Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Owosso gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $190K for a typical one, or 2.8 years of the Owosso area’s $67K median household income. It grades C− overall, 584th among Michigan's 697 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its police reported 87 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 82% of U.S. towns, and CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 78% of the country. Owosso’s violent crime rate is 6 per 1,000 residents, above both the Michigan town median (1.9) and the median of U.S. towns (1.6). Its National Register listings include Curwood Castle and Nathan Ayres House. Owosso's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 94% of U.S. towns.
Where Owosso beats most towns.
Curwood Castle
Its 33 National Register listings are more than in 98% of Michigan towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,160 in 1860, 14,714 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1838 and a map from 1972 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Owosso is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Owosso, 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 Owosso.
Owosso trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years.
Owosso’s property crime rate is 13.9 per 1,000 residents. Owosso reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 82% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Owosso Public Schools. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owosso Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 641 | C |
| Owosso High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 805 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Against the 7,192 U.S. towns with household incomes like Owosso’s, it is less healthy than 58%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
30% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Owosso. Owosso beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 40% of adults have obesity in Owosso.
| Owosso | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Owosso | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 18.1% | 14.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.6% | 8.1% |
| More adults with depression | 30.1% | 25.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Owosso | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.7% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bennett Field | — | 11 |
| 2. Kiwanis Park | — | 10 |
| 3. Rosevear Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes are within reach (about $190K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 24 miles. At 2.8 years of the Owosso area’s $67K median household income, the typical home (about $190K) costs less against local pay than in 78% of Michigan towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living.
The median rent in Owosso is $784 a month. Typical home values rose 4.8% in the year to September 2026. 68% of Owosso households own their home.
| Owosso | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 68% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $784 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Owosso has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 16° and about 38 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 5,920 in 2011 to 4,460.
Most working residents leave Owosso for work: only 19% work in town. Jobs based in Owosso fell to 4,460 in 2021, 1,460 fewer than in 2011. The top destinations are Owosso Township (5%), Caledonia Township (5%) and Corunna (5%).
| Owosso | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Work from home | 5.7% | 10% | 11% |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 18 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Owosso.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Owosso
About 3 of every 100 Owosso residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
33 places in Owosso on the National Register of Historic Places.
21 notable people were born in Owosso.
City in Michigan, United States
Owosso ( oh-OS-oh) is the largest city in Shiawassee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 14,714 at the 2020 census. It is located 29 miles (46.7 km) west of Flint, and 32 miles (51.5 km) northeast of Lansing. The city is mostly surrounded by Owosso Township on its west, but the two are administered autonomously. The city was named after Chief Wosso, an Ojibwe leader of the Shiawassee area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Owosso.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owosso | #584 | C− | A− | C− | C+ | C− |
| Owosso Township | #596 | C− | B | — | C+ | C− |
| Caledonia Township | #450 | C+ | A− | — | B− | C |
Owosso Township and Caledonia Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Owosso with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Owosso grades C− overall, better than 22% of U.S. towns and #584 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C− for health, C− for safety and C+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
21 notable people were born here, including Alfred Hershey and Thomas E. Dewey.
