Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Jackson earns a D, ranked 678th of 697 in Michigan, mostly because of safety and health. It reports more crime per resident than 97% of U.S. towns, including 270 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Residents are less healthy than 97% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. In its favor, it has 16 miles of trail. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 15 places on the National Register. Jackson’s violent crime rate is 8.8 per 1,000 residents, against 1.9 in Michigan’s towns and 1.6 across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Stone Post Office and Michigan State Prison. Jackson is more walkable than 77% of U.S. towns.
Where Jackson beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Stone Post Office
Its 15 National Register listings are more than in 95% of Michigan towns with a listing.
Census counts: 2,363 in 1850, a peak of 55,187 in 1930, 31,309 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1870 and a map from 1971 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Jackson is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jackson, 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 Jackson.
Jackson draws workers from Summit Township and beyond, but it reports violent crime at about twice the Michigan rate and has poverty well above the Michigan rate.
Jackson’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile. Ella Sharp Park, at 534 acres with 10.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ella Sharp Park | 10.6 mi | 534 |
| 2. Sparks Foundation County Park | 0.5 mi | 72 |
| 3. Loomis Park | 0.4 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Jackson Public Schools. Two of its 17 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle School at ParksideLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 750 | C− |
| Jackson High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 989 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Violent crime runs at 8.8 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Michigan rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D−. Property crime runs at 31.4 per 1,000 residents, about twice the Michigan rate, most of it theft.
The property crime rate in Jackson is 31.4 per 1,000 residents. Jackson reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 97% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
All 3 graded neighbors score healthier than its D−, from Blackman Township (C−) to Leoni Township (C).
23% of adults report frequent mental distress in Jackson. Jackson beats the Michigan average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 25. 29% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Jackson.
| Jackson | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 34% | 36% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 19% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Jackson | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.5% | 8.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.7% | 10.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
24,926 jobs are based in Jackson, 2.3 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 17 minutes, against 24.2 across Michigan.
About one in 3 of Jackson’s working residents works in town. 25% of Jackson residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Jackson fell to 24,926 in 2021, 4,225 fewer than in 2011.
| Jackson | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 25% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 30% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
The typical Jackson home is worth about $190,000, up 2.3% in a year, 28% below the Michigan typical home.
| Jackson | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 84% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 55% | 45% | 48% |
| Median rent | $898 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 1995, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Jackson.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Jackson has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 17° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
2 within 15 miles of the center of Jackson
About 4 of every 100 Jackson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Where Jackson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
15 places in Jackson on the National Register of Historic Places.
53 notable people were born in Jackson.
City in Michigan, United States
Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 31,309 at the 2020 census. It is served by Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127. It is approximately 65 miles (105 km) east of Kalamazoo, 35 miles (56 km) west of Ann Arbor, 75 miles (121 km) west of Detroit and 35 miles (56 km) south of Lansing. Jackson is the core city of the Jackson metropolitan area, which includes all of Jackson County and has a population of 160,248. The city was founded in 1829 and named after President Andrew Jackson. Michigan's first prison, Michigan State Prison (or Jackson State Prison), opened in 1838 and remains in operation.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Jackson.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Blackman Township (D) is closest.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | #678 | D | B+ | D− | C | D− |
| Summit Township | #647 | D | B− | — | C | C− |
| Leoni Township | #532 | C | B | — | C | C |
| Blackman Township | #657 | D | C+ | C− | C+ | C− |
| Vandercook Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Summit Township and Leoni Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Vandercook Lake isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Jackson with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Jackson grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #678 of 697 in Michigan. It grades D− for health, D− for safety and C for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the area. That is 2.9 years of the area's median household income ($66,073 across the Jackson, MI metro 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+.
53 notable people were born here, including Karch Kiraly and Alfred Worden.
