Name: Lake Isabella, MI statistics
Creator: Citytistics

Moving to Lake Isabella

Isabella County loses about 3.4 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in3,129

Moved out3,290

Net−161

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Clare County, MI312285+27

Gratiot County, MI301273+28

Midland County, MI210251−41

Mecosta County, MI158150+8

Montcalm County, MI115131−16

Kent County, MI102106−4

Ingham County, MI88115−27

Oakland County, MI86116−30

Within Michigan, other states or abroad

Arrivals

77%23%

Leavers

74%26%

Within MichiganOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$40K

Leavers$47K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Isabella County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here: 13.3% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.8% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves: Households moving into Isabella County report $40,400 a year in income on average; those leaving, $46,900, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need: $38,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy: Median rent is $964 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,189 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $184,000.
Getting to work: 25 minutes each way on average; 15.3% work from home.
If it is close but not quite: Homeacre-Lyndora, PA matches it on character. Compare the two

Income of households moving in7
$40,383
43% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
13.3%
131% above the median place
Income of households moving out7
$46,941
33% below the median place

All 5 moving measures

Measure	Lake Isabella	Vs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure	13.3%	131% above
Moved from another state1County figure	2.8%	43% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure	-3.4	below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure	$40,383	43% below
Income of households moving out7County figure	$46,941	33% below

What it costs to live here

Vacant homes is 27.8%, 294% above the median place.

Lake Isabella14.9%

Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent

$38,560

a year, at the 30% line

Rent to income

14.9%

27% below the median place

Home price to income

2.4x

38% below the median place

Could you afford it?

Your household income, before tax

The median rent would take

15%

comfortably under the 30% line

Left after rent, in US prices

$66,400

a year, prices not adjusted

Vs the typical household here

Same

as the median household

Uses the median rent in Lake Isabella, $964 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Lake Isabella.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Lake Isabella? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.

Vacant homes1
27.8%
294% above the median place
Homeownership1
94.1%
42% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,189
36% below the median place

All 15 cost and housing measures

Measure	Lake Isabella	Vs median
Median gross rent1	$964	29% below
Rent to income1	14.9%	27% below
Property tax rate1	1.1%	18% above
Home price to income1	2.4x	38% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure	$1,059	34% below
HUD area median income3County figure	$79,000	26% below
Property tax paid (median)1	$1,971	40% below
Median home value1	$184,000	42% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure	5.9%	86% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure	48.5%	6% below
Homeownership1	94.1%	42% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure	51.9%	3% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1	$1,189	36% below
Vacant homes1	27.8%	294% above
Median year built1	1994	1% above

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Poverty rate1
5.8%
47% below the median place
Unemployment1
6.2%
27% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Works from home15.3% +23%

Income per person$37,952 −5%

Median household income$77,500 −3%

Mean commute25 min +1%

All 10 work and pay measures

Measure	Lake Isabella	Vs median
Median household income1	$77,500	3% below
Income per person1	$37,952	5% below
Unemployment1	6.2%	27% above
Average annual pay5County figure	$52,282	21% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure	2.5%	32% below
Jobs5County figure	26,856	82% below
Poverty rate1	5.8%	47% below
Mean commute1	25 min	1% above
Works from home1	15.3%	23% above
Commutes by transit1	0.0%	below (median 0.8%)

Who lives here

Median age is 48.1, 23% above the median place.

