MICHIGAN 281 / #16UPDATED September 9, 2026
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Population is below the 2020 estimate base by 1.2%. Median household income ranks 167th among Michigan’s 281 cities. 2025 housing authorizations equal 0.0 units per 1,000 residents, ranking 81st among cities with a verified embedded permit row. Homeownership is 42.3%. The ACS poverty estimate is 24.9%.
Kalamazoo CountySouthwest Michigan#16 by 2025 population
CITY SNAPSHOT
The numbers that define Kalamazoo now.
Population uses Census Vintage 2025. Household and housing measures use the 2020–2024 ACS. Residential authorizations use the 2025 Building Permits Survey.
MICHIGAN 281 POSITION
See all rankings →Where Kalamazoo sits among its peers.
120th/ 281
Population growth-1.2%
167th/ 281
Household income$52,272
113th/ 281
Home value$179,000
215th/ 281
Homeownership42.3%
204th/ 281
Lowest poverty24.9%
81st/ 281
Housing activity0.0 / 1K
281-city medians: household income $63,285 · home value $179,000 · homeownership 67.4% · poverty 13.0% · housing activity 0.9 units/1K.
HOUSING + BUILDING
Value, ownership and new supply.
Housing authorizations are permit activity—not completions. The value-to-income ratio is a simple context measure, not a home-affordability guarantee.
Median home value$179,000
Value ÷ household income3.42×
Homeownership42.3%
housing units authorized
Census BPS 2025 annual place file. Housing units are authorized by residential building permits; they are not completions.
2residential buildings
20202025
Population direction
-1.2% since 2020 estimate base. Latest completed Census estimate vintage.
LIVE CITY WIRE
What is changing in Kalamazoo right now?
Headlines link to the original publisher. The feed is refreshed automatically and is separate from Michigan Progress’s audited data layer.
C&G Newspapers · Oct 8, 2026
↗Election set for Nov. 3 in Troy
C&G Newspapers · Oct 8, 2026
↗Local proposals, statewide offices on the ballot Nov. 3 in Royal Oak, Clawson
C&G Newspapers · Oct 7, 2026
↗Election set for Nov. 3
C&G Newspapers · Oct 7, 2026
↗Election set for Nov. 3 in Greater West Bloomfield
Live wire source: Google News RSS search across publishers. Michigan Progress does not reproduce article text and does not treat a headline as verified statistical data.
DEVELOPMENT TRACKER
Search current development coverage ↗Projects on the local file.
Under Construction
William Schma House Recovery Housing
A $19 million Kalamazoo redevelopment is creating 48 affordable recovery-housing apartments plus on-site support services at a former paper mill site.
$19M · 48 affordable apartmentsUnder construction · fall 2027 target
Current development coverage
LOCAL WATCH
Schools, safety and employers.
These topics are not forced into the 281-city statistical comparison when their reporting geography differs from Census city boundaries.
District coverage, live.
City limits and school districts are not assumed to match. Use current reporting while a verified district series is added.
Current school coverage ↗Agency data needs geography checks.
FBI UCR data is agency-based. Michigan Progress does not present an agency rate as a city rate until the match is verified.
Current safety coverage ↗Employer activity, live.
Expansion, hiring and investment news is linked from the current business feed instead of a stale “top employers” list.
Current business coverage ↗PROPERTY TAX WATCH
Own property in Kalamazoo?
Market value and taxable value are different in Michigan. Your actual bill depends on taxable value, local millages, exemptions and assessment history.
$179,000median owner-occupied value42.3%homeownership
Check Michigan property-tax options →
COMPARE LIKE WITH LIKE
Compare all 281 →Cities closest in population.
FAQ / AEO
Kalamazoo frequently asked questions
Direct answers based on the evidence and methodology used on this page.
Is Kalamazoo, Michigan growing?
The Census Bureau July 1, 2025 estimate is 72,683, a -1.2% change from the 2020 estimate base.
What is the median household income in Kalamazoo?
Median household income is $52,272 in the 2020–2024 ACS comparison vintage used by Michigan Progress.
What is the median home value in Kalamazoo?
Median owner-occupied home value is $179,000 in the 2020–2024 ACS comparison vintage.
How does Michigan Progress decide whether Kalamazoo is progressing?
The site compares standardized population, household and housing indicators, then keeps local development, schools, safety and news in separately labeled evidence layers so unlike geographies are not silently mixed.
SOURCES + METHOD
Read full methodology →Audit the page.
01
U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — Kalamazoo
2025 population estimate plus 2020–2024 ACS household income, housing value, homeownership and poverty measures.
02
Census Population Estimates — Cities & Towns, Vintage 2025
Latest completed Census vintage used for the 2020 estimate base, 2025 estimate and five-year population direction.
03
U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey
2025 annual place-level residential buildings and housing units authorized. Authorizations are not housing completions.