Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 669, settled in 1882.
34% of residents live below the poverty line in Merrill, against 8.9% in Michigan’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Merrill has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 412 in 1890, a peak of 963 in 1960, 663 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1877 and 2 maps from 1934 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Merrill, 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 Merrill.
The top destinations are Saginaw (11%), Saginaw Township (11%) and Midland (7%). Just 4% of Merrill’s working residents have a job in town. The town’s mean commuting time is 30 minutes, where Michigan’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Its middle household income stands at $48,000.
| Merrill | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $48,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.6% | 5.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 5.8%. Merrill’s median rent stands at $719 a month. The share of households in Merrill who own their home: 79%.
| Merrill | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $719 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 84% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 16° and about 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Merrill, the risk rating from FEMA is 35 of 100. Expected losses in Merrill break down as 52% from inland flooding and 19% from cold waves. Also worth knowing: households locally have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2026.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Merrill: nearly a fifth of adults worry about having enough food. Two figures for adults here: 17% report frequent physical distress, 29% have been diagnosed with depression.
| Merrill | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 25% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | Merrill | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.5% | 10.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 11% | 8.1% |
| More adults who get no exercise | 32.3% | 24.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Village of Merrill park | — | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Merrill. Close and well known come first.
27 mi MuseumUSS Edson
15 mi GardenDow Gardens
13 mi City parkChippewa Nature Center
27 mi MuseumSaginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum19 mi Zoo & aquariumChildren's Zoo at Celebration Square
20 mi TheatreTemple TheatreUSS Edson: U.S. Navy, Public domain · Dow Gardens: Chris.Schiemann, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chippewa Nature Center: Christian Collins, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum: John McCullough, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Temple Theatre: Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of Merrill; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Merrill residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
Where Merrill’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
Village in Michigan, United States
Merrill is a village in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 663 at the 2020 census. The village is located within Jonesfield Township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Merrill has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
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