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Big Rapids, MI vs University of Pittsburgh Bradford, PA

Big Rapids

Michigan

vs

University of Pittsburgh Bradford

Pennsylvania

Across 27 directional measures we can compare, Big Rapids leads on 7 and University of Pittsburgh Bradford on 20. Counting measures is not an overall verdict: their importance depends on your priorities. Median rent is 15% higher in Big Rapids, while median household income is higher in University of Pittsburgh Bradford.

Median gross rent
$929$809
Big Rapids is 15% higher
Median household income
$43,858$62,905
Big Rapids is 30% lower
Median home value
$156,400$104,500
Big Rapids is 50% higher
PennsylvaniaMichiganUniversity of Pittsburgh Bradford, PABig Rapids, MIBig RapidsBig Rapids

Which fits you?

Both start on the Citytistics Index (CTX). Move the sliders to weigh what matters to you and the score becomes your own mix.

Your weights

Top 1 of 1 matching places. Places in the top 1% show their national rank.

#PlaceCTXAffordabilityEconomyEducationSafetyCommuteAmenitiesGrowth
01Big Rapids, MIComposite 47.5 / 100
44
37343931976091

CTX is the Citytistics Index: better than that share of the places we rate. It tops out at 99, so the top 1% show their national rank (#1 is best). Change any weight to rank on your own mix. How the CTX is built

Every measure

The dots show where each place sits among the 6,645 places we track. The bar is the median. A small dot after a value marks the better one.

MeasureBig RapidsUniversity of Pittsburgh BradfordAmong all places
Cost of living
Median gross rent1$929$809
Rent to income125.4%15.4%
Property tax rate11.6%1.6%
Home price to income13.6x1.7x
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2$1,063$1,014
HUD area median income3$81,700$84,200
Housing
Property tax paid (median)1$2,466$1,660
Median home value1$156,400$104,500
Home prices, 1-year change44.1%4.1%
Home prices, 5-year change468.2%39.2%
Homeownership141.5%78.0%
Renters paying 30%+154.5%41.5%
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,252$1,146
Vacant homes113.2%15.9%
Median year built119651953
Jobs and income
Median household income1$43,858$62,905
Income per person1$23,446$5,301
Unemployment14.3%4.9%
Average annual pay5$45,793$51,959
Pay growth, 1 year51.3%3.5%
Jobs512,26213,771
Poverty rate134.1%13.7%
Mean commute115 min11 min
Works from home19.0%5.3%
Commutes by transit10.4%1.1%
People
Population18,477974
Population change since 202063.3%n/a
Median age122.920.1
Bachelor's or higher126.9%20.8%
High school or higher194.3%92.3%
Household size12.12.3
Born abroad10.9%1.5%
No health insurance16.2%9.7%
Homes with broadband182.3%87.9%
Moving
Moved here in the past year127.8%27.1%
Moved from another state13.7%10.1%
Net movers per 1,000 people74.8-1.7
Income of households moving in7$49,695$50,218
Income of households moving out7$45,615$50,333
Local life
Restaurants and bars per 10k817.721.3
Shops per 10k835.435.8
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k83.64.0
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k813.317.5
Child care centers per 10k82.23.0
Parks per 10k929.5n/a
Playgrounds per 10k920.1n/a
Grocery stores per 10k91.2n/a
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k910.6n/a
Libraries per 10k94.7n/a
Named paths and bike trails911.1n/a
Transit stops per sq mi90.0n/a
Nearest National Park Service site1053.3n/a
National Park Service sites within 60 miles101n/a
National Register listings11210
Founded or incorporated121855n/a
Safety
Violent crime per 100k13441n/a
Property crime per 100k131,323n/a
Schools
Public schools141114
Public school students142,7465,275
Students per teacher1418.411.9
Climate
July average high1582°F79°F
January average low1514°F15°F
Average temperature1546°F46°F
Annual precipitation1535.6 in46.0 in
Hazards and air
Natural hazard risk1669.853.8
Hurricane risk1627.461.7
Tornado risk1662.824.5
Wildfire risk1629.210.2
Heat wave risk1629.010.5

Data bundle checked 2026-11-14; individual source vintages vary. Rent needed at the 30% line: Big Rapids $37,160, University of Pittsburgh Bradford $32,360 a year.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. 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. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Wikidata · Wikimedia Foundation (CC0) · Retrieved 2026-11
  13. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  14. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  15. 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
  16. 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).

Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology.

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