healthier than 52%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
17% of Cheboygan adults report frequent physical distress, above both the Michigan town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 19% of Cheboygan adults smoke cigarettes. Cheboygan beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
| Cheboygan | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| What stands out | Cheboygan | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11.2% | 8.1% |
| More smokers | 19% | 14.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.1% | 10.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Cheboygan Area Schools. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Cheboygan Area High School, with 548 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–3 | Grades K–3 | 301 | – |
| Cheboygan Area High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 8–12 | Grades 8–12 | 548 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
4.1 miles of trail in 16 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Joseph Doyle Recreation Area, at 146 acres.
| Cheboygan | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.6% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Duncan Bay Nature Preserve | 0.6 mi | 137 |
| 2. Major City Park | 0.5 mi | 45 |
| 3. Joseph Doyle Recreation Area | 0.4 mi | 146 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Cheboygan’s violent crime rate is 2.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Cheboygan | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.1 per 1,000 residents | 7.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Cheboygan weather station records that 88 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 76.8°, cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 13.2°.
The July high in Cheboygan is 77°F. Cheboygan has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The January low in Cheboygan is 13°F.
| Cheboygan | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 77°F | 82°F | 85°F |
| January low | 13°F | 16°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
24% of working residents work locally in Cheboygan. Jobs based in Cheboygan fell to 2,059 in 2021, 287 fewer than in 2011. The top destinations are Inverness Township (5%), Mackinaw Township (5%) and Petoskey (4%).
| Cheboygan | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 24% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Homes are within reach (about $229K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 29 miles.
The typical Cheboygan home is worth about $229,000, up 3.2% in a year, 13% below the Michigan typical home.
| Cheboygan | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $683 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 84% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cheboygan. Close and well known come first.
18 mi LakeLake Michigan–Huron
16 mi Ancient siteFort Michilimackinac17 mi Park & preserveMackinac National Park
16 mi LandmarkFort Mackinac
20 mi MuseumSt. Ignace Mission
16 mi MuseumMackinac Art MuseumLake Michigan–Huron: ChongDae, Public domain · Fort Michilimackinac: WMrapids, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Mackinac: P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0 · St. Ignace Mission: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mackinac Art Museum: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Cheboygan; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Cheboygan residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
3 places in Cheboygan on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Cheboygan.
City in Michigan, United States
Cheboygan ( shə-BOY-gən) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of and the largest settlement in Cheboygan County. At the 2020 census, Cheboygan had a population of 4,770. Cheboygan is situated on Lake Huron at the mouth of the Cheboygan River. It is the third-largest American city on Lake Huron after Port Huron and Alpena. Cheboygan is part of Northern Michigan, and is the northernmost city in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Directly north of Cheboygan is Bois Blanc Island (part of Mackinac County), which can be accessed via ferry from Cheboygan.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Cheboygan.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheboygan | #497 | C+ | A− | C | B+ | D |
| Benton Township | #570 | C− | B+ | — | B+ | C |
| Inverness Township | — | — | B+ | — | B+ | C |
| Beaugrand Township | — | — | A− | — | B+ | C |
Inverness Township and Beaugrand Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Benton Township, Inverness Township and Beaugrand Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Cheboygan with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cheboygan grades C+ overall, better than 37% of U.S. towns and #497 of 697 in Michigan. It grades D for health, C for safety and B+ 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 A−.
6 notable people were born here, including George Magoffin Humphrey and Scott Sigler.
