Paw Paw River, Lawrence, Michigan, not later than 1913, 1913
Lawrence’s story
182 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1874.
- 1844Lawrence is settled
LawrenceMI
A regional job hub with 1,000 jobs.
Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,005
2025 Census estimate · −1.6% since 2020
Median home value
$134K
Census ACS
Household income
$36K
median
Median age
36.6
years
Jobs based here
1,000
A job hub
Is Lawrence a good place to live?
The best of Lawrence’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for history; the weakest is a D for incomes. 29% of residents live below the poverty line in Lawrence, where Michigan’s towns sit at 8.9% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 17 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on cost of living. Residents are less healthy than 90% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Lawrence has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Lawrence stand out
Where Lawrence beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Small town
1,005 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Lawrence grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Lawrence is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $134K, 2 years of the county’s $68K median household incomeA+Open →Jobs & income$36K median household income; 1,000 jobs based hereDOpen →HealthBronson Lakeview Hospital 8.2 miles awayDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.2 of 20; 14.3% of households have no car; 1.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 33% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →SchoolsBehind 57% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationC+Open →SafetyB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0% conserved landC+Open →History1 notable person born hereAOpen →Civic life3.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lawrence: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lawrence, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLawrence water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Lawrence’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 hereLawrence Township ClerkLawrence Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4906449064 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 Lawrence.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Lawrence has 2.7 jobs for every working resident, and 972 people commute in
Most working residents leave Lawrence for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Lawrence fell to 1,000 in 2021, 224 fewer than in 2011. The top destinations are Lawrence Township (9%), Paw Paw Township (7%) and Kalamazoo (4%).
7%work in town
| Lawrence | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.5% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Lawrence7%
Lawrence Township9%
Paw Paw Township7%
Kalamazoo4%
Antwerp Township4%
23 mi
median commute distance
1,000
jobs based in Lawrence
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 26% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
HealthD
Lawrence stands out in Michigan and nationally: a larger share of its adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance
12% of Lawrence adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance, above both Michigan’s towns (6.5%) and U.S. towns (8.1%). 78% of Lawrence adults had a checkup this year. Lawrence beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 14.
10%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Lawrence | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better18 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Lawrence | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.2% | 10.2% |
| More uninsured adults | 12.4% | 6.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 22.4% | 15.4% |
Bronson Lakeview Hospital
8.2 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Lawrence has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Lawrence 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°
Fall42–62°
Oct 11
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Lawrence faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 67% of U.S. communities.
33risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC+
Conserved land covers 0.3% of Lawrence
0.3%conserved
0.3%
conserved · 4 of 1,159 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Robert Brausch, Jr. Park | — | 16 |
| 2. Village Park | — | 4 |
| 3. North River Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SafetyB−
Crime per resident in Lawrence is lower than in 50% of U.S. towns
Lawrence’s violent crime rate is 3 per 1,000 residents.
50%of U.S. towns report more crimeB−Safety Grade
| Lawrence | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.9 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Lawrence3
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Lawrence8.9
Michigan13
U.S.15.5
50th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
3
violent crimes reported in 2025
9
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lawrence
20pages on Lawrence
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lawrence; the nearest are
Southwestern Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Dowagiac17.3 mi$6,417 in-state tuitionWestern Michigan UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Kalamazoo23.2 mi$15,252 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Lawrence residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
A job hub
Every workday, about 972 people come to Lawrence for work
Where Lawrence’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,000jobs based in Lawrence
7%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Lawrence
Village in Van Buren County, Michigan, USA
The Village of Lawrence is a 2-square-mile village within Lawrence Township, in the center of Van Buren County, Michigan. The population was 964 at the 2020 census. It hosts a Labor Day weekend "Ox Roast & Homecoming Festival" and a Farmers' Market every Saturday during the summer. Lawrence is also the hub for the Van Buren County Intermediate School District.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 686 ft
- ZIP code
- 49064
Questions about Lawrence
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lawrence, MI a good place to live?
A regional job hub with 1,000 jobs.
Is Lawrence, MI expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.