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METRO AREA · 2020 ACS

Battle Creek Metro

Battle Creek, MI · 1 counties · 134,310 residents · 706 sq mi
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The short version

Battle Creek is home to 134,310 people. 21% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Median home value sits at $115,500. The foreign-born share is 4%. 70% of homes are owner-occupied. Getting to work takes 20 minutes on average.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $66,278
Mid-age
median age 40.5
US median: 38.8
Less educated
21% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
More affordable
home values down 5%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
134,310
−3%since 2000
from 137,985 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
190 / sq mi
−3%since 2000
from 195 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
40.5
+11%since 2000
from 36.4 in 2000
US average: 38.8
Land area
706 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
133K135K136K137K138K19902000201020202024Battle Creek
2024134K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2020
Under 55.7%(7,636)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.3%(8,425)
US avg: 6.1%
10 to 146.8%(9,097)
US avg: 6.5%
15 to 196.6%(8,918)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.9%(7,922)
US avg: 6.7%
25 to 3412.1%(16,236)
US avg: 13.5%
35 to 4411.8%(15,915)
US avg: 12.7%
45 to 5412.3%(16,579)
US avg: 12.3%
55 to 6414%(18,813)
US avg: 13.1%
65 to 7411%(14,732)
US avg: 10%
75 to 845.3%(7,166)
US avg: 4.9%
85 and over2.1%(2,871)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$50,219
−14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $38,918 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$27,939
+45%since 2000
from $19,230 in 2000
US average: $35,364
Households earning $100K+
31.7%
+8.5 ptssince 2009
from 23.3% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Poverty rate
16.7%
+5.4 ptssince 2000
from 11.3% in 2000
US average: 12.8%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Retail trade22.5%
US avg: 10%
Information12%
US avg: 11.1%
Other services4.3%
US avg: 6.6%
Finance & insurance4.2%
US avg: 5.5%
Wholesale trade4.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical3.8%
US avg: 4.7%
Public administration2.8%
US avg: 4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.7%
US avg: 1.7%
Construction1.6%
US avg: 1.2%
Transportation & warehousing1.3%
US avg: 2.5%
Arts, entertainment, food1%
US avg: 2%
Education & health services0.4%
US avg: 0.8%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$115,500
−5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $81,300 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$776
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $484 in 2000
US average: $1,124
Owner-occupied
69.9%
−3.0 ptssince 2000
from 73.0% in 2000
30.1% rent
Persons per household
2.40 people
−2%since 2009
from 2.46 people in 2009
US average: 2.61
Afford Score
2.3
−13%since 2009
from 2.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic82.4%(113,723)
Black10.8%(14,912)
Hispanic / Latino3.2%(4,351)
Asian1.1%(1,516)
Other0%
2020
White, non-Hispanic74.7%(100,385)
Black10.6%(14,275)
Hispanic / Latino5.5%(7,426)
Asian2.8%(3,715)
Other4.9%(6,571)
Segregation Score
40
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican4%(5,345)
Puerto Rican0.4%(507)
Dominican0.3%(349)
Spaniard0.2%(327)
Cuban0.1%(124)
Guatemalan0.1%(81)
Costa Rican0.1%(73)
Honduran0.1%(69)
+ 5 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Burmese1.2%(1,586)
Filipino0.3%(420)
Asian Indian0.3%(351)
Korean0.2%(285)
Chinese0.1%(129)
Japanese0.1%(120)
Vietnamese0.1%(114)
Thai0%(11)
Laotian0%(8)
Pacific Islander origin
Ancestry
German18.4%(24,581)
Irish10.7%(14,313)
English10.2%(13,628)
American4.9%(6,622)
Polish3.9%(5,178)
Dutch3.1%(4,152)
Italian2.7%(3,626)
French2.2%(2,924)
Scottish1.9%(2,581)
French Canadian1.1%(1,481)
Swedish0.9%(1,237)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(816)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Norwegian0.6%(757)
Finnish0.6%(737)
British0.5%(665)
Welsh0.4%(594)
Hungarian0.4%(508)
Russian0.3%(464)
Lithuanian0.3%(345)
Kenyan0.3%(343)
Czech0.2%(291)
Belgian0.2%(285)
Greek0.2%(267)
Canadian0.2%(249)
Macedonian0.2%(212)
Swiss0.2%(208)
Danish0.2%(202)
Slovak0.1%(197)
Portuguese0.1%(189)
Ukrainian0.1%(165)
Jordanian0.1%(148)
Austrian0.1%(147)
Croatian0.1%(142)
Iraqi0.1%(95)
Nigerian0.1%(86)
Arab0%(49)
Slovene0%(49)
Egyptian0%(33)
Serbian0%(27)
Armenian0%(26)
Romanian0%(25)
Lebanese0%(23)
Ethiopian0%(18)
Turkish0%(15)
Moroccan0%(12)
Syrian0%(12)
Jamaican0%(10)
Iranian0%(5)
Latvian0%(5)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
21.5%
+5.4 ptssince 2000
from 16.0% in 2000
US average: 32.9%
High school or higher
90.8%
+7.5 ptssince 2000
from 83.2% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Graduate degree
7.6%
+2.1 ptssince 2000
from 5.6% in 2000
US average: 12.7%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.5 min
+58%since 2000
from 13.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.9
Drive alone to work
81.7%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 82.3% in 2009
US average: 75.1%
No vehicle available
8.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 7.2% in 2009
US average: 8.4%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
6.4%
−6.3 ptssince 2011
from 12.7% in 2011
US average: 5.4%
Labor force participation
59.8%
−1.5 ptssince 2011
from 61.3% in 2011
US average: 63.4%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.6%
US average: 73.3%
Management & professional
31.1%
+3.3 ptssince 2009
from 27.8% in 2009
US average: 39.3%
Section 08

