CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

42.32° N · 85.23° W · GEOID 2675700

Springfield

Calhoun County, Michigan · part of the Battle Creek, MI metro

MichiganSpringfield, MISpringfieldSpringfield

The short answer

Springfield is home to 5,269 people. Median household income is $44,808 a year and median rent is $864 a month, 23.1% 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 $110,800, about 2.5x annual median household income.

What sets Springfield apart is how tight household budgets are. After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $35,700 a year, less than in 94% of places its size. Also notable: Housing became less affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 20% to 23.1% of income.

9OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Springfield scores better than 9% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 165th of 176 in Michigan.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%61
Economy 20%5
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%18
Education 10%4
Commute 10%84
Growth 5%11

Not rated: safety, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$864
37% below the median place
Median household income
$44,808
44% below the median place
Median home value
$110,800
65% below the median place
Unemployment
9.7%
98% 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 Springfield

  • AffordabilityThe median household earns $44,808 a year, less than in 92% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • Who lives hereThe median resident is 31.2 years old, younger than in 93% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Springfield

Calhoun County gains about 0.5 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in5,066
Moved out5,011
Net+55

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Michigan, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MichiganOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$49K
Leavers$51K

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

Who moves here
4.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.5% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Calhoun County report $48,800 a year in income on average; those leaving, $51,400, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$34,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $864 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $993 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $110,800.
Getting to work
19 minutes each way on average; 8.1% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Enola, PA matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Income of households moving in8
$48,780
31% below the median place
Income of households moving out8
$51,446
27% below the median place
Moved from another state1
1.5%
26% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSpringfieldAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.9%15% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.5%26% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure0.5above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in8County figure$48,78031% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$51,44627% below
02

What it costs to live here

Owning with a mortgage costs only about $129 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 88% of the 2,469 places under 10,000 people we track.

Springfield23.1%
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
$34,560
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
23.1%
13% above the median place
Home price to income
2.5x
35% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
23%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$35,900
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Springfield, $864 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.6 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Springfield, but easier on the budget

Places that match Springfield on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Enola, PA9418.1% vs 23.1%$23,900Compare
De Soto, MO9418.5% vs 23.1%$7,800Compare
Bellefontaine, OH9217.5% vs 23.1%n/aCompare
Kendallville, IN9116.7% vs 23.1%n/aCompare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Springfield? 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
$993
47% below the median place
Median home value1
$110,800
65% below the median place
Homeownership1
52.1%
21% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSpringfieldAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$86437% below
Rent to income123.1%13% above
Property tax rate11.6%77% above
Home price to income12.5x35% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure90.510% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,23324% below
HUD area median income4County figure$80,70025% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,78745% below
Median home value1$110,80065% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure2.5%22% below
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure54.0%5% above
Homeownership152.1%21% below
Renters paying 30%+143.7%14% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$99347% below
Vacant homes18.0%14% above
Median year built119710% below
03

Work and pay

Median household income is $44,808, 44% below the median place.

Median household income1
$44,808
44% below the median place
Unemployment1
9.7%
98% above the median place
Income per person1
$24,639
39% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureSpringfieldAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$44,80844% below
Income per person1$24,63939% below
Unemployment19.7%98% above
Average annual pay6County figure$67,9963% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure6.1%65% above
Jobs6County figure54,94964% below
Poverty rate119.1%77% above
Mean commute119 min23% below
Works from home1County figure8.1%35% below
Commutes by transit1County figure0.3%66% below
04

Who lives here

12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 93% of the 2,473 places under 10,000 people we track.

Homes with broadband1
80.7%
13% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
11.9%
63% below the median place
Median age1
31.2
20% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher84.9% −8%
No health insurance11.8% +84%
Household size2.3 −8%
Born abroad8.4% −5%
All 9 people measures
MeasureSpringfieldAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15,2696434th largest
Population change since 20207-0.7%below (median 1.1%)
Median age131.220% below
Bachelor's or higher111.9%63% below
High school or higher184.9%8% below
Household size12.38% below
Born abroad18.4%5% below
No health insurance111.8%84% above
Homes with broadband180.7%13% below
05

Life in Springfield

The nearest National Park Service site is North Country Trail, about 43 miles away.

46 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents19.0 +87%
Playgrounds per 10k15.2 +61%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k5.7 −49%
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.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • North Country Trail 43 miles
  • Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historic Site 96 miles
  • River Raisin National Battlefield Park 99 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars16.6 −20%
Shops32.6 +8%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.4 −17%
Doctors' offices and clinics14.7 −27%
Child care centers1.9 −17%

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

Public school students13
1,241
75% below the median place
Public schools13
4
56% below the median place
Nearest National Park Service site11
42.5
38% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureSpringfieldAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13456% below
Public school students131,24175% below
Students per teacher1315.03% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure16.620% below
Shops per 10k9County figure32.68% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure3.417% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure14.727% below
Child care centers per 10k9County figure1.917% below
Parks per 10k1019.087% above
Playgrounds per 10k1015.261% above
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k105.749% below
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails100.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site1142.538% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles11150% below
National Register listings12County figure46254% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 50.5, 44% 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 Springfield. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk15
50.5
44% below the median place
Wildfire risk15
28.5
54% below the median place
January average low14
17°F
35% below the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureSpringfieldAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure83°F5% below
January average low14County figure17°F35% below
Average temperature14County figure48°F12% below
Annual precipitation14County figure36.8 in16% below
Natural hazard risk15County figure74.519% below
Hurricane risk15County figure37.547% below
Tornado risk15County figure88.38% above
Wildfire risk15County figure28.554% below
Heat wave risk15County figure50.544% below
08

Springfield in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 24% of the median income in 2030, up from 23% 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. On projected 2030 affordability, Springfield does better than 59% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 54%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$864/mo (2024)$1,110/mo$910 to $1,360/mo+4.3%
Median household income$44,808 (2024)$56,500$47,500 to $66,500+3.9%
Median home value$110,800 (2024)$159,000$116,000 to $219,000+6.2%
Population5,246 (2025)5,2705,050 to 5,490+0.1%

The median home would be worth 2.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 2.5 now.

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

09

Places like Springfield

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

PlaceRentIncome
Chaparral, NM$853$46,017Compare
Cairo, GA$778$40,920Compare
Yoakum, TX$931$46,810Compare
Sinton, TX$938$51,701Compare
Sinton, TXYoakum, TXCairo, GAChaparral, NMSpringfield, MISpringfieldChaparralCairoYoakumSintonSpringfieldChaparralCairoYoakumSinton

Places built like Springfield

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Springfield performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Springfield, MI23.1%2.6%/yr-0.7%
Moraine, OH25.5%1.3%/yr3.1%Compare
Beecher, MI29.0%5.8%/yrn/aCompare
Scottsburg, IN25.8%-1.7%/yr1.7%Compare
New London, WI16.6%4.6%/yr5.0%Compare
Linton, IN21.4%5.5%/yr0.3%Compare
Alexandria, IN14.9%3.1%/yr1.7%Compare

Common questions

Is Springfield a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 9 out of 100, better than 9% of the places we rate and 165th of 176 in Michigan. The median household earns $44,808 a year, less than in 92% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. The median resident is 31.2 years old, younger than in 93% of the 2,479 places under 10,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 29 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Springfield expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 23.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $110,800.

What salary do you need to live in Springfield?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $34,560 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Springfield?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Chaparral, NM, Cairo, GA, Yoakum, TX and Sinton, 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. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  8. 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.
  9. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  10. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  11. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  12. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 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
  15. 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 Springfield with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Springfield itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/springfield-michigan

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

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