Pellston Historical Society Museum Michigan, 2011
Pellston’s story
144 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2001.
- 1882Pellston is settled
PellstonMI
A town of 791, settled in 1882.
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
791
2025 Census estimate · −1.1% since 2020
Typical home
$235K
+6% in a year
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
37.1
years
Jobs based here
178
A commuter town
Is Pellston a good place to live?
18% of residents live below the poverty line in Pellston, against 8.9% in Michigan’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Philip J. Braun Nature Preserve, at 117 acres. Pellston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
791 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 Pellston: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pellston, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMill Street 1 Ldha water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers89% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Pellston’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 hereMcKinley Township ClerkMcKinley Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4976949769 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 Pellston.
Work & commute
Most of Pellston’s workers commute out: the town has 0.6 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Pellston for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2011, Pellston has added 62 jobs, to 178 in 2021. Pellston’s median household income is $67,000, where Michigan’s towns sit at $77,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000.
5%work in town
| Pellston | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.4% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Pellston5%
Petoskey16%
Bear Creek Township11%
Little Traverse Township11%
McKinley Township9%
15 mi
median commute distance
178
jobs based in Pellston
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Climate
Pellston has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Pellston has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Pellston is 79°F.
88″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–29°
Spring29–52°
Summer53–77°
Fall38–56°
Sep 18
typical first frost
May 31
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Pellston faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 64% of U.S. communities.
64risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
Conserved land covers 9.9% of Pellston
0.9 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Philip J. Braun Nature Preserve, at 117 acres.
9.9%conserved
| Pellston | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 9.9% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
9.9%
conserved · 123 of 1,238 acres
0.9 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Philip J. Braun Nature Preserve | — | 117 |
| 2. Pioneer Park | — | 45 |
| 3. Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Health
How healthy Pellston is
Pellston beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 20% of Pellston adults report frequent mental distress.
| Pellston | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Pellston | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.1% | 10.2% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.1% | 77.6% |
Mclaren Northern Michigan
15.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A typical Pellston home is worth about $235K
The typical Pellston home is worth about $235,000, up 6% in a year, 11% below the Michigan typical home. 70% of households own their home in Pellston.
$235KZillow home value
| Pellston | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 70% | 84% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 44% | 45% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,030 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Pellston$235K
Michigan$264K
+6%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 10 attractions →Lake Michigan–Huron and 7 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pellston. Close and well known come first.
18 mi LakeLake Michigan–Huron
16 mi Ancient siteFort Michilimackinac23 mi Park & preserveMackinac National Park
22 mi LandmarkFort Mackinac
22 mi MuseumSt. Ignace Mission
22 mi MuseumRobert Stuart HouseSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Michigan–Huron: ChongDae, Public domain · Fort Michilimackinac: WMrapids, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Mackinac: P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0 · St. Ignace Mission: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Robert Stuart House: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pellston
17pages on Pellston
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Pellston; the nearest are
North Central Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Petoskey15.5 mi$5,430 in-state tuitionBay Mills Community CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Brimley63 mi$3,480 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Pellston residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Pellston for work
Where Pellston’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
178jobs based in Pellston
5%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Pellston
Village in Michigan, United States
Pellston ( PELL-stən) is a village in Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, Pellston had a population of 774. The village is the home of Pellston Regional Airport. The village lies on the boundary between Maple River and McKinley townships on US Highway 31. Interstate 75 is about 10 miles (16 km) east of Pellston. Mackinaw City and the Mackinac Bridge are approximately 18 miles (29 km) north and Petoskey is about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of the village. The University of Michigan Biological Station is on nearby Douglas Lake.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 699 ft
- ZIP code
- 49769
Questions about Pellston
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pellston, MI a good place to live?
Pellston has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.