Lake Michigan Sleeping Bear Dunes · Rachel Kramer / CC BY 2.0Empire (village), MI location · Notorious4life (talk) (Uploads) / CC0EmpireLighthouse · Jim Sorbie / CC BY 2.0EmpireSchoolEmpireMI · Andrew Jameson / CC BY-SA 3.0
Empire is a small town of 392 in Michigan, with a median household income of $66,563
and a 1.3% unemployment rate.
Its cost of living index is 92 (US average = 100), which is
8% below the national average.
Strengths:
Empire stands out for an affordable cost of living, a well-educated population.
Trade-offs:
No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Empire is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Empire city data on this page comes from official government sources —
the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 91.8
Empire's overall cost of living index is 91.8,
where 100 represents the US national average.
Living in Empire costs roughly 8% less than the average American city.
Metric
Empire, MI
National Avg
Median Home Value
$346,900
$244,900
Median Monthly Rent
$402
$1,163
Homeownership Rate
74.1%
65.9%
Median Household Income
$66,563
$74,755
Crime & Safety
Very Safe
Empire's violent crime rate is 101.1 per 100,000 residents
— 73% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Violent Crime
101.1 /100k
Property Crime
284.9 /100k
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Metric
Empire, MI
National Avg
School District
N/A
—
Elementary Schools
N/A
—
Middle Schools
N/A
—
High Schools
N/A
—
Student/Teacher Ratio
N/A
16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
45.0%
35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher
98.1%
91.1%
Weather & Climate
Empire sees average highs of 28.7°F in January
and 79.9°F in July,
with 35.7 inches of annual precipitation
and 143.3 inches of snow per year.
Empire's cost of living index is 92, where 100 is the national average.
That makes Empire roughly 8% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage.
The median home price is $346,900 and median rent is $402/month.
Empire's violent crime rate is 101.1 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 284.9 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
School district information is sourced from NCES Common Core of Data.
Empire, MI has a population of 392, a median household income of $66,563, and an unemployment rate of 1.3%.
It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Empire averages 28.7°F in January and 79.9°F in July. Annual rainfall is 35.7 inches
with about 143.3 inches of snow per year.
Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Empire, MI is covered by 1 ZIP code: 49630.
The population of Empire, Michigan is 392 with a median age of 63.1. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Empire: cost of living index 92 (100 = US average), median home $346,900, median household income $66,563, crime index 21 (100 = US average, lower is safer). Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Empire side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.
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