Is Parchment, MI a Good Place to Live?
Parchment is a small town of 2,041 in Michigan, with a median household income of $60,223 and a 8.4% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 95 (US average = 100), which is 5% below the national average.
Strengths: Parchment stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Parchment is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Parchment 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: 94.6Parchment's overall cost of living index is 94.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Parchment costs roughly 5% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Parchment, MI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $158,500 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $932 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 60.8% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $60,223 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Near National AverageParchment's violent crime rate is 530.8 per 100,000 residents — 40% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Parchment, 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 | 23.4% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Parchment sees average highs of 31.5°F in January and 83.1°F in July, with 33.2 inches of annual precipitation and 64.6 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Parchment, MI |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 31.5°F |
| Average High — July | 83.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 33.2" |
| Annual Snowfall | 64.6" |
Demographics
| Metric | Parchment, MI | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,041 | — |
| Median Age | 31.0 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 8.4% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 19.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 73.1% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 11.1% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4.6% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 20.1% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 10.7% | 16.8% |