Pere Marquette Train Depot New Era, Michigan 1914, 1914
New Era’s story
154 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1914.
- 1872New Era is settled
New EraMI
A town of 462, settled in 1872.
Photo: TCP04 · CC BY 4.0
Population
462
2025 Census estimate · +0.9% since 2020
Typical home
$252K
+7.9% in a year
Household income
$77K
median
Median age
52.6
years
Jobs based here
123
Balanced
Is New Era a good place to live?
New Era’s median age is 52.6 years, where Michigan’s towns sit at 42.5 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. 34% of the land in New Era is conserved, above both the Michigan town median (4.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). New Era has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
462 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to New Era: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in New Era, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet7 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have New Era’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereShelby Township ClerkShelby Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4944649446 100%Census 2020
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 New Era.
33.7%conserved
33.7%
conserved · 180 of 536 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. New Era Community Ball Field | — | 2 |
| 2. New Era Depot Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in New Era
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 83% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in New Era since 1984.
17risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong windTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 1984
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Older than Michigan overall
People 65 and older are 27% of residents (19% statewide); children under 18 are 15% of residents (21% statewide). 35% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in New Era.
52.6median age · MI 40.2
| New Era | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 27% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 15% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 26% | 29% |
New EraMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school28%
Some college20%
Associate’s12%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.6 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| New Era | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.7% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.1% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.8% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.5% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.6% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.1% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.6% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.7% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.3% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.5% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.6% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.5% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.4% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.7% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 500, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in New Era
New Era has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. New Era’s July high is 81°F.
79″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–32°
Spring34–55°
Summer56–79°
Fall40–59°
Oct 10
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
With 0.8 jobs for every working resident, most of New Era’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave New Era for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in New Era fell to 123 in 2021, 57 fewer than in 2011. The top destinations are Shelby Township (13%), Whitehall (11%) and Montague (7%).
2%work in town
| New Era | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 7.6% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In New Era2%
Shelby Township13%
Whitehall11%
Montague7%
Hart Township7%
12 mi
median commute distance
123
jobs based in New Era
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in New Era
No violent or property crimes were reported in New Era in 2025. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
New Era is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
0
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| New Era | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better27 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | New Era | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.5% | 10.2% |
| More uninsured adults | 9.3% | 6.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.2% | 8.1% |
Mercy Health Lakeshore Campus
3.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A typical New Era home is worth about $252K
The typical New Era home is worth about $252,000, up 7.9% in a year, close to the Michigan typical home. The median rent in New Era is $900 a month.
$252KZillow home value
| New Era | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 96% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $900 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
New Era$252K
Michigan$264K
+7.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 18 attractions →Lake Michigan and 8 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around New Era. Close and well known come first.
Big draw37 mi LakeLake Michigan15 mi Theme parkMichigan's Adventure
31 mi National forestManistee National Forest
23 mi MuseumUSS LST-39323 mi Stadium & arenaMercy Health Arena
15 mi Theme parkWildWater AdventureSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Michigan: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, ISS Expedition, Public domain · Manistee National Forest: RomanKahler, CC BY-SA 4.0 · USS LST-393: USN, Public domain · WildWater Adventure: Larry Pieniazek, CC BY 2.5
Keep exploring
Everything we know about New Era
19pages on New Era
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of New Era; the nearest are
Muskegon Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Muskegon22.7 mi$7,250 in-state tuitionFerris State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Big Rapids44.2 mi$14,778 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 New Era residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About New Era
Village in Michigan, United States
New Era is a village in Shelby Township, Oceana County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, New Era had a population of 446. New Era is the birthplace of Caldecott Medal-winning children's author Verna Aardema. The village is near the halfway point on the Hart-Montague Trail, and local businesses woo visiting cyclists as they pass by along the trail. New Era is also home to dairy product manufacturer, Country Dairy.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 755 ft
- ZIP code
- 49446
Questions about New Era
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is New Era, MI a good place to live?
New Era has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is New Era, MI known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Evan Bruinsma and Verna Aardema.