Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Plainwell is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades B− overall, ranked 372nd of 697 in Michigan, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is schools: its schools rank ahead of 64% of Michigan towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in safety: its crime rate is higher than 62% of U.S. towns, with 16 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. A typical home there costs about $237K, 2.8 years of the Holland area’s $83K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 95% of U.S. towns, with 5 places on the National Register. Only 38 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on history. Plainwell’s rate of reported violence is 4.3 per 1,000 residents, against 1.9 in Michigan’s towns and 1.6 across U.S. towns. Plainwell is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 75% of U.S. towns.
Where Plainwell beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,035 in 1870, 3,788 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 4 maps from 1916 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Plainwell is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Plainwell, 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 Plainwell.
Plainwell gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has seen reported crime rise by a third or more.
The Bloomingdale weather station, 17 miles away, records that 109 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 98% of U.S. towns.
July afternoons reach 84° and January nights drop to 18°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The largest public high school is Plainwell High School, with 828 students. The Plainwell Community Schools runs its public schools. Public school enrollment locally: 2,332 students across 5 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plainwell Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 569 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Plainwell has about as many jobs (1,733) as working residents, but only 98 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 1,003 in 2011 to 1,733.
Half the trips to work are shorter than 15 miles. Between 2011 and 2021, jobs in Plainwell rose by 730, to 1,733. Commuting out is the norm locally: 6% of working residents work locally. The average commute in the town is 21 minutes.
| Plainwell | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Reported crimes rose from 51 to 67 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Plainwell’s rate of thefts and burglaries stands at 13.7 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Of the losses FEMA expects in Plainwell, 68% come from inland flooding and 14% from tornadoes. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in 61% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Plainwell households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2026.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 2.8 years of the Holland area’s $83K median household income, the typical home (about $237K) costs less against local pay than in 78% of Michigan towns; that ratio is one input to that grade.
69% of households own their home in Plainwell. Homes locally are typically worth about $237,000, up 1.3% in a year, 10% below the Michigan typical home. Also worth knowing: in Plainwell, the midpoint rent is $900 a month.
| Plainwell | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 69% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $900 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The biggest park or preserve is Allegan State Game Area, at 44 acres. 0.4 miles of trail wind through 6 parks and preserves. Plainwell’s concentration of trails comes in at 0.2 miles per square mile.
| Plainwell | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.9% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Allegan State Game Area | — | 44 |
| 2. Kenyon Park | — | 22 |
| 3. Thurl Cook Park | 0.2 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 10,144 U.S. towns with household incomes like Plainwell’s, it is healthier than 70%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
27% of Plainwell adults have been diagnosed with depression. Plainwell: 18% of adults binge drink.
| Plainwell | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | Plainwell | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.4% | 10.2% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 64.6% | 68% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Plainwell. Close and well known come first.
15 mi Theme parkAir Zoo
36 mi MuseumGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
37 mi Park & preserveNorth Country Trail
37 mi MuseumFrederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
11 mi MuseumGilmore Car Museum87K visitors a year35 mi TheatreAcrisure AmphitheaterAir Zoo: User:my name, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum: Staff of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Public domain · North Country Trail: Huron-Manistee National Forests, Public domain · Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park: User Jeffness on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Gilmore Car Museum: Kevin S. Forsyth, CC BY-SA 3.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Plainwell
About 5 of every 100 Plainwell residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
5 places in Plainwell on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Plainwell.
City in Michigan, United States
Plainwell is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,788 at the 2020 census. Plainwell is located on M-89 just east of its junction with US 131. The city of Otsego is about three miles (4.8 km) to the west. The city of Kalamazoo is about ten miles (16 km) to the south, and the city of Grand Rapids is about thirty-five miles (56 km) to the north. The Kalamazoo River flows through the center of the city and it is known as "The Island City".
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Plainwell.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plainwell | #372 | B− | B | C+ | B | B− |
| Gun Plain Township | #178 | A− | A− | — | B | B |
| Otsego Township | #217 | B+ | B− | — | A | B− |
Gun Plain Township and Otsego Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Plainwell with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Plainwell grades B− overall, better than 53% of U.S. towns and #372 of 697 in Michigan. It grades B− for health, C+ for safety and B 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 B.
8 notable people were born here, including Ed Gale and Jack Conklin.
