Population 8,588 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Shepherd
Household size in Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.57 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.78 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.65 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.45 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.12 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
The average household in Shepherd has 2.45 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has dropped from 2.57 in 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the south.
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 Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 35.6 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 36.2 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.4 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.5 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
Shepherd is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 36.4, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 33.0, in line with the national trend. Only 32 of the 331 Michigan cities with 5,000+ people are younger.
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 Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.9% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.7% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 14.2% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +6.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are more common in Shepherd than nationally: 14.2%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share is up 6.3 points from 2006–10, even as the national share fell. Of the 331 Michigan cities with 5,000+ people, only 32 have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 Shepherd
Renters in Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 35.0% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.7% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 32.9% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.2% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly a third of households in Shepherd rent their homes (32.2%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a bigger share here than in Michigan as a whole (26.8%). Among owners, 36.4% have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 2.7 points, even as the national share rose.
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 Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.0% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 13.5% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.5% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.4 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Shepherd as nationally: 9.5%, against 9.6%. Vacancy has fallen 3.4 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +3 | +6 |
Homes in Shepherd are the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1980. Homes here are newer than in Michigan overall, where the median home dates to 1972. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the center.
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 Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $630 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $659 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $713 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $847 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$216 | +$395 | +$606 |
The median renter in Shepherd pays $847 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $216 a month from 2006–10, a 34% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 28.7% of household income on rent, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the center.
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 Shepherd
Bachelor's degrees in Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.6% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.8% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.7% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.3% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | −2.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Shepherd: 24.3% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has fallen 2.3 points, even as the national share rose. College graduates are most concentrated in the south and least in the northeast.
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 Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 89.5% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.9% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.6% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.7% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.1 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Shepherd have finished high school (91.7%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Michigan. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.1 points, as it has nationally.
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 Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.4% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −10.7 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Shepherd than nationally: unemployment was 4.1%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 10.7 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Shepherd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd | 2.45 | 36.4 | 14.2% | 32.2% | 9.5% | 1980 | $847 | 24.3% | 91.7% | 4.1% |
| Mount Pleasant | 2.30 | 32.9 | 8.8% | 50.9% | 10.0% | 1984 | $924 | 42.4% | 93.1% | 6.7% |
| Leaton | 2.51 | 38.0 | 14.5% | 9.1% | 15.5% | 1983 | $819 | 19.0% | 89.9% | 12.2% |
| Elwell | 2.40 | 50.6 | 7.8% | 7.0% | 7.9% | 1968 | $861 | 17.6% | 95.0% | 2.3% |
| St. Louis | 2.48 | 40.8 | 13.5% | 19.1% | 10.1% | 1968 | $851 | 13.6% | 90.5% | 4.0% |
| Winn | 3.32 | 34.4 | 7.7% | 3.3% | 11.1% | 1979 | $985 | 20.0% | 86.6% | 4.0% |
| Strickland | 2.46 | 43.4 | 13.3% | 7.0% | 13.6% | 1983 | $920 | 13.2% | 91.9% | 8.6% |
| Delwin | 2.44 | 41.8 | 10.7% | 7.7% | 16.8% | 1985 | $997 | 17.8% | 92.2% | 9.2% |
| Alma | 2.40 | 36.2 | 11.8% | 26.4% | 7.1% | 1968 | $943 | 30.3% | 96.4% | 5.8% |
| St. Elmo | 2.36 | 44.1 | 10.5% | 11.6% | 5.1% | 1988 | $1,044 | 15.7% | 90.2% | 4.5% |
| Rosebush | 2.45 | 46.7 | 6.8% | 11.6% | 19.5% | 1975 | $880 | 19.2% | 89.6% | 5.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: South Cleveland, TN · Glasgow, DE · Glastonbury Center, CT · Glen Ridge, NJ · Glen St. Mary, FL · Glenarden, MD · Somerset, WI · Glencoe, MN · Somerville, AL · Gilberts, IL
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 Shepherd. 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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