Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Today 4,079 people live in this town, first settled in 1881.
Incomes are where it shines — the median household earns $105K. Add schools to its strengths: its schools outperform 83% of the state's. What counts against it is cost of living (C): the typical home is worth about $319K, 4.9 years of the Muskegon metro’s $65K median household income. The overall grade lands at A, better than 89% of U.S. towns. Its place in the ranking is 79th of 697 in Michigan. The biggest place to walk is Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve, 27 acres with 1 miles of trail. Nearly half of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in North Muskegon, above both the Michigan town median (26%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). The town is easier to get around on foot or by transit than nearly three quarters of U.S. towns.
Figures: incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · OpenStreetMap.
Where North Muskegon beats most towns.
Where North Muskegon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far North Muskegon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,590 in 1890, a low of 352 in 1910, 4,093 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1976 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in North 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 North Muskegon.
North Muskegon gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns, has less tooth loss than most of Michigan and has better schools than Laketon Township or any other neighbor.
Walkers can cover 2.6 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. North Muskegon’s trail density is 0.6 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves here: 4, covering 45 acres.
| North Muskegon | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.1% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve | 1 mi | 27 |
| 2. Veterans Memorial Park | 0.4 mi | 8 |
| 3. North Muskegon Waterfront Sports Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
That grade is the best School Grade on its borders; Laketon Township (B+) is next.
The largest public high school is North Muskegon High School, with 305 students. The North Muskegon Public Schools runs its public schools. Its three schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Muskegon Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 406 | B+ |
| North Muskegon High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 305 | A |
| North Muskegon Middle SchoolTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 206 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Federal disaster aid has reached households in North Muskegon after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2000. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage locally than in 90% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 66% come from inland flooding and 13% from tornadoes. Since 2018, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out here.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its widest gap with Michigan is tooth loss: 5.3% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 10.2% statewide. Its A− for health tops all 3 graded neighbors; Laketon Township (B−) comes closest.
For adults in North Muskegon, the share who smoke cigarettes is 11%. This Michigan town does better than the Michigan average on 16 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 1.
| North Muskegon | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | North Muskegon | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.3% | 10.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.3% | 15.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.1% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most people who work leave North Muskegon to do it: just 5% work in town. Jobs in North Muskegon grew by 117 from 2011 to 2021, reaching 861. The top destinations are Muskegon (22%), Grand Rapids (7%) and Norton Shores (7%). For half of commuters, work is under 10 miles away.
| North Muskegon | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $105,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.4% | 5.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
The Muskegon Co Ap weather station, 6 miles away, records that 87 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 96% of U.S. towns.
The typical July afternoon high for North Muskegon comes to 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
For North Muskegon, the midpoint rent is $1,300 a month. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 4.9%. Homes sold in North Muskegon spent a median 8 days on the market.
| North Muskegon | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,300 a month | $1,045 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
North Muskegon's reported crime rate is below Michigan's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 8 violent crimes were reported in 2023.
| North Muskegon | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 14.7 per 1,000 residents | 10.6 | 13.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 2 | 1.8 |
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around North Muskegon. Close and well known come first.
36 mi MuseumGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
in town MuseumUSS LST-393in town Stadium & arenaMercy Health Arena
39 mi MuseumFrederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park36 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 North Muskegon
About 7 of every 100 North Muskegon residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
City in Michigan, United States
North Muskegon is a city in Muskegon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,093 at the 2020 census, up from 3,786 in the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with North Muskegon.
It grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Laketon Township (B) comes closest. Muskegon Township next door grades lower for schools (C+ to North Muskegon’s A−) and higher for cost of living (B to C).
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Muskegon | #79 | A | C | — | A− | A− |
| Laketon Township | #348 | B | C+ | — | B+ | B− |
| Muskegon | #661 | D | B | — | C− | D− |
| Muskegon Township | #638 | D | B | C | C+ | C− |
North Muskegon, Laketon Township and Muskegon report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare North Muskegon with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. North Muskegon grades A overall, better than 89% of U.S. towns and #79 of 697 in Michigan. It grades A− for health and A− for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
