Jennie Bull's Room (1960), 2016
Decatur’s story
188 years in pictures
Census counts: 564 in 1860, 1,651 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 2 maps from 1944 on.
- 1838Decatur is settled
DecaturMI
Population
1,646
2025 Census estimate · −2.8% since 2020
Typical home
$213K
+2.2% in a year
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
33.3
years
Jobs based here
558
Balanced
Is Decatur a good place to live?
The best of Decatur’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for history; the weakest is a C− for safety. Decatur’s violent crime rate is 6.1 per 1,000 residents, where Michigan’s towns sit at 1.9 and U.S. towns at 1.6. Decatur has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Decatur stand out
Where Decatur beats most towns.
Typical home value
Decatur$213K
Michigan$264K
Cost of livingA
3.1 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 86% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
0historic places
HistoryA−
Settled in 1838
A long history
A history going back 188 years.
Natural hazardsB+
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
How Decatur grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Decatur is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →SafetyC−Open →Jobs & income$62K median household incomeC−Open →HealthBronson Lakeview Hospital 8.8 miles awayC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 27% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.1 of 20; 4.3% of households have no car; 3.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →SchoolsBehind 53% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landCOpen →History2 notable people born hereA−Open →Civic life2.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
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 33.3; 15% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Decatur: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Decatur, and how to reach them.
PowerMidwest Energy Cooperative19.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDecatur water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Decatur’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 hereDecatur Township ClerkDecatur Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4904549045 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 Decatur.
SafetyC−
Crime per resident in Decatur is higher than in 80% of U.S. towns
Decatur’s property crime rate is 21.8 per 1,000 residents, above both Michigan’s towns (7.9) and U.S. towns (9.9).
20%of U.S. towns report more crimeC−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Decatur6.1
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Decatur21.8
Michigan13
U.S.15.5
20th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
10
violent crimes reported in 2025
36
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HealthC−
On CDC estimates, Decatur is less healthy than 78% of U.S. towns
Decatur beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 29% of Decatur adults have been diagnosed with depression.
22%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Decatur | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Decatur | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 9% | 6.9% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 63.8% | 68% |
Bronson Lakeview Hospital
8.8 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Decatur faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
27risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Decatur
Decatur has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 18° and about 109 inches of snow falls in a winter.
109″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter20–35°
Spring37–59°
Summer59–81°
Fall42–62°
Oct 11
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A
The typical home in Decatur is valued at about $213K
The typical Decatur home is worth about $213,000, up 2.2% in a year, 19% below the Michigan typical home. Decatur’s median rent is $785 a month.
$213KZillow home value
| Decatur | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $785 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 84% | 73% |
Typical home value
Decatur$213K
Michigan$264K
+2.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Decatur has 0.9 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Decatur for work: only 9% work in town. 20% of residents live below the poverty line in Decatur. Jobs based in Decatur grew to 558 in 2021, 66 more than in 2011.
9%work in town
| Decatur | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 10% | 11% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Decatur9%
Decatur Township11%
Portage10%
Paw Paw Township7%
Antwerp Township7%
22 mi
median commute distance
558
jobs based in Decatur
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 66% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
OutdoorsC
Decatur has set aside 0.6% of its land for conservation
0.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
0.6%conserved
| Decatur | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
0.6%
conserved · 6 of 910 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Woolfe Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Decatur
20pages on Decatur
The big questions
SchoolsB−Behind 53% of MI districtsSafetyC−6.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than MI on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$213K typical home · up 2.2% in a yearWork & commuteC−$62K median household income · 558 jobs hereNatural hazardsB+FEMA risk higher than 27% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Decatur
About 3 of every 100 Decatur residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Decatur
Village in Michigan, United States
Decatur is a village in Van Buren County, Michigan, United States. As of the 2020 census, Decatur had a population of 1,651. The village is located within Decatur Township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 787 ft
- ZIP code
- 49045
Questions about Decatur
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Decatur, 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 Decatur, MI known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Carl Browne Squier and Adelbert H. Roberts.