Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Manistee gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $264K for a typical one, or 4.2 years of the county’s $64K median household income. It grades C overall, 519th among Michigan's 697 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $61K, and 17% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 84% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 10 places on the National Register. Manistee’s average trip to work is 15 minutes, against 25 minutes in Michigan’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 79 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score lower on hazard risk. Manistee's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Where Manistee beats most towns.
Ramsdell Theatre
Census counts: 3,343 in 1870, a peak of 14,260 in 1900, 6,259 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1870 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
10 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Manistee is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Manistee, 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 Manistee.
Manistee gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Michigan (mostly inland flooding).
Jobs based here fell from 1,916 in 2011 to 1,389. The average commute for its 2,083 working residents takes 15.2 minutes, against 24.2 across Michigan.
About one in 5 of Manistee’s working residents works in town. Since 2011, Manistee has lost 527 jobs, to 1,389 in 2021. The top destinations are Manistee Township (22%), Filer Township (5%) and Stronach Township (4%).
| Manistee | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 13% | 10% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Michigan Great Lakes Virtual Academy, with 3,934 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Jefferson Elem SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–2 | Grades K–2 | 292 | – |
| Manistee Middle High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 685 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
1.2 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Douglas Park, at 26 acres.
| Manistee | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.7% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Douglas Park | 0.5 mi | 26 |
| 2. Lighthouse Park | 0.2 mi | 20 |
| 3. Rietz Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The violent crime rate in Manistee is 3.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Manistee | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.6 per 1,000 residents | 7.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Beulah 7ssw weather station, 22 miles away, records that 92 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 77.7°, cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 17.1°.
Manistee has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Manistee’s July high is 78°F.
| Manistee | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 78°F | 82°F | 85°F |
| January low | 17°F | 16°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 97% of Michigan towns, with expected losses of about $217 per resident a year; that rating is what its C+ for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1981, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Manistee.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
People 65 and older are 25% of residents (19% statewide). 19% of residents are under 18 in Manistee. 23% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan.
| Manistee | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 25% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 45 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 19% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 26% | 29% |
54% women, 46% men
About 85 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.3 points). Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Manistee | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.6% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.8% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.4% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.8% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.5% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.5% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.5% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.6% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.2% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.2% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 28.7% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.9% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.1% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Against the 9,070 U.S. towns with household incomes like Manistee’s, it is healthier than 63%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Manistee beats the Michigan average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 28% of Manistee adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Manistee | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 25% | 25% |
| What stands out | Manistee | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.5% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Typical home values rose 9% in the year to September 2026.
| Manistee | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $768 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 84% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Manistee; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Manistee residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
10 places in Manistee on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Manistee.
City in Michigan, United States
Manistee ( man-iss-TEE) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in southwestern Manistee County, it is part of the northwestern Lower Peninsula. Manistee is the county seat of Manistee County, and its population was 6,259 at the 2020 census. This makes Manistee the fifth-largest city in Northern Michigan. Manistee is located on an isthmus between Manistee Lake and Lake Michigan, with the Manistee River bisecting the city as it flows west to the latter. Manistee is located along US 31, one of the major trunkline highways of the state.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Manistee.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manistee | #519 | C | B+ | C | B | C+ |
| Filer Township | — | — | B+ | — | B | C+ |
| Manistee Township | #423 | B− | A− | — | B | C+ |
| Stronach Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Eastlake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Filer Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Filer Township and Manistee Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Stronach Township and Eastlake aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Manistee with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Manistee grades C overall, better than 34% of U.S. towns and #519 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C+ for health, C for safety and B for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
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 B+.
7 notable people were born here, including Fred Warren Green and Tom Sherman.
