Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Muskegon grades D overall, 661st among Michigan's 697 graded towns, mostly because of health and incomes. Residents are less healthy than 96% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household income is $45K, and 25% of residents live below the poverty line. One bright spot: natural-hazard risk is low. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 94% of U.S. towns, with 13 places on the National Register. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Muskegon, above both the Michigan town median (8.9%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 49 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on history. Muskegon is home to Muskegon Community College.
Where Muskegon beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 1,450 in 1860, 38,318 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1851 and 2 maps from 1972 on.
13 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Muskegon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Muskegon, 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 Muskegon.
Muskegon draws workers from Norton Shores and beyond and gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has poverty well above the Michigan rate.
23 miles of trail in 26 parks and preserves. Muskegon’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile. Muskegon State Park, at 178 acres with 1.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Muskegon | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.2% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Beachwood Park | 3.7 mi | 59 |
| 2. Pere Marquette Park | 1.8 mi | 61 |
| 3. Heritage Landing | 1.8 mi | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Each of its 4 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C−, North Muskegon highest at A−.
Its public schools are run by the Public Schools of the City of Muskegon. Three of its 18 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Hackley Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 774 | D |
| Muskegon High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,003 | C− |
| Wesley SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 127 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
50% of Muskegon adults have obesity. Muskegon beats the Michigan average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 22. 16% of Muskegon adults have diabetes.
| Muskegon | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 50% | 37% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 34% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Muskegon | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.2% | 8.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.7% | 10.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
20,979 jobs are based in Muskegon, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 5 of Muskegon’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Muskegon is 21 minutes. Jobs based in Muskegon grew to 20,979 in 2021, 4,004 more than in 2011.
| Muskegon | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 5.7% | 10% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 93% of U.S. communities. Since 1985, 17 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Muskegon.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Muskegon home is worth about $191,000, up 2.5% in a year, 28% below the Michigan typical home. 53% of households own their home in Muskegon.
| Muskegon | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 53% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $996 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Muskegon Co Ap weather station records that 87 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Muskegon has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 81° and January nights drop to 19°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Muskegon's reported crime rate is above Michigan's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 208 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Muskegon | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 19.9 per 1,000 residents | 7.8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Muskegon. Close and well known come first.
34 mi MuseumGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
in town MuseumUSS LST-393in town Stadium & arenaMercy Health Arena
38 mi MuseumFrederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park35 mi TheatreAcrisure AmphitheaterGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum: Staff of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Public domain · USS LST-393: USN, Public domain · Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park: User Jeffness on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5
1 within 15 miles of the center of Muskegon
About 5 of every 100 Muskegon residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
13 places in Muskegon on the National Register of Historic Places.
61 notable people were born in Muskegon.
City in Michigan, United States
Muskegon ( mə-SKEE-gən) is a city in and the county seat of Muskegon County, Michigan, United States. Situated around a harbor of Lake Michigan, Muskegon is known for fishing, sailing regattas, and boating. It is the most populous city along Lake Michigan's eastern shore. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 38,318. The city is administratively autonomous from adjacent Muskegon Township, and several locations in Muskegon Township and other surrounding townships have Muskegon addresses. Muskegon is the center of the Muskegon metropolitan statistical area, which is coextensive with Muskegon County and had a population of 175,824 as of the 2020 census. It is also part of the larger Gr…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Muskegon.
All 4 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Fruitport Township (C+) is closest. North Muskegon next door grades higher for schools (A− to Muskegon’s C−) and lower for cost of living (C to B).
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskegon | #661 | D | B | — | C− | D− |
| Muskegon Township | #638 | D | B | C | C+ | C− |
| Muskegon Heights | — | — | B+ | — | — | D− |
| North Muskegon | #79 | A | C | — | A− | A− |
| Norton Shores | #486 | C+ | C− | C | B+ | B |
| Laketon Township | #348 | B | C+ | — | B+ | B− |
| Fruitport Township | #509 | C+ | C+ | — | B | C |
Muskegon, Muskegon Heights, North Muskegon, Laketon Township and Fruitport Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Muskegon Heights isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Muskegon with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Muskegon grades D overall, better than 10% of U.S. towns and #661 of 697 in Michigan. It grades D− for health and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 2.9 years of the area's median household income ($65,024 across the Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI metro 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.
61 notable people were born here, including Iggy Pop and Heber Doust Curtis.
