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Cost of living, pay and housing

44.20° N · 85.22° W · GEOID 2649980

McBain

Missaukee County, Michigan · part of the Cadillac, MI metro

Computed by Citytistics from 13 public sources · Data bundle checked 2026-11-14 · How we calculate

Limited data population under 5,000

MichiganMcBain, MIMcBainMcBain

The short answer

McBain is home to 706 people. Median household income is $47,083 a year and median rent is $298 a month, 7.6% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $141,700, about 3.0x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$298
78% below the median place
Median household income
$47,083
41% below the median place
Median home value
$141,700
56% below the median place
Unemployment
6.7%
38% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about McBain

  • Median rent is $298 a month, lower than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 176 Michigan places.
  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 4.1% a year while rent rose -2.7%, so pay gained on rent more than in 93% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 176 Michigan places.
  • 10% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 96% of places its size.
  • The median household earns $47,083 a year, less than in 90% of places its size.
  • The median home is valued at $141,700, less than in 86% of places its size.
01

Moving to McBain

Missaukee County gains about 3.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in678
Moved out636
Net+42

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Wexford County, MI191203−12
Osceola County, MI6560+5
Grand Traverse County, MI3652−16
Roscommon County, MI34

Within Michigan, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MichiganOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$48K
Leavers$49K

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

Who moves here
9.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.2% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Missaukee County report $47,700 a year in income on average; those leaving, $49,500.
Income you would need
$11,900 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $298 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,159 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $141,700.
Getting to work
18 minutes each way on average; 5.2% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Trumann, AR matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
9.7%
69% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$47,651
32% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$49,476
30% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureMcBainAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year19.7%69% above
Moved from another state1County figure1.2%40% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure3.3above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$47,65132% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$49,47630% below
02

What it costs to live here

Median gross rent is $298, 78% below the median place.

McBain7.6%
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
$11,920
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
7.6%
63% below the median place
Home price to income
3.0x
21% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
8%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$43,400
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in McBain, $298 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to McBain? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,159
38% below the median place
Median home value1
$141,700
56% below the median place
Median year built1
1962
1% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureMcBainAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$29878% below
Rent to income17.6%63% below
Property tax rate11.2%27% above
Home price to income13.0x21% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,01437% below
HUD area median income3County figure$83,10023% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,64350% below
Median home value1$141,70056% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure3.8%18% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure69.0%34% above
Homeownership162.1%6% below
Renters paying 30%+1County figure49.8%2% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,15938% below
Vacant homes1County figure31.9%352% above
Median year built119621% below
03

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%)
Income per person1
$23,810
41% below the median place
Median household income1
$47,083
41% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureMcBainAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$47,08341% below
Income per person1$23,81041% below
Unemployment1County figure6.7%38% above
Average annual pay5County figure$48,66726% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure5.6%51% above
Jobs5County figure4,11097% below
Poverty rate112.3%14% above
Mean commute118 min27% below
Works from home1County figure5.2%58% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 9.6%, 70% below the median place.

Bachelor's or higher1
9.6%
70% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
81.8%
11% below the median place
Household size1
2.3
7% below the median place
All 9 people measures
MeasureMcBainAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population17066646th largest
Population change since 202060.5%59% below
Median age137.83% below
Bachelor's or higher19.6%70% below
High school or higher189.4%3% below
Household size12.37% below
Born abroad1County figure1.6%81% below
No health insurance1County figure8.4%31% above
Homes with broadband181.8%11% below
05

Life in McBain

3 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars15.1 −27%
Shops27.6 −9%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.1 +24%
Doctors' offices and clinics4.6 −77%
Child care centers3.3 +43%

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

Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
4.6
77% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
15.1
27% below the median place
Child care centers per 10k8
3.3
43% above the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureMcBainAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure633% below
Public school students10County figure2,22355% below
Students per teacher10County figure17.212% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure15.127% below
Shops per 10k8County figure27.69% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8Metro figure5.124% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure4.677% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure3.343% above
National Register listings9County figure377% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

Natural hazard risk is 11.1, 88% 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 McBain. Larger places are fetched first.

Natural hazard risk12
11.1
88% below the median place
Heat wave risk12
11.1
88% below the median place
Average temperature11
44°F
19% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureMcBainAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure81°F7% below
January average low11County figure12°F53% below
Average temperature11County figure44°F19% below
Annual precipitation11County figure33.6 in23% below
Natural hazard risk12County figure11.188% below
Hurricane risk12County figure17.975% below
Tornado risk12County figure25.269% below
Wildfire risk12County figure35.143% below
Heat wave risk12County figure11.188% below
Median air quality index13County figure3519% below
Good air days13County figure86.9%27% above
08

McBain in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 7% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 8% 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.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$298/mo (2024)$370/mo$300 to $450/mo+3.7%
Median household income$47,083 (2024)$60,000$50,500 to $71,000+4.1%
Median home value$141,700 (2024)$203,000$147,000 to $280,000+6.2%
Population642 (2025)650620 to 670+0.2%

The median home would be worth 3.4 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.0 now.

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

09

Places like McBain

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

PlaceRentIncome
Trumann, AR$586$38,881Compare
Zuni Pueblo, NM$588$45,724Compare
Wellston, OH$534$56,193Compare
Newport, AR$597$34,764Compare
Newport, ARWellston, OHZuni Pueblo, NMTrumann, ARMcBain, MIMcBainTrumannZuni PuebloWellstonNewportMcBainTrumannZuni PuebloWellstonNewport

Common questions

Is McBain a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Median rent is $298 a month, lower than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 176 Michigan places. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, household income rose 4.1% a year while rent rose -2.7%, so pay gained on rent more than in 93% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 176 Michigan places. On cost, space and class size it scores 66 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is McBain expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 7.6% 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 $141,700.

What salary do you need to live in McBain?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $11,920 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to McBain?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Trumann, AR, Zuni Pueblo, NM, Wellston, OH and Newport, AR.

Sources and methods

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

  1. 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
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. 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.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 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
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  13. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

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 McBain with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for McBain itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/mcbain-michigan

Citytistics. “McBain, Michigan.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/mcbain-michigan/

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