Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 4,444, settled in 1874.
Gaylord's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades C, 554th of 697 graded towns in Michigan. Its schools outperform 77% of the state's and it has 8 miles of trail. Its weakest subject is safety: its crime rate is higher than 90% of U.S. towns, with 19 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. 34% of working residents work locally in Gaylord, against 5.9% in Michigan’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Only 73 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on walkability. Gaylord's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 99% of U.S. towns.
Where Gaylord beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
3,645 counted in 2010 and 4,286 in 2020; an estimated 4,444 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Gaylord is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 292 in 1880, 4,286 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1908 and 3 maps from 1954 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gaylord, 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 Gaylord.
Gaylord draws workers from Bagley Township and beyond and has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, but it is a long drive from an emergency room.
Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #21 of 701 in Michigan.
Gaylord’s trail density stands at 1.5 miles per square mile. 7.8 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. Aspen Park, at 118 acres with 5.3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Aspen Park | 5.3 mi | 118 |
| 2. Patrick Mankowski Elk Park | — | 47 |
| 3. Pontresina Park & Community Dog Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Gaylord Community Schools. Three of its 5 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. 4 public schools serve Gaylord, with 1,840 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaylord Intermediate SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 4–6 | Grades 4–6 | 632 | B |
| St. Mary Cathedral School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 344 | – |
| Gaylord Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 435 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
5,519 jobs are based in Gaylord, 3.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 18.1 minutes, against 24.2 across Michigan.
For Gaylord, the middle household income is $45,000. Jobs based locally fell to 5,519 in 2021, 348 fewer than in 2011. Half the trips to work are shorter than 19 miles. The top destinations are Bagley Township (5%), Livingston Township (5%) and Traverse City (3%).
| Gaylord | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Federal aid has come to Gaylord households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2025. 31% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 30%. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 100% of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Property crime runs at 29.1 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Michigan rate, most of it theft.
The violent crime rate in Gaylord is 4.3 per 1,000 residents. The rate of thefts and burglaries locally is 29.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Gaylord | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 29.1 per 1,000 residents | 7.8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The nearest emergency room, Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital, is 24.2 miles away in a straight line. Against the 3,894 U.S. towns with household incomes like Gaylord’s, it is healthier than 78%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Gaylord: 29% of adults have been diagnosed with depression. In Gaylord, nearly a fifth of adults report frequent mental distress, and 15% report frequent physical distress.
| Gaylord | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Gaylord | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 10% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Gaylord weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 125 days, shorter than in 95% of U.S. towns. The Gaylord weather station records that 140 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 99% of U.S. towns.
Gaylord’s midsummer high is 78°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Only 30.9% of households own their home, against 73.2% across Michigan.
Population is up 3.7% in Gaylord since 2020, to 4,444 by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Adults 18 to 34 are 27% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 34% of residents (38% statewide). Among residents locally, 21% are 65 or older. The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 25%, against 32% across Michigan.
| Gaylord | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 40 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 26% | 29% |
55% women, 45% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.4 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Gaylord | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.1% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.2% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 15% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.3% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.8% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.8% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.5% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.3% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.8% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.9% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.7% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.9% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.9% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.8% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,400, single groups can be off by several points
A typical home in Gaylord is worth about $266,000, up 3.7% in a year, close to the Michigan typical home. The midpoint rent for Gaylord comes to $977 a month.
| Gaylord | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 31% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $977 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Gaylord; the nearest are
About 8 of every 100 Gaylord residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
11.5% of the town is conserved land, across 8 parks and preserves.
2 places in Gaylord on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Michigan, United States
Gaylord ( GAY-lərd) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Otsego County, and the only city within the county. Gaylord had a population of 4,286 at the 2020 census, an increase from 3,645 at the 2010 census. Gaylord styles itself as an "alpine village" and contains many buildings in the downtown area with Tyrolean style motifs. Receiving abundant snowfall and experiencing mild summer temperatures, the area around Gaylord has long been known for its many skiing and golf resorts, one of the largest such concentrations in the Midwestern United States.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Gaylord.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaylord | #554 | C | C | D | A− | C |
| Bagley Township | #230 | B+ | B+ | — | A− | C+ |
| Livingston Township | #174 | A− | B+ | — | A− | C+ |
Bagley Township and Livingston Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Gaylord with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Gaylord grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #554 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C for health, D for safety and A− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
