Woodland scene, 1912
Gwinn’s story
118 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1912.
- 1908Gwinn is settled
GwinnMI
The town was settled in 1908 and has 1,435 residents today.
Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,435
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$200K
+9.9% in a year
Household income
$46K
median
Median age
33.5
years
Jobs based here
420
A commuter town
Is Gwinn a good place to live?
Gwinn’s January low is 7°F, where Michigan’s towns sit at 16°F and U.S. towns at 22°F. Gwinn’s trail network density is 1.6 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Michigan’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. We don’t grade Gwinn yet; the figures below are still real.
Small town
1,435 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 Gwinn: who provides what
Gwinn is unincorporated, so Marquette County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterForsyth Township water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMarquette CountyMarquette 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 hereForsyth Township ClerkForsyth Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4984149841 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 Gwinn.
Work & commute
About one in three of Gwinn’s working residents commute to Forsyth Township
In Gwinn, the median household income is $46,000. For most workers, Gwinn is a place to come home to: only 14% work in town. Between 2011 and 2021, jobs here rose by 229, to 420. Gwinn: just over one in ten residents live below the poverty line.
14%work in town
| Gwinn | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $46,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Gwinn14%
Forsyth Township30%
Marquette24%
Ishpeming6%
Escanaba4%
18 mi
median commute distance
420
jobs based in Gwinn
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Housing
The typical home in Gwinn is valued at about $200K
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 9.9%. Gwinn’s median rent is $682 a month. 71% of households live in a home they own here.
$200KZillow home value
| Gwinn | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $682 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 84% | 73% |
Typical home value
Gwinn$200K
Michigan$264K
+9.9%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
Fewer middle-aged adults than Michigan overall
28% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 32% across Michigan. Adults 35 to 64 are 29% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 28% of residents (22% statewide). The median age for Gwinn comes to 33.5 years.
33.5median age · MI 40.2
| Gwinn | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.5 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 26% | 29% |
GwinnMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school40%
Some college21%
Associate’s3%
Bachelor’s27%
Graduate1%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Gwinn | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.1% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.7% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 15% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.5% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 2.5% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.5% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.9% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.4% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.4% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.8% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.3% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.6% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 2.7% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.8% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 0.8% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Gwinn has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Expect July afternoons of 79° and January nights of 7°, with about 197 inches of snow a winter.
197″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter9–27°
Spring27–51°
Summer51–77°
Fall35–54°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 13
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Gwinn is
The share of adults in Gwinn who had a checkup this year: 82%. In Gwinn, 16% of adults report frequent physical distress, and 14% have diabetes.
| Gwinn | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 80% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better25 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Gwinn | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 10.6% | 8.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.9% | 7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.9% | 8.9% |
Uphs Marquette DLP Hospital
17.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Gwinn: inland flooding
FEMA puts 45% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 39% to cold waves. In Gwinn, the risk rating from FEMA is 58 of 100.
58risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHail
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
Gwinn keeps 0.1% of its land conserved
In 4 parks and preserves, walkers have 4.5 miles of trail.
0.1%conserved
0.1%
conserved · 1 of 1,858 acres
4.5 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South) | 0.4 mi | 262 |
| 2. Farquar-Metsa Tourist Park | 0.1 mi | 19 |
| 3. Forsyth Township Ball Park | — | 17 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gwinn
16pages on Gwinn
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Gwinn; the nearest are
Northern Michigan UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Marquette19 mi$14,277 in-state tuitionBay de Noc Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Escanaba39.3 mi$5,712 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Gwinn residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
A commuter town
86% of working residents leave Gwinn for work
Where Gwinn’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
420jobs based in Gwinn
14%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Gwinn
Census-designated place & unincorporated community in Michigan, United States
Gwinn is an unincorporated community in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place (CDP) for statistical purposes and has no legal status as an incorporated municipality. The population of the CDP was 1,784 at the 2020 census. The community is located within Forsyth Township. The CDP includes the nearby communities of Austin to the west and New Swanzy to the east. It is located along M-35 near the forks of the east and middle branches of the Escanaba River. The Gwinn 49841 ZIP Code serves a much larger area, including most of Forsyth Township, as well as portions of Turin Township to the east, Wells and Ewing townships to the south, Tilden Township to th…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,099 ft
- ZIP code
- 49841
Questions about Gwinn
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gwinn, MI a good place to live?
We don’t grade Gwinn yet; the figures below are still real.