Housing data for West Branch, MI
West Branch, MI has an estimated 2,225 residents and 1,188 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Ogemaw County.
58.8% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $842 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 2,225 (±244)
- Housing units
- 1,188 (±142)
- Households that rent
- 58.8%
- Median gross rent
- $842
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +2.2%
What stands out in West Branch
Households that rent: 58.8% (±7.6 points) in West Branch, higher than in Ogemaw County (16.3%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 26.5% (±7.0 points) in West Branch, higher than in Ogemaw County (2.7%).
Households without a vehicle: 16.9% (±5.6 points) in West Branch, higher than in Ogemaw County (5.7%).
Working from home: 2.7% (±3.2 points) in West Branch, lower than in Ogemaw County (9.6%).
Housing in West Branch at a glance
- Median rent: $842 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $862 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 55.8% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 58.8% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $41,250 median household income
- Home values: $147,800 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,030 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,958 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 26.5% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 47.2% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 59.6% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 6.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 83.2% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 21.5 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 85 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: +2.2% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 30.7% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 3.5% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
West Branch against Ogemaw County, its state and the nation
| West Branch | Ogemaw County | Michigan | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,225 (±244) | 20,885 (exact) | 10,077,761 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 1,188 (±142) | 15,325 (±42) | 4,622,236 (±795) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 58.8% (±7.6 points) | 16.3% (±1.7 points) | 26.8% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $842 (±$44) | $823 (±$31) | $1,129 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $41,250 (±$8,854) | $54,666 (±$2,368) | $72,875 (±$293) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $147,800 (±$30,924) | $154,900 (±$6,468) | $231,600 (±$642) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,958 (±$169) | $1,464 (±$55) | $2,904 (±$9) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 59.6% (±10.4 points) | 57.5% (±2.8 points) | 62.1% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 21.5 minutes (±9.8) | 26.9 minutes (±1.7) | 24.2 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 93.9% (±2.8 points) | 86.4% (±1.7 points) | 90.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 43.0 years (±3.1) | 51.2 years (±0.4) | 40.2 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
West Branch covers 1.5 square miles of land, about 1,446 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How West Branch has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,177 (±252) | 2,225 (±244) | +2.2% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 1,063 (±87) | 1,188 (±142) | +11.8% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $674 (±$38) | $842 (±$44) | +24.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $78,800 (±$6,514) | $147,800 (±$30,924) | +87.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $29,206 (±$2,886) | $41,250 (±$8,854) | +41.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,008 (±$507) | $1,030 (±$114) | +2.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,488 (±$171) | $1,958 (±$169) | +31.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 59.1% (±5.4 points) | 58.8% (±7.6 points) | −0.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.8% (±1.2 points) | 6.0% (±6.9 points) | +5.2 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 West Branch
In 2025, the West Branch Police Department reported 85 violent and 1,612 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Ogemaw County, the departments that report recorded 93 violent and 476 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Places near West Branch
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Branch Township (Ogemaw County) | 3.7 mi | $873 | $171,600 | 12.3% |
| Ogemaw Township | 3.9 mi | $933 | $206,600 | 10.4% |
| Horton Township | 5.4 mi | $820 | $164,400 | 32.2% |
| Edwards Township | 6.0 mi | $775 | $188,000 | 3.5% |
| Klacking Township | 7.6 mi | $850 | $168,400 | 5.0% |
| Churchill Township | 8.4 mi | $444 | $178,600 | 9.3% |
| Mills Township (Ogemaw County) | 9.9 mi | $815 | $81,800 | 12.2% |
| St. Helen | 10 mi | $741 | $95,600 | 15.2% |
Places in Michigan most like West Branch
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayling | $788 | $160,800 | $32,545 | 57.9% |
| Big Rapids | $929 | $156,400 | $43,858 | 58.5% |
| Three Rivers | $839 | $134,900 | $49,503 | 47.0% |
| Corunna | $932 | $151,000 | $46,141 | 45.7% |
| Paw Paw | $761 | $148,200 | $41,587 | 51.2% |
| Pontiac | $1,063 | $121,700 | $44,329 | 53.4% |
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 West Branch, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $737 | $841 | $1,033 | $1,231 | $1,358 |
HUD income limits for West Branch, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $17,600 | $29,300 | $46,850 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $33,450 | $53,550 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $37,650 | $60,250 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $41,800 | $66,900 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $45,150 | $72,300 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $48,500 | $77,650 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $51,850 | $83,000 |
| 8 people | $55,200 | $55,200 | $88,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Ogemaw County, MI, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $71,500.
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 West Branch
What is the average rent in West Branch, MI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in West Branch is $842 (±$44) 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 West Branch?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in West Branch, MI is $584 (±$175) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in West Branch rent-burdened?
55.8% of renting households in West Branch 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 West Branch?
West Branch has an estimated 621 (±116) renting households, 58.8% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in West Branch?
The median household income in West Branch is $41,250 (±$8,854) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in West Branch, MI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $147,800 (±$30,924) for owner-occupied homes in West Branch (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is West Branch growing?
In West Branch, the number of residents went from 2,177 in 2015–2019 to 2,225 in 2020–2024 (+2.2%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Branch city, Michigan
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Branch city, Michigan
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Branch city, Michigan
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Branch city, Michigan
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — West Branch city, Michigan
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — West Branch city, Michigan
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — West Branch city, Michigan
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Ogemaw County, MI
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Ogemaw County, MI
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: West Branch Police Department (ORI MI6581600)
- 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 West Branch city, Michigan (place:85580, 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 .