St. Jude-Gobles, 2021
Gobles’s story
162 years in pictures
Census counts: 181 in 1880, 851 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and a map from 1946 on.
- 1864Gobles is settled
GoblesMI
A town of 830, settled in 1864.
Population
830
2025 Census estimate · −2.2% since 2020
Typical home
$259K
+4.6% in a year
Household income
$44K
median
Median age
51.4
years
Jobs based here
353
Balanced
Is Gobles a good place to live?
23% of residents live below the poverty line in Gobles, above both the Michigan town median (8.9%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Gobles’ trail density is 2.2 miles per square mile, where Michigan’s towns sit at 0.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. The biggest park or preserve is City of Gobles Recreation Park, at 27 acres. Gobles has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
830 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Pine Grove TownshipBloomingdale TownshipGobles
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Gobles: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gobles, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGobles water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Gobles’ 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 hereGobles City ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4905549055 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 Gobles.
Schools
The schools Gobles’s kids attend
Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Michigan Online School, with 1,268 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gobles Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 355 | B |
| Gobles High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 396 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Gobles faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
22risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Gobles, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Gobles 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°
Spring37–58°
Summer59–81°
Fall42–61°
Oct 11
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
With 1.2 jobs for every working resident, Gobles draws in 343 commuters
Most working residents leave Gobles for work: only 3% work in town. Gobles’ median household income is $44,000. Jobs based in Gobles grew to 353 in 2021, 195 more than in 2011.
3%work in town
| Gobles | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.5% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Gobles3%
Bloomingdale Township7%
Kalamazoo6%
Allegan5%
Kalamazoo Township5%
16 mi
median commute distance
353
jobs based in Gobles
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Health
A larger share of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Gobles than in most of Michigan or the rest of the country
30% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Gobles. Gobles beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 41% of adults have obesity in Gobles.
| Gobles | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 27% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better15 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Gobles | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.9% | 10.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.7% | 8.1% |
| More smokers | 20.2% | 14.6% |
Bronson Lakeview Hospital
9.8 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
6.2%conserved
6.2%
conserved · 41 of 661 acres
2.2 mi
of trails · 2.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City of Gobles Recreation Park | — | 27 |
| 2. Downtown City of Gobles Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
Gobles stands out in Michigan and nationally, with the median rent lower than most
The median rent in Gobles is $630 a month. Typical home values rose 4.6% in the year to September 2026. 70% of Gobles households own their home.
$259KZillow home value
| Gobles | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $630 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 84% | 73% |
Typical home value
Gobles$259K
Michigan$264K
+4.6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 32 attractions →Air Zoo and 8 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Gobles. Close and well known come first.
19 mi Theme parkAir Zoo
24 mi MuseumGilmore Car Museum87K visitors a year
16 mi MuseumKalamazoo Institute of Arts38 mi Zoo & aquariumBinder Park Zoo
16 mi MuseumKalamazoo Valley Museum
21 mi MuseumMichigan Maritime MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Air Zoo: User:my name, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gilmore Car Museum: Kevin S. Forsyth, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kalamazoo Institute of Arts: 72elyod, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kalamazoo Valley Museum: Cody Hough, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Michigan Maritime Museum: Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gobles
18pages on Gobles
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Gobles
Kalamazoo Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Kalamazoo13.7 mi$4,144 in-state tuitionWestern Michigan UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Kalamazoo14.5 mi$15,252 in-state tuitionKalamazoo CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Kalamazoo14.9 mi$61,050 tuition
About 3 of every 100 Gobles residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Gobles
City in Michigan, United States
Gobles is a city in Van Buren County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, Gobles had a population of 851. It was originally called Gobleville, after its founders, the Goble family.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1864
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 814 ft
- ZIP code
- 49055
- Area code
- 269
Questions about Gobles
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gobles, MI a good place to live?
Gobles has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.