Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Pontiac earns a D, 682nd among Michigan's 697 graded towns, mostly because of health and safety. Residents are less healthy than 95% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its crime rate is higher than 92% of U.S. towns, with 511 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. One bright spot: natural-hazard risk is low. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 18 places on the National Register. Pontiac’s violent crime rate is 8.1 per 1,000 residents, against 1.9 in Michigan’s towns and 1.6 across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Myrick-Palmer House and Wisner House. Only 6 of Michigan’s 1,265 towns score lower on civic life.
Where Pontiac beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Its founding year, 1818, comes before those of 97% of the Michigan towns we grade with a known year. Its 18 National Register listings are more than in 96% of Michigan towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,904 in 1840, a peak of 85,279 in 1970, 61,606 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1915 and 8 maps from 1907 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Pontiac is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pontiac, 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 Pontiac.
Pontiac draws workers from Waterford Township and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it reports more crime than Auburn Hills and its other graded neighbors.
28 miles of trail in 27 parks and preserves. The trail density in Pontiac is 1.4 miles per square mile. Pontiac Oaks, at 96 acres with 1.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Pontiac | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6.2% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. North Spur Trail | 3.1 mi | 58 |
| 2. Pontiac Oaks | 1.6 mi | 96 |
| 3. Clinton River Trail | 0.7 mi | 49 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Pontiac City School District. Two of its 21 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 790 | D |
| Pontiac High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 992 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Against the 3,770 U.S. towns with household incomes like Pontiac’s, it is less healthy than 80%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income. All 4 graded neighbors score healthier than its D, from Waterford Township (B+) to Bloomfield Township (A+).
35% of adults worry about having enough food in Pontiac. Pontiac beats the Michigan average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 23. 29% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Pontiac.
| Pontiac | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 19% | 19% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 32% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Pontiac | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.3% | 8.9% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13.4% | 15.9% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 19.7% | 8.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
32,460 jobs are based in Pontiac, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 21,720 in 2011 to 32,460.
Most working residents leave Pontiac for work: only 12% work in town. 24% of Pontiac residents live below the poverty line. Since 2011, Pontiac has added 10,740 jobs, to 32,460 in 2021.
| Pontiac | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 24% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 4.8% | 10% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Each of the 4 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Auburn Hills (C−) to Bloomfield Township (A−). Reported crimes fell from 1,859 to 1,371 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Pontiac’s property crime rate is 13.7 per 1,000 residents. Pontiac reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 92% report less.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
At 1.8 years of the Detroit metro’s $77K median household income, the typical home (about $135K) costs less against local pay than in 98% of Michigan towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living. Its typical home is the least expensive on its borders; Waterford Township is next at $275K.
The typical Pontiac home is worth about $135,000, up 0.7% in a year, 49% below the Michigan typical home.
| Pontiac | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 47% | 84% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 55% | 45% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 85% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pontiac.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Pontiac has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 16° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pontiac. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaMichigan Stadium
Big draw25 mi Stadium & arenaFord Field
25 mi Stadium & arenaComerica Park
24 mi MuseumThe Henry Ford1.8M visitors a year
34 mi LakeLake Saint Clair
25 mi TheatreFox TheatreMichigan Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ford Field: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 · Comerica Park: City of Detroit, Public domain · The Henry Ford: Alvintrusty, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Saint Clair: Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Fox Theatre: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
10 within 15 miles of the center of Pontiac
About 5 of every 100 Pontiac residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
Where Pontiac’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
18 places in Pontiac on the National Register of Historic Places.
49 notable people were born in Pontiac.
City in Michigan, United States
Pontiac ( PON-(t)ee-ak) is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located roughly 26 miles (41.8 km) northwest of downtown Detroit, Pontiac is part of the Detroit metropolitan area, and is variously described as a satellite city or suburb of Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 61,606. Founded in 1818, Pontiac was the second European-American organized settlement in what is now Metro Detroit, after Dearborn. It was named after Obwaandi'eyaag (Pontiac), a war chief of the Odawa, who occupied the area before the European settlers. The city was known for its multiple General Motors automobile manufacturing facilities in the 20th c…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Pontiac.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its D; Auburn Hills (C−) is closest. Bloomfield Township next door grades higher for schools (A+ to Pontiac’s D) and lower for cost of living (D to B+).
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac | #682 | D | B+ | D | D | D |
| Auburn Hills | #603 | C− | C− | C− | D | A− |
| Bloomfield Township | #42 | A | D | A− | A+ | A+ |
| Waterford Township | #346 | B | C+ | B− | B− | B+ |
| Lake Angelus | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sylvan Lake | — | — | C− | A− | D | A |
Sylvan Lake has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Lake Angelus isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Pontiac with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Pontiac grades D overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #682 of 697 in Michigan. It grades D for health, D for safety and D for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
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 B+.
49 notable people were born here, including Mike Henry and Elvin Jones.
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