Farrand Hall, 1877
Colon’s story
190 years in pictures
Census counts: 311 in 1860, 1,199 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 1877 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
- 1836Colon is settled
ColonMI
Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,182
2025 Census estimate · −2.3% since 2020
Typical home
$207K
+4.3% in a year
Household income
$59K
median
Median age
39.0
years
Jobs based here
373
A commuter town
Is Colon a good place to live?
Colon’s best subject grade is an A+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D for schools. On cost of living, just 16 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better. Colon is more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns. Only 6 of the 273 Michigan towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Colon. Colon has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Colon stand out
Where Colon beats most towns.
Small town
1,182 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Colon grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Colon is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →SchoolsBehind 86% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationDOpen →Jobs & income$59K median household incomeC−Open →HealthSturgis Hospital 12.6 miles awayC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.2 of 20; 16.4% of households have no car; 8.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →SafetyB−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 47% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsCOpen →History1 notable person born hereA−Open →Civic life2.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
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 39.0; 17% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Colon: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Colon, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterColon water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Colon’s trash rules yet
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 hereColon Township ClerkColon Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4904049040 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 Colon.
HealthC−
Health in Colon trails 79% of U.S. towns
Colon beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 19% of adults smoke cigarettes in Colon, above both Michigan’s towns (15%) and U.S. towns (14%). 17% of adults report frequent physical distress in Colon.
21%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Colon | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better24 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Colon | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.8% | 10.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 11% | 8.1% |
| More smokers | 19.3% | 14.6% |
Sturgis Hospital
12.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
With 0.7 jobs for every working resident, most of Colon’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Colon for work: only 8% work in town. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Colon, above both the Michigan town median (8.9%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Since 2011, Colon has lost 260 jobs, to 373 in 2021.
8%work in town
| Colon | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $59,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Colon8%
Sturgis10%
Colon Township8%
Lockport Township6%
Coldwater5%
17 mi
median commute distance
373
jobs based in Colon
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade A+
The typical home in Colon is valued at about $207K
The typical Colon home is worth about $207,000, up 4.3% in a year, 21% below the Michigan typical home. The median rent in Colon is $785 a month.
$207KZillow home value
| Colon | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $785 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 84% | 73% |
Typical home value
Colon$207K
Michigan$264K
+4.3%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Colon has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Colon has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 17° and about 41 inches of snow falls in a winter.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–34°
Spring37–59°
Summer59–81°
Fall41–61°
Oct 17
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
SafetyB−
Colon reports more crime per resident than 54% of U.S. towns
Colon’s property crime rate is 15.9 per 1,000 residents.
46%of U.S. towns report more crimeB−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Colon0
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Colon15.9
Michigan13
U.S.15.5
46th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
19
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Colon
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Colon.
47risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
9
paid flood claims since 1980
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,106 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Colon Community Park | 0.2 mi | 9 |
| 2. Sturgeon Lake Public Access | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Colon
20pages on Colon
The big questions
SchoolsDBehind 86% of MI districtsSafetyB−0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than MI on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA+$207K typical home · up 4.3% in a yearWork & commuteC−$59K median household income · 373 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 47% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Colon
About 5 of every 100 Colon residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Colon for work
Where Colon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
373jobs based in Colon
8%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Colon
Village in Michigan, United States
Colon is a village in St. Joseph County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,199 at the 2020 census. The village is located within Colon Township. It is known as "The Magic Capital of the World", as it is the home of the Abbott Magic Company, the site of the annual Abbott's Magic Get-Together, and the former home and burial site of the famed stage magician Harry Blackstone, Sr.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 863 ft
- ZIP code
- 49040
Questions about Colon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Colon, 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+.