MearsMI
With 204 residents, this town was settled in 1873.
Is Mears a good place to live?
Mears’ midpoint age is 51.7 years, where Michigan’s towns sit at 42.5 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. 16% of the land in Mears is conserved, above both Michigan’s towns (4.4%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Mears has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
204 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Mears: who provides what
Mears is unincorporated, so Oceana County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Mears.
Natural hazards: very low risk in Mears, mostly inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 59% of Mears’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 28% to strong winds.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
With only 0.5 jobs per working resident, most people in Mears work out of town
The share of working residents in Mears who work locally is 2.5%. Jobs in Mears grew by 52 from 2011 to 2021, reaching 60. The mean commuting time here in the town is 23 minutes. The top destinations are Hart (17%), Golden Township (13%) and Hart Township (12%).
| Mears | Typical Michigan town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
The typical home in Mears: about $323K
Typical home values rose 4.1% in the year to September 2026. 72% of households own their home in Mears.
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Johnson Square Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
How healthy Mears is
32% of Mears adults sleep under 7 hours. Among adults in the town, 40% have obesity and 27% have been diagnosed with depression.
| Mears | Typical Michigan town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Mears | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.6% | 10.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Mears
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Mears; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Mears residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
98% of working residents leave Mears for work
Where Mears’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
Questions about Mears
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mears, MI a good place to live?
Mears has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.