Cedar River, 2013
Gladwin’s story
151 years in pictures
Census counts: 903 in 1890, 3,069 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 2 maps from 1969 on.
- 1875Gladwin is settled
Population
3,140
2025 Census estimate · +2.4% since 2020
Typical home
$196K
+10.6% in a year
Household income
$43K
median
Median age
47.0
years
Jobs based here
2,155
A job hub
TownGrade
C−
#571 of 697 in MI
Is Gladwin a good place to live?
Gladwin gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $196K for a typical one, or 3.5 years of the county’s $55K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 571st of 697 in Michigan. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $43K, and 17% of residents live below the poverty line, and residents are less healthy than 87% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. 25% of working residents work locally in Gladwin, where Michigan’s towns sit at 5.9% and U.S. towns at 8%. The biggest park or preserve is North Park, at 31 acres.
What makes Gladwin stand out
Where Gladwin beats most towns.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here2,155
Residents who work975
Work
2.2 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 95% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021.
Natural hazardsA
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Typical home value
Gladwin$196K
Michigan$264K
Cost of livingB+
More affordable than 74% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,909 people come to Gladwin for work
Where Gladwin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,155jobs based in Gladwin
25%of working residents work in town
26 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
How Gladwin grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Gladwin is from typical.
Jobs & incomeD−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 9% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →HealthMymichigan Medical Center Gladwin 0.6 miles awayDOpen →SafetyC−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →SchoolsB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.1 of 20; 15.6% of households have no car; 1.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 5% conserved landB+Open →History3 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life3.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−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 47.0; 15% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Gladwin: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gladwin, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Gladwin water system2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpThursdayTown’s haulerTown site
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 hereGladwin City ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4862448624 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 Gladwin.
Gladwin trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, draws workers from Sage Township and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
For incomes, Gladwin earns a D−
2,155 jobs are based in Gladwin, 2.2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Gladwin’s typical journey to work comes in at 20 minutes. Jobs in Gladwin grew by 342 from 2011 to 2021, reaching 2,155. The top destinations are Midland (9%), Mount Pleasant (3%) and Beaverton (2%).
25%work in town
| Gladwin | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Gladwin25%
Midland9%
Mount Pleasant3%
Beaverton2%
Gladwin Township2%
26 mi
median commute distance
2,155
jobs based in Gladwin
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 62% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
SchoolsB+
On state tests, Gladwin’s schools beat 66% of Michigan districts
Two of its 4 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The largest public high school is Gladwin High School, with 486 students. The Gladwin Community Schools runs its public schools.
66%of MI districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gladwin Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 401 | – |
| Gladwin High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 486 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
HealthD
For health, Gladwin earns a D
Against the 3,353 U.S. towns with household incomes like Gladwin’s, it is less healthy than 51%, so that grade isn’t only a matter of income.
The share of adults in Gladwin who have high blood pressure: 41%. Among adults here, 19% smoke cigarettes and 20% report frequent mental distress.
13%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Gladwin | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 36% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better23 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Gladwin | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11.8% | 8.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.4% | 7% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.8% | 3.7% |
Mymichigan Medical Center Gladwin
0.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
8th
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Gladwin faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Federal aid has come to Gladwin households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2020. On expected storm and flood damage, Gladwin sits below 91% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 46% come from inland flooding and 20% from cold waves. This Michigan town has had one paid flood insurance claim since 2020.
9risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 2020
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SafetyC−
Gladwin sees more crime per resident than 82% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 100 to 44 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
In Gladwin, the level of violent crime is 3.5 per 1,000 residents. The town’s property crime rate stands at 10.5 per 1,000 residents.
18%of U.S. towns report more crimeC−Safety Grade
| Gladwin | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.5 per 1,000 residents | 7.8 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Gladwin3.5
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Gladwin10.5
Michigan13
U.S.15.5
18th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
20th
percentile among MI towns
11
violent crimes reported in 2025
33
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade B+
Compared with most of Michigan and the rest of the country, the median rent in Gladwin is lower
Homes are within reach (about $196K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 26 miles.
Values rose 11% in the 12 months to September 2026. For households in Gladwin, the share who live in a home they own is 52%. The typical Gladwin home is worth about $196,000, up 10.6% in a year, 26% below the Michigan typical home.
$196KZillow home value
| Gladwin | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $628 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Gladwin$196K
Michigan$264K
+10.6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Gladwin
July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 14° and about 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–32°
Spring33–56°
Summer56–80°
Fall39–59°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 9
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB+
4.8% of the land in Gladwin is protected from building
Trails total 0.6 miles in 4 parks and preserves. For Gladwin, the concentration of trails is 0.2 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves here: 4, covering 81 acres.
4.8%conserved
| Gladwin | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.8% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
4.8%
conserved · 89 of 1,843 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. South Park | 0.3 mi | 30 |
| 2. North Park | — | 31 |
| 3. Gladwin Community Arena Park | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gladwin
20pages on Gladwin
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 66% of MI districts · 4 schoolsSafetyC−3.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than MI on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$196K typical home · up 10.6% in a yearWork & commuteD−$43K median household income · 2,155 jobs hereNatural hazardsAFEMA risk higher than 9% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Gladwin
About 1 of every 100 Gladwin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Famous people from Gladwin
3 notable people were born in Gladwin.
About Gladwin
City in Michigan, United States
Gladwin is a city in Gladwin County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,069 at the 2020 census. Gladwin is the county seat of Gladwin County. The city is at the southwest corner of Gladwin Township, but the two are administered autonomously.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1875
- Area
- 2.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 784 ft
- ZIP code
- 48624
- Area code
- 989
Gladwin’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Gladwin.
Grout TownshipBuckeye TownshipGladwin TownshipSage TownshipGladwin
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladwin | #571 | C− | B+ | C− | B+ | D |
| Grout Township | — | — | A− | — | B | D |
| Buckeye Township | — | — | B | — | B | C− |
| Gladwin Township | — | — | B | — | B+ | D |
| Sage Township | #653 | D | B− | — | B+ | D |
Grout Township, Buckeye Township and Gladwin Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Grout Township, Buckeye Township, Gladwin Township and Sage Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Gladwin with a neighbor →
Questions about Gladwin
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gladwin, MI a good place to live?
Gladwin grades C− overall, better than 24% of U.S. towns and #571 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−.
Is Gladwin, 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 B+.
What is Gladwin, MI known for?
3 notable people were born here, including NF and Debbie Stabenow.