Housing data for Sault Ste. Marie, MI
Sault Ste. Marie, MI has an estimated 13,335 residents and 6,522 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Chippewa County.
39.5% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $804 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−1.9%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 13,335 (±29)
- Housing units
- 6,522 (±240)
- Households that rent
- 39.5%
- Median gross rent
- $804
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −1.9%
What stands out in Sault Ste. Marie
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 13.5% (±2.8 points) in Sault Ste. Marie, higher than in Chippewa County (5.0%).
Households that rent: 39.5% (±3.7 points) in Sault Ste. Marie, higher than in Chippewa County (25.0%).
Households that moved in since 2020: 29.0% (±4.6 points) in Sault Ste. Marie, higher than in Chippewa County (21.0%).
Median real estate taxes: $2,538 (±$227) in Sault Ste. Marie, higher than in Chippewa County ($2,038).
- Types of homes in Sault Ste. Marie
- Renters and owners in Sault Ste. Marie
- How long people stay in Sault Ste. Marie
- Property taxes in Sault Ste. Marie
Housing in Sault Ste. Marie at a glance
- Median rent: $804 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $790 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 52.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 39.5% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $55,328 median household income
- Home values: $139,400 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,064 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,538 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 13.5% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 57.4% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 70.7% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 8.9% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 74.5% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 12.0 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 399 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −1.9% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 29.0% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 1.8% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Sault Ste. Marie against Chippewa County, its state and the nation
| Sault Ste. Marie | Chippewa County | Michigan | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 13,335 (±29) | 36,295 (exact) | 10,077,761 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 6,522 (±240) | 20,348 (±120) | 4,622,236 (±795) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 39.5% (±3.7 points) | 25.0% (±1.9 points) | 26.8% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $804 (±$42) | $797 (±$34) | $1,129 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $55,328 (±$5,507) | $62,217 (±$2,143) | $72,875 (±$293) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $139,400 (±$11,424) | $161,900 (±$4,697) | $231,600 (±$642) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,538 (±$227) | $2,038 (±$98) | $2,904 (±$9) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 70.7% (±6.6 points) | 55.5% (±2.8 points) | 62.1% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 12.0 minutes (±1.2) | 17.4 minutes (±0.9) | 24.2 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 86.8% (±3.3 points) | 87.8% (±1.5 points) | 90.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 34.0 years (±2.0) | 41.6 years (±0.7) | 40.2 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Sault Ste. Marie covers 14.8 square miles of land, about 904 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Sault Ste. Marie has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 13,591 (±53) | 13,335 (±29) | −1.9% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 6,347 (±224) | 6,522 (±240) | +2.8% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $698 (±$66) | $804 (±$42) | +15.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $92,500 (±$5,197) | $139,400 (±$11,424) | +50.7% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $38,341 (±$4,797) | $55,328 (±$5,507) | +44.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $929 (±$55) | $1,064 (±$89) | +14.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,848 (±$102) | $2,538 (±$227) | +37.3% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 49.5% (±3.7 points) | 39.5% (±3.7 points) | −10.0 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Rental vacancy rate | 4.4% (±2.5 points) | 8.9% (±4.8 points) | +4.5 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Sault Ste. Marie
In 2025, the Sault Ste. Marie Police Department reported 399 violent and 799 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Chippewa County, the departments that report recorded 189 violent and 355 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Places near Sault Ste. Marie
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugar Island Township | 8.5 mi | $485 | $175,000 | 9.0% |
| Dafter Township | 8.6 mi | $621 | $161,900 | 9.1% |
| Bruce Township (Chippewa County) | 12 mi | — | $184,300 | 1.9% |
| Kincheloe | 15 mi | $854 | $110,700 | 53.0% |
| Superior Township | 16 mi | $900 | $160,400 | 7.4% |
| Soo Township | 17 mi | $589 | $241,200 | 19.4% |
| Kinross Charter Township | 19 mi | $850 | $127,300 | 38.7% |
| Bay Mills Township | 20 mi | $575 | $166,000 | 17.7% |
Places in Michigan most like Sault Ste. Marie
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hart | $757 | $140,900 | $50,956 | 40.4% |
| Pigeon | $853 | $120,000 | $52,361 | 39.3% |
| Cadillac | $842 | $134,300 | $51,773 | 31.2% |
| Hancock | $835 | $165,600 | $59,519 | 44.4% |
| St. Louis | $794 | $119,200 | $51,167 | 32.7% |
| Shelby | $680 | $155,600 | $49,855 | 35.2% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Michigan.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Sault Ste. Marie, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $726 | $863 | $1,042 | $1,242 | $1,369 |
HUD income limits for Sault Ste. Marie, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $18,150 | $30,250 | $48,350 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $34,550 | $55,250 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $38,850 | $62,150 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $43,150 | $69,050 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $46,650 | $74,600 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $50,100 | $80,100 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $53,550 | $85,650 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $57,000 | $91,150 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Chippewa County, MI, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $86,300.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Sault Ste. Marie
What is the average rent in Sault Ste. Marie, MI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Sault Ste. Marie is $804 (±$42) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Sault Ste. Marie?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Sault Ste. Marie, MI is $739 (±$131) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Sault Ste. Marie rent-burdened?
52.0% of renting households in Sault Ste. Marie pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Sault Ste. Marie?
Sault Ste. Marie has an estimated 2,317 (±260) renting households, 39.5% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Sault Ste. Marie?
The median household income in Sault Ste. Marie is $55,328 (±$5,507) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Sault Ste. Marie, MI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $139,400 (±$11,424) for owner-occupied homes in Sault Ste. Marie (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Sault Ste. Marie growing?
In Sault Ste. Marie, the number of residents went from 13,591 in 2015–2019 to 13,335 in 2020–2024 (−1.9%), a measurable decrease.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sault Ste. Marie city, Michigan
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sault Ste. Marie city, Michigan
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sault Ste. Marie city, Michigan
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sault Ste. Marie city, Michigan
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sault Ste. Marie city, Michigan
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Sault Ste. Marie city, Michigan
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Sault Ste. Marie city, Michigan
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Chippewa County, MI
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Chippewa County, MI
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Sault Ste. Marie Police Department (ORI MI1773400)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Sault Ste. Marie city, Michigan (place:71740, in state:26).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .