James McColl House · National Register of Historic Places
Yale’s story
137 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2012.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1889Yale is settled
YaleMI
Public schools that outperform most of Michigan.
James McColl House · Photo: Notorious4life · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,873
2025 Census estimate · −1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$246K
+3.4% in a year
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
33.5
years
Jobs based here
767
Balanced
Is Yale a good place to live?
The best of Yale’s subject grades are an A for schools and an A− for cost of living and history; the weakest is a D for incomes. Yale’s average trip to work is 35 minutes, where Michigan’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. On incomes, just 119 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do worse. Yale is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 71% of U.S. towns. James McColl House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Yale has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Yale stand out
Where Yale beats most towns.
Yale Public Schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Yale Elementary School | PK–5 | 329 |
| Yale Junior High School | 6–8 | 425 |
| Yale Senior High School | 9–12 | 509 |
SchoolsA
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Typical home value
Yale$246K
Michigan$264K
Cost of livingA−
3.2 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 82% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
James McColl HouseHistoryA−
Settled in 1889
1 place on the National Register
A history going back 137 years.
How Yale grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Yale is from typical.
Jobs & income$53K median household incomeDOpen →SchoolsAOpen →HealthLake Huron Medical Center 19.8 miles awayC−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.4 of 20; 9% of households have no car; 2.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 41% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →SafetyB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0% conserved landCOpen →History1 place on the National Register; 1 notable person born hereA−Open →Civic life2.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+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 33.5; 10% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Yale: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Yale, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Yale water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Yale’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 hereYale City ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4809748097 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 Yale.
SchoolsA
On state tests, Yale’s schools beat 91% of Michigan districts
Its public schools are run by the Yale Public Schools. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Yale Senior High School, with 509 students.
91%of MI districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale Junior High SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 425 | A− |
| Yale Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 509 | B+ |
| Yale Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 329 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
On CDC estimates, Yale is less healthy than 84% of U.S. towns
Yale beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 21% of adults report frequent mental distress in Yale, above both Michigan’s towns (18%) and U.S. towns (17%). 19% of Yale adults smoke cigarettes.
16%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Yale | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better23 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Yale | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11.1% | 8.1% |
| More smokers | 19.4% | 14.6% |
| More adults in fair or poor health | 23.7% | 19.4% |
Lake Huron Medical Center
19.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Yale
Yale has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Yale’s July high is 81°F.
41″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–32°
Spring36–55°
Summer59–79°
Fall42–60°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 12
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Most working residents commute out of Yale
Most working residents leave Yale for work: only 9% work in town. 18% of residents live below the poverty line in Yale. Jobs based in Yale grew to 767 in 2021, 241 more than in 2011.
9%work in town
| Yale | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 8.6% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Yale9%
Port Huron6%
Detroit5%
Shelby Township3%
Sandusky3%
29 mi
median commute distance
767
jobs based in Yale
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 71% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Yale faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 59% of U.S. communities.
41risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade A−
A typical Yale home is worth about $246K
The typical Yale home is worth about $246,000, up 3.4% in a year, 7% below the Michigan typical home. The median rent in Yale is $857 a month.
$246KZillow home value
| Yale | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 70% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $857 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Yale$246K
Michigan$264K
+3.4%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
52%of U.S. towns report more crimeB−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Yale3.7
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Yale6.4
Michigan13
U.S.15.5
52nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
7
violent crimes reported in 2025
12
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0.1%conserved
0.1%
conserved · 1 of 881 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Yale Park | — | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Yale
20pages on Yale
The big questions
SchoolsABeat 91% of MI districts · 4 schoolsSafetyB−3.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than MI on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$246K typical home · up 3.4% in a yearWork & commuteD$53K median household income · 767 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 41% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Yale; the nearest are
St Clair County Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Port Huron21.3 mi$5,212 in-state tuitionOakland UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Rochester Hills37.8 mi$15,262 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Yale residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Questions about Yale
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Yale, MI a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Michigan.
Is Yale, 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−.