Coe Township Hall, MI, 2018
Shepherd’s story
139 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005.
- 1887Shepherd is settled
ShepherdMI
A town of 1,513, settled in 1887.
Population
1,513
2025 Census estimate · +1.7% since 2020
Typical home
$224K
+8.7% in a year
Household income
$70K
median
Median age
32.9
years
Jobs based here
463
A commuter town
Is Shepherd a good place to live?
The best of Shepherd’s subject grades are an A− for walkability and an A for the outdoors and civic life; the weakest is a C for incomes. Shepherd’s average trip to work is 18 minutes, below both Michigan’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Shepherd’s trail density is 3.8 miles per square mile, above both the Michigan town median (0.3) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Only 116 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on the outdoors. The biggest park or preserve is Shepherd Soccer Fields, at 21 acres. Shepherd has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Shepherd stand out
Where Shepherd beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Shepherd4
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MI town3.1
Civic lifeA
30% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Michigan town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
WalkabilityA−
More walkable than 77% of U.S. towns
5.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Shepherd for work
Where Shepherd’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
463jobs based in Shepherd
7%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
How Shepherd grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Shepherd is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 2.7% of households have no carA−Open →Jobs & income$70K median household income; 463 jobs based hereCOpen →HealthMclaren Central Michigan 6.2 miles awayCOpen →SchoolsBeat 65% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 35% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →SafetyBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors4 miles of trails; 2% conserved landAOpen →History1 notable person born hereB−Open →Civic life4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Shepherd: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Shepherd, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Shepherd water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet9 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Shepherd’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 hereCoe Township ClerkCoe Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4888348883 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 Shepherd.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
With 0.7 jobs for every working resident, most of Shepherd’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Shepherd for work: only 7% work in town. 17% of Shepherd residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Mount Pleasant (22%), Chippewa Township (10%) and Coe Township (9%).
7%work in town
| Shepherd | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 2.8% | 10% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $70,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Shepherd7%
Mount Pleasant22%
Chippewa Township10%
Coe Township9%
Midland5%
9 mi
median commute distance
463
jobs based in Shepherd
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 76% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Who lives here
More young adults than Michigan overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 32% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 13% of residents (19% statewide). Shepherd’s median age is 32.9 years. 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan.
32.9median age · MI 40.2
| Shepherd | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.9 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 20% | 21% | 22% |
ShepherdMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school31%
Some college28%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.8 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Shepherd | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.7% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.2% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 13.3% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 18.9% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.4% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.1% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.2% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.5% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 28.1% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.6% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.6% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,500, single groups can be off by several points
HealthC
Health in Shepherd trails 66% of U.S. towns
Shepherd tracks Michigan closely on all 32 CDC measures. 29% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Shepherd.
34%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Shepherd | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Mclaren Central Michigan
6.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Shepherd
Shepherd has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 16° and about 39 inches of snow falls in a winter.
39″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–32°
Spring35–56°
Summer57–81°
Fall40–60°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Shepherd
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 65% of U.S. communities.
35risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade B
A typical Shepherd home is worth about $224K
The typical Shepherd home is worth about $224,000, up 8.7% in a year, 15% below the Michigan typical home. The median rent in Shepherd is $789 a month.
$224KZillow home value
| Shepherd | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 66% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $789 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Shepherd$224K
Michigan$264K
+8.7%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
57%of U.S. towns report more crimeBSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Shepherd1.3
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Shepherd7.8
Michigan13
U.S.15.5
57th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
12
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
2.4%conserved
2.4%
conserved · 15 of 609 acres
3.8 mi
of trails · 3.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Shepherd Soccer Fields | — | 21 |
| 2. Little Salt River Park | — | 9 |
| 3. Coe Township Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Shepherd
20pages on Shepherd
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 65% of MI districtsSafetyB1.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than MI on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB$224K typical home · up 8.7% in a yearWork & commuteC$70K median household income · 463 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 35% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Shepherd
Central Michigan UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Mount Pleasant6.2 mi$14,760 in-state tuitionSaginaw Chippewa Tribal CollegeCommunity college · Public · Mount Pleasant6.4 mi$2,730 in-state tuitionAlma CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Alma10 mi$49,552 tuition
About 8 of every 100 Shepherd residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Shepherd
Village in Michigan, United States
Shepherd is a village in Isabella County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,469 at the 2020 census. The village is located within Coe Township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 774 ft
- ZIP code
- 48883
Questions about Shepherd
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Shepherd, MI expensive?
That is 4.1 years of the area's median household income ($55,237 across the Mount Pleasant, MI 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.