McBain has 2.6 jobs for every working resident: 583 people commute in to work
Employers in McBain report 612 jobs, against 239 working residents. About one in seven stay in McBain for work; outside it, Cadillac is the main destination (20%, 11 miles). Home is the office for 4% of workers, next to 14% for Michigan as a whole.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2021, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
The work figures that set McBain apart
McBain is where the jobs are
McBain has 612 jobs, 2.6 for every working resident. On a workday afternoon about 1,000 people are in town, 58% more than the 640 who live here. Day and night ↓
Commutes from McBain are quick
The average trip to work takes 18 minutes, against 24 across Michigan. That’s about 46 hours a year less on the road than the typical Michigan worker. Time on the road ↓
Few McBain workers work from home
Only 4% of workers work from home, against 14% across Michigan. Almost everyone here travels to a job. Time on the road ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2021, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey; 2021 is the newest year Michigan has published; with 239 working residents, small shifts move the shares.
How a workday changes McBain
On a workday 210 residents head out to work and 29 work right here.
About 1,000 people are in McBain on a workday afternoon, 58% more than live here.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2021, primary jobs.
Time on the road from McBain: about 18 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 5.8 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of McBain workers work from home, vs 14% across Michigan. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 287 commuters (the 4% who work from home are left out). Across Michigan: 86% drive alone, 1% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
Where McBain’s workforce comes from
Where McBain clocks in
Lines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
Factories, building and farms: 28% of the jobs in McBain
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in McBain, 2011 → 2021: 140 → 612. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2021.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs McBain’s own residents hold wherever they work.
How far McBain goes to work
About 19% show a job over 50 miles away. Some of that is real, and some is employers that report every worker at a head office, so a few long commutes are on paper only.
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2021.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
10% of McBain works in a bordering town
The biggest share goes to Richland Township (5%).
Average commute minutes, one way
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | McBain workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McBain | – | — | — | 18 min | $47,083 |
| Richland Township | 5% | B− | C+ | 18 min | $88,295 |
| Riverside Township | 5% | B− | B+ | 21 min | $72,188 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of McBain’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2021, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in McBain: questions
What is the median household income in McBain?
$47,083 (±$18,044) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $72,875 across Michigan and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in McBain?
12.3%, against 13.2% across Michigan and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from McBain?
18 minutes each way on average, against 24 across Michigan and 26 nationally. 4% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in McBain work?
12% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Cadillac (20%, 11 mi), Haring Township (6%, 12 mi), Richland Township (5%, 3 mi) (Census LEHD 2021).
Can you get around McBain without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 19% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from McBain, from the people who make the trip.
More of McBain
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2021, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.