With 52,374 people, Battle Creek is a city in Michigan. 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $141,900. That trails the Michigan median by roughly 24%. Getting to work takes 19 minutes on average. The median household earns $55,693, about 32% below the national median.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $55,693, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
22% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Battle Creek
What changed most since 1990
Adults with a bachelor's degree15.8% → 21.9%(+6.1 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Battle Creek's population equals 39% of Calhoun County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 71% of the county's. Its number of households without a car equals 60% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)18.5%(492)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)27.5%(729)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era26%(691)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War1.9%(51)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1%(26)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 2,655 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Battle Creek, decade by decade
Battle Creek population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
53,540
$60,736
$92,403
15.8%
41.3
2000
53,364
$64,652
$128,973
17.2%
54.7
2010
52,347
$55,998
$137,671
18.4%
61.3
2020
52,721
$51,251
$111,144
21.1%
71.6
2024
52,374
$55,693
$141,900
21.9%
71.7
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
