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Cost of living, pay and housing

42.63° N · 82.59° W · GEOID 2663200

Pearl Beach

St. Clair County, Michigan · part of the Detroit, MI metro

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

Limited data population under 5,000

MichiganPearl Beach, MIPearl BeachPearl Beach

The short answer

Pearl Beach is home to 4,506 people. Median household income is $83,208 a year and median rent is $1,054 a month, 15.2% 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 $301,700, about 3.6x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,054
23% below the median place
Median household income
$83,208
4% above the median place
Median home value
$301,700
6% below the median place
Unemployment
5.7%
17% 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 Pearl Beach

  • Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 270 hours a year commuting, more than in 98% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 167 Michigan places.
  • The median resident is 53.7 years old, older than in 95% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 176 Michigan places.
  • 93% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 94% of places its size.
  • Households average 2.10 people, smaller than in 87% of places its size.
  • 3% of residents were born outside the US, fewer than in 86% of places its size.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 82 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to Pearl Beach

St. Clair County gains about 3.9 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in5,550
Moved out5,027
Net+523

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Macomb County, MI2,3711,662+709
Sanilac County, MI360394−34
Oakland County, MI377361+16
Wayne County, MI252210+42
Lapeer County, MI216182+34
Genesee County, MI82103−21
Kent County, MI4265−23
Washtenaw County, MI61

Within Michigan, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MichiganOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$58K
Leavers$56K

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

Who moves here
5.1% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.7% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into St. Clair County report $58,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $56,200.
Income you would need
$42,200 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,054 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,704 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $301,700.
Getting to work
38 minutes each way on average; 6.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Winthrop Harbor, IL matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
5.1%
11% below the median place
Moved from another state1
0.7%
66% below the median place
Income of households moving out7
$56,172
20% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasurePearl BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year15.1%11% below
Moved from another state1County figure0.7%66% below
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure3.9above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$58,24217% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$56,17220% below
02

What it costs to live here

Homeownership is 93.3%, 40% above the median place.

Pearl Beach15.2%
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
$42,160
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
15.2%
25% below the median place
Home price to income
3.6x
4% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
15%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$69,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Pearl Beach, $1,054 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Pearl Beach, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Twin Lakes, WI12.1% vs 15.2%$4,600Compare
Forestbrook, SC12.0% vs 15.2%$5,100Compare
Clear Lake, IA12.2% vs 15.2%n/aCompare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Pearl Beach? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
93.3%
40% above the median place
Property tax rate1
1.2%
30% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,704
9% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasurePearl BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,05423% below
Rent to income115.2%25% below
Property tax rate11.2%30% above
Home price to income13.6x4% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure100.31% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,45910% below
HUD area median income4County figure$104,8002% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,5679% above
Median home value1$301,7006% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure4.8%51% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure49.1%5% below
Homeownership193.3%40% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure55.2%9% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,7049% below
Vacant homes1County figure6.8%3% below
Median year built119770% 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%)
Mean commute1
38 min
51% above the median place
Works from home1
6.0%
51% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$46,530 +16%
Poverty rate10.0% −8%
Median household income$83,208 +4%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasurePearl BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$83,2084% above
Income per person1$46,53016% above
Unemployment1County figure5.7%17% above
Average annual pay6County figure$58,07312% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.3%16% above
Jobs6County figure41,73472% below
Poverty rate110.0%8% below
Mean commute138 min51% above
Works from home16.0%51% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Median age is 53.7, 38% above the median place.

Median age1
53.7
38% above the median place
Household size1
2.1
16% below the median place
Born abroad1
3.1%
65% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher20.4% −36%
Homes with broadband94.2% +2%
No health insurance8.1% +27%
High school or higher93.2% +1%
All 8 people measures
MeasurePearl BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population14,5066646th largest
Median age153.738% above
Bachelor's or higher120.4%36% below
High school or higher193.2%1% above
Household size12.116% below
Born abroad13.1%65% below
No health insurance18.1%27% above
Homes with broadband194.2%2% above
05

Life in Pearl Beach

2 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks.

  • Colony Tower Complex listed 1994
  • Colony Tower Complex (Boundary Increase) listed 1995

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents4.4 −56%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k4.4 2.1×
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k15.5 +39%
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 bars16.5 −21%
Shops28.8 −5%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.6 −37%
Doctors' offices and clinics19.7 −2%
Child care centers1.2 −48%

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

Child care centers per 10k8
1.2
48% below the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
2.6
37% below the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
16.5
21% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasurePearl BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure54above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure20,496319% above
Students per teacher11County figure17.111% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure16.521% below
Shops per 10k8County figure28.85% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure2.637% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure19.72% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.248% below
Parks per 10k94.456% below
Playgrounds per 10k90.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k94.4109% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k915.539% above
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings10285% below
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 82°F, 6% 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 Pearl Beach. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high12
82°F
6% below the median place
Average temperature12
49°F
11% below the median place
Heat wave risk13
63.8
29% below the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasurePearl BeachAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure82°F6% below
January average low12County figure18°F30% below
Average temperature12County figure49°F11% below
Annual precipitation12County figure33.9 in23% below
Natural hazard risk13County figure82.011% below
Hurricane risk13County figure35.849% below
Tornado risk13County figure87.27% above
Wildfire risk13County figure33.545% below
Heat wave risk13County figure63.829% below
Median air quality index14County figure399% below
Good air days14County figure69.6%2% above
08

Pearl Beach 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.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,054/mo (2024)$1,330/mo$1,090 to $1,620/mo+4.0%
Median household income$83,208 (2024)$105,500$89,000 to $124,500+4.0%
Median home value$301,700 (2024)$435,000$316,000 to $599,000+6.3%

The median home would be worth 4.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.6 now.

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

09

Places like Pearl Beach

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

PlaceRentIncome
Winthrop Harbor, IL$1,313$95,690Compare
Twin Lakes, WI$870$86,222Compare
Foley, AL$1,242$66,336Compare
Gun Barrel City, TX$960$71,310Compare
Gun Barrel City, TXFoley, ALTwin Lakes, WIWinthrop Harbor, ILPearl Beach, MIPearl BeachWinthrop HarborTwin LakesFoleyGun Barrel CityPearl BeachWinthrop HarborTwin LakesFoleyGun Barrel City

Common questions

Is Pearl Beach a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 270 hours a year commuting, more than in 98% of the 2,101 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 167 Michigan places. The median resident is 53.7 years old, older than in 95% of places its size. It is the 2nd-highest of 176 Michigan places. On cost, space and class size it scores 73 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Pearl Beach expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 15.2% 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 $301,700.

What salary do you need to live in Pearl Beach?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $42,160 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Pearl Beach?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Winthrop Harbor, IL, Twin Lakes, WI, Foley, AL and Gun Barrel City, TX.

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. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  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. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 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
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. 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 Pearl Beach with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Pearl Beach itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/pearl-beach-michigan

Citytistics. “Pearl Beach, Michigan.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/pearl-beach-michigan/

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