Lake Gogebic, Michigan, the hotel, 1880
Lake City’s story
158 years in pictures
Census counts: 61 in 1880, 829 in 2020. The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1956 on.
- 1868Lake City is settled
Lake CityMI
Population
835
2025 Census estimate · +0.5% since 2020
Typical home
$226K
+7.3% in a year
Household income
$75K
median
Median age
47.5
years
Jobs based here
386
A job hub
Is Lake City a good place to live?
33% of residents are 65 or older in Lake City, against 19% in Michigan’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Maple Grove Park, at 43 acres. Lake City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Lake City stand out
Where Lake City beats most towns.
Small town
835 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Lake TownshipForest TownshipReeder TownshipLake City
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lake City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lake City, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Lake City water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Lake City’s 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 hereLake City City ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4965149651 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 Lake City.
Work & commute
Lake City has 1.5 jobs for every working resident, and 369 people commute in
Most working residents leave Lake City for work: only 7% work in town. At 16 minutes, Lake City’s average trip to work is below both the Michigan town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2011, Lake City has added 347 jobs, to 386 in 2021.
7%work in town
| Lake City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Lake City7%
Cadillac16%
Traverse City5%
Haring Township5%
Lake Township5%
12 mi
median commute distance
386
jobs based in Lake City
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Schools
The schools Lake City’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Lake City Area School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Lake City High School, with 369 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake City Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 508 | B− |
| Lake City High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 369 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Very low risk in Lake City, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 92% of U.S. communities.
8risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Older than Michigan overall
Lake City’s median age is 47.5 years. 25% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan.
47.5median age · MI 40.2
| Lake City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.5 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 26% | 29% |
Lake CityMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school24%
Some college34%
Associate’s12%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
44% women, 56% men
About 126 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.7 points). Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Lake City | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.5% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.3% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.5% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.6% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.4% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.2% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.3% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.9% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.2% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.5% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.3% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 33.8% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.7% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.6% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.1% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Lake City has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Lake City has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Lake City is 81°F.
74″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–30°
Spring30–54°
Summer53–78°
Fall37–57°
Sep 26
typical first frost
May 22
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
The typical home in Lake City is valued at about $226K
The typical Lake City home is worth about $226,000, up 7.3% in a year, 14% below the Michigan typical home. 85% of Lake City households own their home.
$226KZillow home value
| Lake City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $710 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 85% | 84% | 73% |
Typical home value
Lake City$226K
Michigan$264K
Market temperature
16
days on market
93.5%
sale-to-list price
+7.3%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy Lake City is
Lake City beats the Michigan average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 27% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Lake City.
| Lake City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 80% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
1 better29 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Lake City | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.2% | 8.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.6% | 10.2% |
Munson Healthcare Cadillac Hospital
10.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Lake City has set aside 4.5% of its land for conservation
0.4 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
4.5%conserved
| Lake City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.5% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
4.5%
conserved · 30 of 666 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Maple Grove Park | — | 43 |
| 2. Missaukee County Park | — | 12 |
| 3. Miltner Park | 0.2 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lake City
19pages on Lake City
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lake City; the nearest are
Kirtland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Grayling31.1 mi$5,190 in-state tuitionFerris State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Big Rapids46.4 mi$14,778 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Lake City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
A job hub
Every workday, about 369 people come to Lake City for work
Where Lake City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
386jobs based in Lake City
7%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Lake City
City in Michigan, United States
Lake City is a city in and county seat of Missaukee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population of Lake City was 829. Lake City has been nicknamed "Michigan's Christmas Tree Capital", due to the high number of farms near the city.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1868
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,250 ft
- ZIP code
- 49651
Questions about Lake City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lake City, MI a good place to live?
Lake City has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.