Petersburg VFW Post, 2010
Petersburg’s story
190 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005.
- 1836Petersburg is settled
PetersburgMI
A town of 1,152, settled in 1836. Public schools that outperform most of Michigan.
Trash day: ThursdayPopulation
1,152
2025 Census estimate · −1.3% since 2020
Typical home
$315K
+6.9% in a year
Household income
$83K
median
Median age
37.8
years
Jobs based here
115
A commuter town
Is Petersburg a good place to live?
The best of Petersburg’s subject grades are an A for schools and incomes and an A− for cost of living. On incomes, just 105 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better. Petersburg's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 81% of U.S. towns. Petersburg has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Petersburg stand out
Where Petersburg beats most towns.
Summerfield Schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Summerfield Elementary School | PK–6 | 312 |
SchoolsA
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Typical home value
Petersburg$315K
Michigan$264K
Cost of livingA−
4.1 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 81% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Petersburg3.8
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MI town3.1
Civic lifeA−
22% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Michigan town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Small town
1,152 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Petersburg grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Petersburg is from typical.
SchoolsAOpen →Jobs & income$83K median household income; 115 jobs based hereAOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.6 of 20; 0.7% of households have no car; 0.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listBOpen →HealthPromedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital 15.6 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksC−Open →History2 notable people born hereB+Open →Civic life3.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 37.8; 16% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Petersburg: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Petersburg, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPetersburg water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpThursdayHire your ownTown site
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 herePetersburg City ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4927049270 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 Petersburg.
SchoolsA
On state tests, Petersburg’s schools beat 87% of Michigan districts
The public schools here belong to the Summerfield Schools. Its one school is below. 312 students attend Petersburg’s public school.
87%of MI districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summerfield Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 312 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
A smaller share of residents live below the poverty line in Petersburg than in most of Michigan or the rest of the country
Just 2% of Petersburg’s working residents have a job in town. The town’s mean commuting time stands at 29 minutes, above both the Michigan town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). The top destinations are Toledo (15%), Summerfield Township (9%) and Dundee Township (4%). Half commute less than 18 miles.
2%work in town
| Petersburg | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 1.8% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $83,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Petersburg2%
Toledo15%
Summerfield Township9%
Dundee Township4%
Monroe3%
18 mi
median commute distance
115
jobs based in Petersburg
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 41% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Petersburg
A winter brings about 39 inches of snow, with January nights at 18° and July afternoons at 84°.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–35°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall42–62°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A−
A home in Petersburg is worth about $315K, on Zillow’s estimate
Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 6.9% in value. In Petersburg, the going rate for rent is $1,012 a month.
$315KZillow home value
Typical home value
Petersburg$315K
Michigan$264K
+6.9%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Petersburg: inland flooding
Petersburg’s risk rating from FEMA stands at 40 of 100, where Michigan’s towns sit at 25 of 100 and U.S. towns at 44 of 100. FEMA puts 58% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 16% to tornadoes. Federal aid has come to Petersburg households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2023.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB−
Health in Petersburg trails 53% of U.S. towns
For adults in Petersburg, the share who report frequent mental distress is 19%. This Michigan town does better than the Michigan average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 1. In Petersburg, 19% of adults binge drink, and 41% have obesity.
47%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Petersburg | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
2 better29 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Petersburg | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 8% | 10.2% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 3.2% | 3.7% |
| Fewer women getting mammograms | 68.4% | 76.9% |
Promedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital
15.6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 69 attractions →Michigan Stadium and 26 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Petersburg. Close and well known come first.
Big draw25 mi Stadium & arenaMichigan Stadium
37 mi MuseumThe Henry Ford1.8M visitors a year
19 mi MuseumToledo Museum of Art340K visitors a year
29 mi Park & preserveDomino's Farms
24 mi LandmarkYpsilanti Water Tower
21 mi Zoo & aquariumToledo ZooSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Michigan Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · The Henry Ford: Alvintrusty, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Toledo Museum of Art: Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Domino's Farms: Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0 · Ypsilanti Water Tower: Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0 · Toledo Zoo: DreamingKoala, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Petersburg
18pages on Petersburg
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Petersburg
Monroe County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Monroe12.6 mi$4,759 in-state tuitionLourdes UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sylvania, OH13.1 mi$29,500 tuition
About 5 of every 100 Petersburg residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Petersburg for work
Where Petersburg’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
115jobs based in Petersburg
2%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Petersburg
City in Michigan, United States
Petersburg is a city in Monroe County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,171 at the 2020 census. At 0.49 square miles (1.27 km2), Petersburg is the second-smallest city by land area in the state of Michigan, after Clarkston.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1836
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 676 ft
- ZIP code
- 49270
- Area code
- 734
Questions about Petersburg
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Petersburg, MI a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Michigan.
Is Petersburg, MI expensive?
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−.
What is Petersburg, MI known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Elizabeth C. Crosby and Michelle Gardner.