Population 698 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Palmer
Household size in Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.61 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.41 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.30 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.25 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.36 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Palmer is a place of small households, averaging 2.25 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.61 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.9 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.4 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.7 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 51.1 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +18.1 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 51.1, Palmer is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.2% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.3% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.9% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.4% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +2.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.4% of households in Palmer, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Palmer
Renters in Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 16.7% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Palmer is largely a place of homeowners: only 16.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Nearly half of owners (47.8%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.3% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 25.4% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.0% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.2 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 14.0% of the housing in Palmer, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1953 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1953 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1954 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1960 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +3 | +6 |
The housing in Palmer is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1960, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $529 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $612 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $624 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $689 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$160 | +$395 | +$606 |
Rent in Palmer runs $689 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 31.2% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Palmer
Bachelor's degrees in Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.7% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.1% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.3% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.3% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Palmer have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 17.3%, against 35.6% nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 83.7% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.8% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 93.3% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 93.0% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.3 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Palmer is above the national rate: 93.0% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Michigan.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.8% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 8.0% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Palmer: 8.7% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Palmer compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer | 2.25 | 51.1 | 6.4% | 16.7% | 14.0% | 1960 | $689 | 17.3% | 93.0% | 8.7% |
| Negaunee | 2.52 | 41.7 | 7.0% | 17.9% | 10.4% | 1962 | $1,094 | 35.2% | 95.4% | 4.6% |
| Ishpeming | 2.45 | 38.7 | 10.3% | 19.8% | 11.1% | 1956 | $866 | 28.0% | 95.3% | 6.7% |
| Sands | 3.03 | 37.4 | 3.0% | 8.4% | 14.7% | 1983 | $700 | 33.2% | 96.1% | 3.0% |
| North Lake | 2.50 | 44.1 | 6.5% | 10.0% | 14.0% | 1974 | $1,005 | 27.3% | 95.1% | 5.7% |
| Harvey | 2.36 | 44.8 | 4.2% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 1980 | $902 | 43.8% | 96.0% | 1.2% |
| Trowbridge Park | 2.23 | 42.1 | 5.4% | 33.9% | 11.8% | 1996 | $1,104 | 50.0% | 95.5% | 6.6% |
| Princeton | 2.34 | 56.4 | 5.4% | 5.1% | 38.8% | 1974 | $827 | 25.9% | 98.4% | 1.8% |
| National Mine | 2.58 | 45.0 | 2.9% | 8.4% | 23.8% | 1982 | $1,227 | 36.5% | 97.0% | 7.6% |
| Marquette | 2.06 | 37.8 | 5.9% | 45.5% | 7.6% | 1969 | $1,100 | 45.9% | 96.4% | 3.8% |
| Gwinn | 2.50 | 37.3 | 10.5% | 34.6% | 19.3% | 1968 | $769 | 21.0% | 93.0% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sugar Bush, WI · Gould, AR · Gravestown, MS · Hartstown, PA · Hawks, MI · Spraggs, PA · St. Lucie Village, FL · St. Wendel, MN · Stevenson, MD · Stewart, MS
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Palmer. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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