Jobs, pay and daily life in Alpena, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Alpena is a city in Michigan with 10,154 residents. The median household earns $47,545 a year and the median rent is $625 a month, which is 15.8% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Alpena compares. Among the 100 largest places in Michigan, Alpena is #100 by population, #1 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #1 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #97 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Alpena County, is #42 of 83 counties for average pay ($51,642).
Alpena has 10,154 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.1% of the population of Michigan. It covers 8 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,243 people per square mile. The median age is 46.0, 14% older than the state median (46.0 against 40.2).
The median gross rent is $625 a month (rent plus utilities), 45% below the state median ($625 against $1,129). Over a year that is 15.8% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $118,700, which is 2.5 times the median household income ($47,545); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 66.0% of households own their home, 10% below the state average (66.0% against 73.2%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Alpena County was 4.5%. 55.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Alpena County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 78.0% drive alone, 2.4% use public transit, 1.4% walk, 5.4% work from home. 2.1% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 83% below the state average (2.1% against 12.9%).
16.2% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 50% below the state share (16.2% against 32.5%). 0.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 88% below the state share (0.9% against 7.2%). The poverty rate is 21.2%, 61% above the state rate (21.2% against 13.2%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 69°F (20.4°C), and the coolest is Feb at 20°F (-6.9°C). About 819 mm (32 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Oct is the wettest month (90 mm) and Feb the driest (40 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Bay City (105 miles, rent 23% higher); Sault Ste. Marie (107 miles, rent 29% higher); Midland (107 miles, rent 68% higher); Traverse City (108 miles, rent 59% higher). Rent differences are against Alpena; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Michigan (335) →State guide: MichiganCountry guideAlpena CountyMichigan rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 335 federal postings open in Michigan (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 23.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 16.0% |
| Manufacturing | 15.5% |
| Retail trade | 13.1% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.0% |
| Other services | 6.5% |
| Construction | 5.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.5% |
| Public administration | 2.4% |
| Information | 1.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Alpena lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpena County | 28,880 | $1,517 million | $52,540 | 12,191 | 898 | $51,642 | +1.1% | 4.5% | 12,847 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 1,917 | 23.6% | $44,709 | 1.10 |
| Manufacturing | 1,896 | 23.3% | $73,023 | 1.89 |
| Retail trade | 1,601 | 19.7% | $39,016 | 1.31 |
| Accommodation and food services | 932 | 11.5% | $20,842 | 0.84 |
| Construction | 479 | 5.9% | $53,298 | 0.75 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 430 | 5.3% | $42,086 | 1.17 |
| Finance and insurance | 429 | 5.3% | $68,098 | 0.87 |
| Information | 141 | 1.7% | $46,634 | 0.62 |
| Real estate and rental | 108 | 1.3% | $32,883 | 0.57 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 103 | 1.3% | $16,472 | 0.50 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 48 | 0.6% | $33,147 | 0.49 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 40 | 0.5% | $84,031 | 0.87 |
| Educational services | 14 | 0.2% | $23,559 | 0.06 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 78.0% |
| Public transit | 2.4% |
| Walk | 1.4% |
| Work from home | 5.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 2.1% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,545 |
| Income per person | $35,201 |
| Median gross rent per month | $625 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 15.8% |
| Median home value | $118,700 |
| Homeowners | 66.0% |
| Poverty rate | 21.2% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 4.25%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 46.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 91.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 16.2% |
| Born abroad | 0.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 55.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -6.8 | 20 | 45 |
| Feb | -6.9 | 20 | 40 |
| Mar | -1.8 | 29 | 46 |
| Apr | 4.5 | 40 | 88 |
| May | 10.8 | 51 | 83 |
| Jun | 16.5 | 62 | 82 |
| Jul | 20.4 | 69 | 79 |
| Aug | 19.9 | 68 | 79 |
| Sep | 16.1 | 61 | 76 |
| Oct | 8.9 | 48 | 90 |
| Nov | 2.6 | 37 | 56 |
| Dec | -3.3 | 26 | 55 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay City | MI | 105 mi | 32,320 | $49,420 | $766 |
| Sault Ste. Marie | MI | 107 mi | 13,335 | $55,328 | $804 |
| Midland | MI | 107 mi | 42,724 | $73,325 | $1,048 |
| Traverse City | MI | 108 mi | 15,593 | $74,087 | $995 |
| Cadillac | MI | 113 mi | 10,445 | $51,773 | $842 |
| Saginaw | MI | 117 mi | 43,536 | $38,579 | $922 |
| Mount Pleasant | MI | 121 mi | 21,236 | $44,706 | $922 |
| Flint | MI | 142 mi | 80,175 | $37,646 | $915 |
| Burton | MI | 144 mi | 29,500 | $60,052 | $1,009 |
| Owosso | MI | 148 mi | 14,632 | $54,229 | $784 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
10,154 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$625 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 15.8% of the median household income.
$47,545 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.5% (BLS county, Alpena County (latest month 2026M09)).
Michigan. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.