Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Marshall is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B− overall, 379th among Michigan's 697 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is health: it is healthier than 72% of U.S. towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $248K for a typical one and 3.9 times the Battle Creek metro’s $63K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 98% of U.S. towns, with 16 places on the National Register. Marshall’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Michigan’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Marshall Michigan Historic Landmark District and Wright-Brooks House. Only 65 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on the outdoors.
Where Marshall beats most towns.
Marshall Michigan Historic Landmark District is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its 16 National Register listings are more than in 95% of Michigan towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,972 in 1850, 6,822 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1840 and 3 maps from 1921 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Marshall is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Marshall, 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 Marshall.
Marshall draws workers from Battle Creek and beyond, is healthier than Fredonia Township and its other neighbors and gets more snow than most of the country, though not than most of Michigan.
12 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Brooks Nature Area, 241 acres with 3 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brooks Nature Area | 3 mi | 241 |
| 2. Ketchum Park | 0.5 mi | 22 |
| 3. Stuart's Landing | 0.2 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Marshall Public Schools. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Marshall High School, with 787 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 541 | C+ |
| Marshall High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 787 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
6,439 jobs are based in Marshall, 2.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 4 of Marshall’s working residents works in town. Marshall’s average trip to work is 21 minutes, where Michigan’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Jobs based in Marshall grew to 6,439 in 2021, 806 more than in 2011.
| Marshall | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 25% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.7% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Its B+ for health tops all 3 graded neighbors; Fredonia Township (B) comes closest.
30% of Marshall adults sleep under 7 hours. Marshall beats the Michigan average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 16% of Marshall adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Marshall | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 36% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 19% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Marshall | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.3% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.1% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.6% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Albion weather station, 10 miles away, records that 40 inches of snow fall in a normal winter: more than most of the country, but less than 79% of Michigan places with climate records.
Marshall has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83° and January nights drop to 17°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Children under 18 are 16% of residents (21% statewide); people 65 and older are 24% of residents (19% statewide). 42% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Marshall.
| Marshall | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 16% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 42% | 26% | 29% |
| Median age | 46.5 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 19% | 18% |
55% women, 45% men
About 84 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.9 points). Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Marshall | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.3% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.3% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.5% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.1% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.5% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.6% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.2% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.5% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.9% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.9% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.6% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.5% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.4% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.7% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Reported crimes fell from 105 to 82 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Marshall home is worth about $248,000, up 3.1% in a year, 6% below the Michigan typical home.
| Marshall | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 66% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,088 a month | $1,045 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Marshall. Close and well known come first.
in town MuseumAmerican Museum of Magic
30 mi Theme parkAir Zoo9 mi Zoo & aquariumBinder Park Zoo
26 mi MuseumGilmore Car Museum87K visitors a year
39 mi Zoo & aquariumPotter Park Zoo
39 mi MuseumR. E. Olds Transportation MuseumAmerican Museum of Magic: rossograph, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Air Zoo: User:my name, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gilmore Car Museum: Kevin S. Forsyth, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Potter Park Zoo: Dj1997, CC BY-SA 3.0 · R. E. Olds Transportation Museum: kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Marshall
About 4 of every 100 Marshall residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Where Marshall’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
16 places in Marshall on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Marshall.
4 towns share a border with Marshall.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall | #379 | B− | C+ | C+ | B | B+ |
| Marshall Township | #432 | B− | C | — | B | B− |
| Fredonia Township | — | — | C+ | — | B | B |
| Marengo Township | — | — | B | — | B | B |
| Eckford Township | — | — | C+ | — | B− | C |
Fredonia Township, Marengo Township and Eckford Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Marshall Township, Fredonia Township, Marengo Township and Eckford Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Marshall with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Marshall grades B− overall, better than 52% of U.S. towns and #379 of 697 in Michigan. It grades B+ for health, C+ for safety and B for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
13 notable people were born here, including Jamie Hyneman and John Bellairs.
