Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Three Rivers gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $228K for a typical one, or 3.4 years of the Sturgis area’s $66K median household income. It grades C− overall, 580th of 697 graded towns in Michigan. The low prices come with trade-offs. Its crime rate is higher than 94% of U.S. towns, with 64 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, and the median household income is $50K, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 97% of U.S. towns, with 2 places on the National Register. Three Rivers’ level of violent crime is 8 per 1,000 residents, where Michigan’s towns sit at 1.9 and U.S. towns at 1.6. Only 23 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on history. The biggest park or preserve is Hidden Marsh Sanctuary, at 30 acres.
Where Three Rivers beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Arthur Silliman HouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Three Rivers is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 957 in 1860, 7,973 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1868 and 2 maps from 1914 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Three Rivers, 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 Three Rivers.
Three Rivers is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Michigan (mostly inland flooding) and has seen reported crime rise by a third or more.
Reported crimes rose from 263 to 378 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Property crime runs at 39.5 per 1,000 residents, 3 times the Michigan rate, most of it theft.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Three of the 5 schools are below, and why each made the list. The largest public high school is Three Rivers High School, with 632 students. Its public schools are run by the Three Rivers Community Schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three Rivers Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 476 | B− |
| Three Rivers High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 632 | B |
| Andrews Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 296 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Against the 5,611 U.S. towns with household incomes like Three Rivers’s, it is healthier than 57%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
37% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Three Rivers. The town beats the Michigan average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. In Three Rivers, 29% of adults have been diagnosed with depression, and 19% smoke cigarettes.
| Three Rivers | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Three Rivers | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.9% | 8.9% |
| More smokers | 18.7% | 14.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.7 miles of trail wind through 9 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves in Three Rivers: 9, covering 65 acres. Three Rivers’ density of trails stands at 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Three Rivers | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 3.1% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Scidmore Park | 0.3 mi | 12 |
| 2. Memory Isle | 0.3 mi | 8 |
| 3. Hidden Marsh Sanctuary | — | 30 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Summer afternoons peak near 83° in July, and January nights bottom out around 17°; snowfall runs to about 41 inches a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The median commute is under 19 miles. For working residents in Three Rivers, the share who work locally is 22%. The top destinations are Kalamazoo (5%), Portage (4%) and Elkhart (4%).
| Three Rivers | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 3.9% | 10% | 11% |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
In Three Rivers, the rent at the middle of the market is $839 a month. Home values are up 3.2% over the year to September 2026. Among households here, 53% own their home.
| Three Rivers | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 53% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $839 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 93% of Michigan towns, with expected losses of about $166 per resident a year; that rating is what its B for hazard risk is built on.
Federal aid has come to Three Rivers households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2004. In Three Rivers, the FEMA risk score is 57 of 100. 58 flood insurance claims have been paid here since 1978. Two thirds of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by tornadoes at 8%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Three Rivers
About 3 of every 100 Three Rivers residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
2 places in Three Rivers on the National Register of Historic Places.
10 notable people were born in Three Rivers.
City in Michigan, United States
Three Rivers is a city in St. Joseph County. The population was 7,973 at the time of the 2020 census. Three Rivers derives its name from its location at the confluence of the St. Joseph River and two tributaries, the Rocky and Portage rivers. The St. Joseph River flows into Lake Michigan. The city is the home of St. Gregory's Abbey, a Benedictine monastery of the Episcopal Church, which was established in 1946. On the morning of August 6, 2024 an EF2 tornado struck the north side of Three Rivers. On March 6, 2026, a significant tornado impacted much of Three Rivers, damaging numerous homes and businesses. A PDS tornado warning was issued along with this storm. This tornado was part of a lar…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Three Rivers.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three Rivers | #580 | C− | B+ | D | B+ | C− |
| Lockport Township | #533 | C | B | — | B | C |
| Fabius Township | #367 | B− | B+ | — | B+ | C+ |
Lockport Township and Fabius Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Three Rivers with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Three Rivers grades C− overall, better than 23% of U.S. towns and #580 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C− for health, D for safety and B+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Three Rivers reports more crime per resident than 94% of U.S. towns, a D Safety Grade: 64 violent and 314 property crimes in 2025.
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+.
10 notable people were born here, including Jack Perrin and Matt Thornton.
