Jackson, MI — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Michigan·Jackson

Jackson County · Jackson · population 30,920

Affordability
Jackson, MI
Image: Wikipedia · Jackson, Michigan
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
68
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Jackson stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $189,892
1-year +3.4%
5-yr CAGR +4.7%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$190k$92k$127k$162k$197k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
82/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,199/mo$860$1,072$1,283202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent115131100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 13.2
Buy

At a 13.2 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Jackson on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 13.2 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
67 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
63 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
40 · w16%
Rent YoY
76 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
72 · w10%
Long thesis

Jackson offers a $189,892 median home with +4.7% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

Jackson's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Jackson

Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Michigan, with an estimated population of 30,920. The median home value in Jackson is $189,892 as of 2026-04, up 3.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Jackson average $1,199 per month, up 4.7% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 68 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Affordable AND rising: median home $189,892 with positive recent direction — rare combination most of the country can’t offer.
●Quiet strength: +3.4% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.3% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Jackson (Wikipedia)

Jackson is a city in Jackson County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 31,309 at the 2020 census. It is served by Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127. It is approximately 65 miles (105 km) east of Kalamazoo, 35 miles (56 km) west of Ann Arbor, 75 miles (121 km) west of Detroit and 35 miles (56 km) south of Lansing. Jackson is the core city of the Jackson metropolitan area, which includes all of Jackson County and has a population of 160,248.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Jackson County right now.

NWS active alerts (MI)Michigan Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Jackson County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Jackson

1 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Vandercook Lake$160,823+1.9%

Cities like Jackson

Roseville, MI66 · RisingMount Clemens, MI70 · RisingAdrian, MI68 · RisingPort Huron, MI67 · Rising

Run the numbers for Jackson

ToolCan I afford Jackson?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Jackson rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Jackson to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolJackson cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
30° / 16°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 61°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
175
~48% of year
Annual precip
33″ rain
50″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Moderate
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Jackson listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Jackson area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
72%
Humid climate
Median household income
$68,500
Michigan state median
Top industries (state-level)
Manufacturing (auto)HealthcareTech (Detroit)

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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