Median age1
48.1
23% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
88.5%
4% below the median place
Population change since 20206
3.3%
185% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size2.6 +4%

High school or higher91.3% −1%

Bachelor's or higher33.0% +3%

All 9 people measures

Measure	Lake Isabella	Vs median
Population1	2,085	6646th largest
Population change since 20206	3.3%	185% above
Median age1	48.1	23% above
Bachelor's or higher1	33.0%	3% above
High school or higher1	91.3%	1% below
Household size1	2.6	4% above
Born abroad1County figure	3.3%	63% below
No health insurance1County figure	7.8%	22% above
Homes with broadband1	88.5%	4% below

Life in Lake Isabella

6 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents95.9 9.4×

Playgrounds per 10k28.8 3.1×

Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%

Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9.6 −14%

Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%

Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%

Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.9 +10%

Shops34.2 +13%

Arts, recreation and fitness3.9 −5%

Doctors' offices and clinics20.3 +0%

Child care centers2.3 +0%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Shops per 10k8
34.2
13% above the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
22.9
10% above the median place
Public schools11
20
122% above the median place

All 16 schools and local life measures

Measure	Lake Isabella	Vs median
Public schools11County figure	20	122% above
Public school students11County figure	6,493	33% above
Students per teacher11County figure	16.2	5% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure	22.9	10% above
Shops per 10k8County figure	34.2	13% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure	3.9	5% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure	20.3	0% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure	2.3	0% above
Parks per 10k9	95.9	above (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k9	28.8	206% above
Grocery stores per 10k9	0.0	below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9	9.6	14% below
Libraries per 10k9	0.0	below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails9	0.0	below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi9	0.0	below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10County figure	6	54% below

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 18.4, 70% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Lake Isabella. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk13
18.4
70% below the median place
Heat wave risk13
38.0
58% below the median place
Average temperature12
47°F
15% below the median place

All 9 weather and risk measures

Measure	Lake Isabella	Vs median
July average high12County figure	82°F	5% below
January average low12County figure	15°F	42% below
Average temperature12County figure	47°F	15% below
Annual precipitation12County figure	33.6 in	23% below
Natural hazard risk13County figure	66.1	29% below
Hurricane risk13County figure	33.0	53% below
Tornado risk13County figure	80.3	1% below
Wildfire risk13County figure	18.4	70% below
Heat wave risk13County figure	38.0	58% below

How it is changing

Five-year survey estimates, one point per release.

Median gross rent

Up 6.8% from 2019 to 2024.

Median household income

Up 2.5% from 2019 to 2024.

Median home value

Up 13.7% from 2019 to 2024.

Population estimate

Up 3.1% from 2020 to 2025.

Citytistics measures

Paycheck stretch

n/a

No local price data

Pay vs rent

-0.8 pts

a year, rent outrunning pay. Better than 40% of places

Family fit

of 100 on cost, space and class size

Growth

of 100 on population and income growth

Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas

Lake Isabella in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 15% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 15% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

Measure	Latest	2030 projection	Likely range	Avg. per year
Median rent	$964/mo (2024)	$1,220/mo	$1,000 to $1,490/mo	+4.0%
Median household income	$77,500 (2024)	$96,500	$81,500 to $114,000	+3.7%
Median home value	$184,000 (2024)	$248,000	$180,000 to $342,000	+5.1%
Population	1,952 (2025)	2,000	1,920 to 2,080	+0.5%

The median home would be worth 2.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.4 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

Places like Lake Isabella

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

Place	Rent	Income
Homeacre-Lyndora, PA	$928	$74,217	Compare
Shields, MI	$941	$82,125	Compare
Lower Burrell, PA	$911	$84,602	Compare
Natrona Heights, PA	$935	$69,710	Compare

Nearby

Compare Lake Isabella with

Common questions

Is Lake Isabella a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. 94% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 95% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 3rd-highest of 176 Michigan places. 28% of homes stand vacant, more than in 94% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 142 Michigan places. On cost, space and class size it scores 99 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Lake Isabella expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 14.9% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $184,000.

What salary do you need to live in Lake Isabella?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $38,560 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Lake Isabella?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Homeacre-Lyndora, PA, Shields, MI, Lower Burrell, PA and Natrona Heights, PA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Lake Isabella with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Lake Isabella itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/lake-isabella-michigan

Citytistics. “Lake Isabella, Michigan.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/lake-isabella-michigan/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Lake Isabella

What stands out about Lake Isabella