Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,997, platted in 1835. Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Trash day: TuesdayMarine City gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $224K for a typical one, or 2.9 years of the Detroit metro’s $77K median household income. It grades B+ overall, 244th of 697 graded towns in Michigan. On the plus side, its schools rank ahead of 75% of Michigan towns. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register. Only 121 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on walkability. Marine City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 89% of U.S. towns. Only 51 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on history.
Where Marine City beats most towns.
Ward-Holland House
Census counts: 1,240 in 1870, 4,079 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1988 and 3 maps from 1954 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Marine City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Marine City, 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 Marine City.
Marine City pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices and trades lower home prices for longer drives to work.
Its A− for schools comes with a B+ for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $224K.
Its public schools are run by the East China School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Marine City High School, with 437 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belle River Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 343 | C |
| Marine City High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 437 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Most working residents leave Marine City for work: only 9% work in town. Marine City’s average trip to work is 31 minutes, where Michigan’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. The top destinations are Detroit (4%), Chesterfield Township (4%) and Port Huron (4%).
| Marine City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.6% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 8.8% | 5.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Marine City has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 19° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Homes are within reach (about $224K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 25 miles.
The typical Marine City home is worth about $224,000, up 3% in a year, 15% below the Michigan typical home. Marine City’s median rent is $944 a month, close to Michigan’s towns ($1,047 a month) and below U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Marine City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $944 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 81% | 84% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Marine City beats the Michigan average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 28% of Marine City adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Marine City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Marine City | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.3% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Marine City’s property crime rate is 4.3 per 1,000 residents.
| Marine City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.3 per 1,000 residents | 8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0.6 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Marine City Park, at 26 acres.
| Marine City | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.7% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Marine City Park | 0.1 mi | 26 |
| 2. Marine City Boating Access Site | — | 4 |
| 3. Nautical Mile Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 35 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Marine City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Marine City. Close and well known come first.
20 mi LakeLake Saint Clair
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaFord Field
38 mi Stadium & arenaComerica Park
38 mi TheatreFox Theatre
36 mi GardenBelle Isle Park
38 mi MuseumDetroit Institute of ArtsLake Saint Clair: Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Ford Field: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 · Comerica Park: City of Detroit, Public domain · Fox Theatre: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Belle Isle Park: WMrapids, CC0 · Detroit Institute of Arts: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Marine City; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Marine City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Where Marine City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
3 places in Marine City on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Marine City.
City in Michigan, United States
Marine City is a city in St. Clair County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located on the west bank of the St. Clair River, it is one of the cities in the River District north of Detroit and south of Lake Huron. In the late 19th century, it was a major center of wooden shipbuilding and lumber processing. The population was 4,079 at the 2020 census. The city formerly featured an international auto ferry service, The Bluewater Ferry to Sombra, Ontario, Canada across the river.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Marine City.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marine City | #244 | B+ | B+ | B | A− | C+ |
| Cottrellville Township | #223 | B+ | B | — | A− | B− |
| East China Township | #510 | C+ | C+ | — | A− | B |
| China Township | #293 | B | B | — | A− | B |
Cottrellville Township, East China Township and China Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Marine City with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Marine City grades B+ overall, better than 69% of U.S. towns and #244 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C+ for health, B for safety and A− for schools.
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+.
Marine City was platted in 1835 and has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places. 4 notable people were born here, including Steve Fisher and Joseph E. Steinmetz.
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