Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Crystal Falls’ subject grades are an A for cost of living and history and an A+ for civic life; the weakest is a D for incomes. On incomes, just 69 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do worse. Crystal Falls is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 74% of U.S. towns. Only one of the 702 Michigan towns we compare has a lower January low than Crystal Falls. Its National Register listings include Iron County Courthouse and Crystal Falls Dam and Power Plant. Only 10 of Michigan’s 1,265 towns score higher on civic life. The biggest park or preserve is Runkle Lake Park, at 39 acres. Crystal Falls has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Crystal Falls beats most towns.
Iron County Courthouse
Census counts: 3,231 in 1900, a peak of 3,775 in 1910, 1,598 in 2020. The archive holds 23 old photos and papers going back to 1911 and 2 maps from 1899 on.
17 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Crystal Falls is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Crystal Falls, 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 Crystal Falls.
78% of Crystal Falls’s expected losses from natural hazards come from cold waves, followed by inland flooding at 14%. Compared with 90% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in the town is lower. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2002.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Forest Park School District runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Forest Park School, with 481 students. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Park SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 481 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Crystal Falls’ midpoint rent is $791 a month. Home values are up 14% over the year to September 2026. Just over four fifths of Crystal Falls households are owner-occupiers.
| Crystal Falls | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $791 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 81% | 84% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Among adults in Crystal Falls, 39% have obesity. 40% of adults have high blood pressure in the town, where Michigan’s towns sit at 36% and U.S. towns at 35%. In Crystal Falls, 16% of adults report frequent physical distress, and 17% smoke cigarettes.
| Crystal Falls | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Crystal Falls | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.9% | 10.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 10% | 8.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.6% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Crystal Falls’ typical July afternoon high stands at 78°F, below both Michigan’s towns (82°F) and U.S. towns (85°F).
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Since 2011, Crystal Falls has lost 78 jobs, to 640 in 2021. Commuting out is the norm in the town: 15% of working residents work locally. Crystal Falls’ average trip to work stands at 17 minutes. The top destinations are Crystal Falls Township (15%), Iron River (11%) and Iron Mountain (11%).
| Crystal Falls | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
In Crystal Falls, the rate of thefts and burglaries is 1.2 per 1,000 residents. Crystal Falls's reported crime rate is well below Michigan's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Crystal Falls | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
There are 2.3 miles of trail across 3 parks and preserves. Crystal Falls’ concentration of trails comes in at 0.6 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves here: 3, covering 151 acres.
| Crystal Falls | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.4% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Copper Country State Forest - Crystal Falls Unit | 1.1 mi | 107 |
| 2. Runkle Lake Park | — | 39 |
| 3. Lincoln Park | 0.2 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Crystal Falls; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Crystal Falls residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
17 places in Crystal Falls on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Crystal Falls.
City in Michigan, United States
Crystal Falls is a city in and the county seat of Iron County, Michigan, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,598. The city is located within Crystal Falls Township, but is a separate municipal entity. The area first developed as a major center for iron mining and the timber industry; it has become increasingly popular for tourism in recent years.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Crystal Falls.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Falls | — | — | A | — | C+ | C |
| Crystal Falls Township | — | — | C− | — | C+ | C |
Crystal Falls and Crystal Falls Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Crystal Falls and Crystal Falls Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Crystal Falls with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. That is 3 years of the area's median household income ($55,940 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.
4 notable people were born here, including Patrick Leonard and David Ott.
