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Cost of living, pay and housing

43.48° N · 83.92° W · GEOID 2689320

Zilwaukee

Saginaw County, Michigan · part of the Saginaw, MI metro

Limited data population under 5,000

MichiganZilwaukee, MIZilwaukeeZilwaukee

The short answer

Zilwaukee is home to 1,609 people. Median household income is $57,756 a year and median rent is $1,195 a month, 24.8% 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 $95,300, about 1.6x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,195
12% below the median place
Median household income
$57,756
28% below the median place
Median home value
$95,300
70% below the median place
Unemployment
5.5%
12% 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 Zilwaukee

  • The median home is worth 1.6 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 98% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track.
  • Owning with a mortgage costs about $6 a month less than the median rent, which is rarer than in 94% of places its size.
  • Household income has grown 0.8% a year across the last five survey releases, slower than in 91% of places its size.
  • After the median rent, and with prices for everything else adjusted to the US average, the median household has about $45,000 a year left, less than in 84% of places its size.
  • Households average 2.11 people, smaller than in 87% of places its size.
01

Moving to Zilwaukee

Saginaw County loses about 2.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in6,155
Moved out6,504
Net−349

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Bay County, MI772821−49
Midland County, MI392524−132
Tuscola County, MI307266+41
Kent County, MI168197−29
Wayne County, MI125191−66

Within Michigan, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within MichiganOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$55K
Leavers$52K

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

Who moves here
4.9% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Saginaw County report $55,200 a year in income on average; those leaving, $52,500, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$47,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,195 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,189 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $95,300.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 9.5% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Ross, IN matches it on character. Compare the two
Income of households moving out8
$52,499
25% below the median place
Moved from another state1
1.0%
51% below the median place
Income of households moving in8
$55,227
22% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureZilwaukeeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure4.9%15% below
Moved from another state1County figure1.0%51% below
Net movers per 1,000 people8County figure-2.3283% below
Income of households moving in8County figure$55,22722% below
Income of households moving out8County figure$52,49925% below
02

What it costs to live here

Home price to income is 1.6x, 57% below the median place.

Zilwaukee24.8%
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
$47,800
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
24.8%
22% above the median place
Home price to income
1.6x
57% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
25%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$45,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Zilwaukee, $1,195 a month, and local prices for everything else (96.5 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Zilwaukee, 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
Gladstone, MI19.9% vs 24.8%n/aCompare
Semmes, AL19.1% vs 24.8%$12,300Compare
Gas City, IN19.3% vs 24.8%n/aCompare

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Zilwaukee? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median home value1
$95,300
70% below the median place
Property tax rate1
2.4%
168% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,189
36% below the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureZilwaukeeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,19512% below
Rent to income124.8%22% above
Property tax rate12.4%168% above
Home price to income11.6x57% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure90.910% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,14129% below
HUD area median income4County figure$83,20022% below
Property tax paid (median)1$2,32129% below
Median home value1$95,30070% below
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure3.8%20% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure54.0%5% above
Homeownership181.7%23% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure55.0%9% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,18936% below
Vacant homes1County figure9.6%36% above
Median year built119591% 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%)
Median household income1
$57,756
28% below the median place
Poverty rate1
15.2%
41% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Works from home9.5% −24%
Mean commute23 min −7%
Unemployment5.5% +12%
Income per person$36,525 −9%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureZilwaukeeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$57,75628% below
Income per person1$36,5259% below
Unemployment15.5%12% above
Average annual pay6County figure$60,9978% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure5.1%38% above
Jobs6County figure80,21047% below
Poverty rate115.2%41% above
Mean commute123 min7% below
Works from home19.5%24% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 83.5%, 10% below the median place.

Homes with broadband1
83.5%
10% below the median place
Household size1
2.1
16% below the median place
Population change since 20207
-2.9%
below the median place (median 1.1%)

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher17.0% −47%
Median age44.0 +13%
No health insurance4.5% −30%
High school or higher94.3% +2%
All 9 people measures
MeasureZilwaukeeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,6096646th largest
Population change since 20207-2.9%below (median 1.1%)
Median age144.013% above
Bachelor's or higher117.0%47% below
High school or higher194.3%2% above
Household size12.116% below
Born abroad1County figure2.4%73% below
No health insurance14.5%30% below
Homes with broadband183.5%10% below
05

Life in Zilwaukee

42 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents49.7 4.9×
Playgrounds per 10k49.7 5.3×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails2 km +15%
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 bars20.3 −2%
Shops39.7 +31%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.1 −24%
Doctors' offices and clinics21.7 +7%
Child care centers2.5 +9%

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

Shops per 10k9
39.7
31% above the median place
Public schools12
73
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students12
25,194
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureZilwaukeeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure73above (median 9)
Public school students12County figure25,194above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher12County figure17.816% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k9County figure20.32% below
Shops per 10k9County figure39.731% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k9County figure3.124% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k9County figure21.77% above
Child care centers per 10k9County figure2.59% above
Parks per 10k1049.7389% above
Playgrounds per 10k1049.7above (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k100.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k100.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k100.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails102.315% above
Transit stops per sq mi100.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings11County figure42223% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Wildfire risk is 16.0, 74% 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 Zilwaukee. Larger places are fetched first.

Wildfire risk14
16.0
74% below the median place
January average low13
16°F
36% below the median place
Average temperature13
48°F
13% below the median place
All 9 weather and risk measures
MeasureZilwaukeeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure83°F5% below
January average low13County figure16°F36% below
Average temperature13County figure48°F13% below
Annual precipitation13County figure32.9 in25% below
Natural hazard risk14County figure88.54% below
Hurricane risk14County figure50.529% below
Tornado risk14County figure93.315% above
Wildfire risk14County figure16.074% below
Heat wave risk14County figure77.814% below
08

Zilwaukee in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 26% of the median income in 2030, up from 25% 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$1,195/mo (2024)$1,530/mo$1,250 to $1,860/mo+4.2%
Median household income$57,756 (2024)$71,500$60,500 to $84,500+3.6%
Median home value$95,300 (2024)$133,000$96,000 to $183,000+5.7%
Population1,489 (2025)1,4801,420 to 1,540−0.2%

The median home would be worth 1.9 years of the median income in 2030, against 1.7 now.

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

09

Places like Zilwaukee

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

PlaceRentIncome
Ross, IN$1,101$54,563Compare
Burton, MI$1,009$60,052Compare
Trotwood, OH$1,031$50,113Compare
Barling, AR$1,128$54,387Compare
Barling, ARTrotwood, OHBurton, MIRoss, INZilwaukee, MIZilwaukeeRossBurtonTrotwoodBarlingZilwaukeeRossBurtonTrotwoodBarling

Common questions

Is Zilwaukee a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The median home is worth 1.6 years of the median household's income, fewer than in 98% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. Owning with a mortgage costs about $6 a month less than the median rent, which is rarer than in 94% of places its size. On cost, space and class size it scores 47 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Zilwaukee expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 24.8% 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 $95,300.

What salary do you need to live in Zilwaukee?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $47,800 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Zilwaukee?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Ross, IN, Burton, MI, Trotwood, OH and Barling, 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. 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 Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 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
  14. 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 Zilwaukee with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Zilwaukee itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/zilwaukee-michigan

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

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