People & community

Male
49.0%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Female
51.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Foreign born
4.0%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 3.5% in 2009
US average: 13.5%
Uninsured
5.2%
−7.4 ptssince 2013
from 12.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Computer in household
89.2%
US average: 91.9%
Same house as last year
86.3%
US average: 86.2%
Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married36.5%(19,403)
Married46.9%(24,915)
Widowed3.2%(1,714)
Divorced13.3%(7,089)
Women 15+
Never married29.2%(16,257)
Married46.4%(25,868)
Widowed9.6%(5,335)
Divorced14.9%(8,297)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.2%
−7.4 ptssince 2013
from 12.6% in 2013
US average: 8.8%
Employer-based
59.2%
US average: 55.4%
Direct-purchase
10.5%
US average: 13.7%
Medicare
20.9%
US average: 17.6%
Medicaid
24.7%
US average: 20.0%
VA health care
2.5%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
68.2%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
42.1%
US average: 35.2%

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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)15.9%(1,412)
US avg: 20.6%
Gulf War (1990s)20%(1,772)
US avg: 21.4%
Vietnam era39.2%(3,475)
US avg: 35.2%
Korean War7.1%(630)
US avg: 7.6%
World War II2.2%(195)
US avg: 2.9%

Share of the 8,864 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
In this metro

Largest cities

Battle CreekCENTRAL52,021Albion7,474Marshall6,800Springfield5,246Level Park-Oak Park3,488Brownlee Park1,661Homer1,603Athens952Tekonsha722Burlington306
What's inside

1 component county

Calhoun CountyCENTRAL133,408
Drill deeper

Metros similar to Battle Creek

Eureka
Pop 131,647
Cleveland
Pop 134,057
Lawton
Pop 127,590
Manhattan
Pop 136,122
Places similar to Battle Creek
Head to head

Compare Battle Creek side by side

BATTLE CREEK VS
Eureka
Income$61,160+22%
Home value$446,900+287%
Population131,647−1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BATTLE CREEK VS
Cleveland
Income$65,993+31%
Home value$249,132+116%
Population134,057same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BATTLE CREEK VS
Lawton
Income$60,660+21%
Home value$161,650+40%
Population127,590−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
BATTLE CREEK VS
Manhattan
Income$66,730+33%
Home value$221,604+92%
Population136,122+2%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Battle Creek, MI?

Battle Creek, MI has about 134,310 residents according to the 2020 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Battle Creek, MI?

The typical household in Battle Creek, MI earns about $50,219 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Battle Creek, MI expensive?

In Battle Creek, MI, the median home is worth about $115,500, and the typical rent is about $776 a month.

How educated are people in Battle Creek, MI?

About 21.5% of adults age 25 and over in Battle Creek, MI hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Battle Creek, MI?

About 16.7% of people in Battle Creek, MI live below the federal poverty line.

Has Battle Creek, MI grown since 1990?

Yes, Battle Creek, MI has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 1,672 residents, a change of about -1 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →