Grand Marais Harbor, 1986
Grand Marais’s story
141 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1986 and 2 maps from 1968 on.
- 1885Grand Marais is settled
Grand MaraisMI
This town of 153 people was settled in 1885.
Population
153
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$167K
Census ACS
Household income
$50K
median
Median age
70.1
years
Jobs based here
40
A commuter town
Is Grand Marais a good place to live?
Grand Marais’ typical journey to work is 5 minutes, where Michigan’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Of the 702 Michigan towns we compare, none has a higher median age than Grand Marais. The biggest park or preserve is Woodland Park, at 27 acres. Grand Marais has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
153 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Grand Marais: who provides what
Grand Marais is unincorporated, so Alger County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerUpper Michigan Energy Resources17.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBurt Township water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesAlger CountyAlger County provides services here
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 hereBurt Township ClerkBurt Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4983949839 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 Grand Marais.
Work & commute
With only 0.6 jobs per working resident, most people in Grand Marais work out of town
The median commute is under 38 miles. Grand Marais’ typical household income is recorded as $50,000. The top destinations are Munising (42%), Munising Township (15%) and Marquette (6%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Grand Marais0%
Munising42%
Munising Township15%
Marquette6%
Au Train Township4%
38 mi
median commute distance
40
jobs based in Grand Marais
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Climate
A typical July afternoon in Grand Marais is cooler than in most of Michigan or the rest of the country
Winters in Grand Marais are cold and summers cool. July afternoons reach 72° and January nights drop to 11°.
72°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–25°
Spring28–45°
Summer52–71°
Fall38–52°
Oct 10
typical first frost
May 27
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
72°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
More of Grand Marais’ adults have high blood pressure than in the typical Michigan or U.S. town
For adults in Grand Marais, the share who sleep under 7 hours is 30%. Of the 702 Michigan towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Grand Marais. This Michigan town does better than the Michigan average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 9.
| Grand Marais | Typical Michigan town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 12% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 51% | 36% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 87% | 80% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
10 better13 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Grand Marais | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.4% | 8.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 13.1% | 7% |
Helen Newberry Joy Hospital
30.9 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Grand Marais has set aside 0.4% of its land for conservation
There are 1.0 miles of trail across 3 parks and preserves. Together, the parks and preserves in Grand Marais cover 29 acres. For Grand Marais, the trail network density is 0.3 miles per square mile.
0.4%conserved
| Grand Marais | Typical Michigan town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
0.4%
conserved · 9 of 2,058 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Woodland Park | 0.1 mi | 27 |
| 2. Melodus Preserve | — | 1 |
| 3. Edward Street Beach | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
A home in Grand Marais sells for about $274K at the median
In Grand Marais, 94% of households live in a home they own.
$274Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Grand Marais
14pages on Grand Marais
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Grand Marais; the nearest are
Bay Mills Community CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Brimley66.4 mi$3,480 in-state tuitionBay de Noc Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Escanaba82.2 mi$5,712 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Grand Marais residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Grand Marais for work
Where Grand Marais’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
40jobs based in Grand Marais
0%of working residents work in town
38 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Grand Marais
Census-designated place & unincorporated community in Michigan, United States
Grand Marais ( grand mə-RAY) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located within Burt Township on the shores of Lake Superior, and the community is the eastern gateway to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore via H-58. As of the 2020 census, Grand Marais had a population of 234.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 600 ft
- ZIP code
- 49839
Questions about Grand Marais
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Grand Marais, MI a good place to live?
Grand Marais has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.