Jobs, pay and daily life in Jackson, 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.
Jackson is a city in Michigan with 31,058 residents. The median household earns $44,558 a year and the median rent is $898 a month, which is 24.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Jackson, MI metropolitan area, where BLS counts 55,930 jobs.
How Jackson compares. Among the 100 largest places in Michigan, Jackson is #35 by population, #93 for household income (#1 = highest), #13 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #87 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Jackson County, is #10 of 83 counties for average pay ($62,139).
Jackson has 31,058 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Michigan. It covers 11 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,883 people per square mile. The median age is 35.3, 12% younger than the state median (35.3 against 40.2).
The median gross rent is $898 a month (rent plus utilities), 20% below the state median ($898 against $1,129). Over a year that is 24.2% 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 $103,200, which is 2.3 times the median household income ($44,558); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 54.7% of households own their home, 25% below the state average (54.7% against 73.2%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
The Jackson, MI metropolitan area has 55,930 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $47,760 a year, 6% below the national median ($47,760 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are production (6,900 jobs, median $46,570); office and administrative support (6,150 jobs, median $45,990); sales and related (4,790 jobs, median $34,860). The area is most specialised in production (2.2 times) and office and administrative support (1.0 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are production ($46,570) and office and administrative support ($45,990). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Jackson County was 4.5%. 60.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Jackson County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 75.7% drive alone, 1.1% use public transit, 2.9% walk, 9.0% work from home. 9.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 24% below the state average (9.8% against 12.9%).
16.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 50% below the state share (16.1% against 32.5%). 1.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 74% below the state share (1.9% against 7.2%). The poverty rate is 24.6%, 86% above the state rate (24.6% against 13.2%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 73°F (22.6°C), and the coolest is Jan at 23°F (-5.0°C). About 883 mm (35 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (105 mm) and Jan the driest (51 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: Holt (28 miles, rent 47% higher); Adrian (30 miles, rent 6% higher); Okemos (32 miles, rent 45% higher); Lansing (33 miles, rent 11% higher). Rent differences are against Jackson; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Michigan (335) →State guide: MichiganCountry guideJackson 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.
Open federal jobs in Michigan →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,700 | 1.09 | $34,180 | $28,430 | $44,630 | -5% |
| Cashiers | 1,690 | 1.52 | $29,370 | $26,910 | $35,100 | -11% |
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | 1,630 | 3.23 | $40,700 | $35,710 | $55,080 | -9% |
| Retail Salespersons | 1,210 | 0.86 | $34,770 | $27,370 | $49,150 | -2% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,140 | 0.82 | $27,390 | $25,960 | $34,220 | -12% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,000 | 0.98 | $34,560 | $29,500 | $49,640 | -7% |
| Office Clerks, General | 990 | 1.12 | $44,260 | $30,160 | $60,890 | -2% |
| General and Operations Managers | 970 | 0.77 | $91,950 | $44,210 | $198,100 | -13% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 830 | 0.89 | $42,230 | $30,140 | $60,780 | -6% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 810 | 1.00 | $39,920 | $25,960 | $63,840 | +13% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 750 | 1.49 | $63,770 | $46,930 | $92,210 | -0% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 700 | 1.36 | $36,620 | $28,140 | $44,210 | -0% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 690 | 0.65 | $36,620 | $28,340 | $49,340 | -9% |
| Nursing Assistants | 690 | 1.32 | $40,080 | $38,530 | $46,000 | -5% |
| Machinists | 650 | 6.25 | $49,840 | $38,050 | $63,140 | -15% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 630 | 0.85 | $56,080 | $38,670 | $64,620 | -4% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 530 | 0.67 | $34,970 | $28,030 | $45,480 | -5% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 530 | 0.86 | $47,020 | $34,510 | $64,430 | -1% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 520 | 1.02 | $36,680 | $29,310 | $45,380 | -2% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 510 | 2.10 | $74,090 | $47,800 | $104,360 | -0% |
These figures are for the whole Jackson, MI metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $47,760 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.5% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 24.8% |
| Manufacturing | 19.1% |
| Retail trade | 12.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.7% |
| Other services | 6.6% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.5% |
| Construction | 5.2% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 4.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.5% |
| Public administration | 3.5% |
| Information | 1.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.1% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.9% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Jackson 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 160,060 | $9,061 million | $56,607 | 55,945 | 3,104 | $62,139 | -1.3% | 4.5% | 67,752 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 9,250 | 21.0% | $71,834 | 2.01 |
| Health care and social assistance | 8,476 | 19.2% | $66,029 | 1.06 |
| Retail trade | 6,349 | 14.4% | $39,753 | 1.14 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,590 | 10.4% | $21,094 | 0.90 |
| Administrative and waste services | 2,986 | 6.8% | $39,255 | 0.91 |
| Construction | 2,405 | 5.4% | $74,693 | 0.82 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,275 | 5.2% | $84,317 | 0.58 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,765 | 4.0% | $36,508 | 1.05 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,579 | 3.6% | $77,904 | 0.70 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,241 | 2.8% | $84,925 | 0.56 |
| Educational services | 1,057 | 2.4% | $36,688 | 0.91 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 584 | 1.3% | $20,775 | 0.62 |
| Management of companies | 566 | 1.3% | $104,551 | 0.60 |
| Real estate and rental | 532 | 1.2% | $44,530 | 0.61 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 296 | 0.7% | $45,143 | 0.65 |
| Information | 148 | 0.3% | $62,191 | 0.14 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 37 | 0.1% | $77,094 | 0.17 |
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 | 75.7% |
| Public transit | 1.1% |
| Walk | 2.9% |
| Work from home | 9.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 9.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,558 |
| Income per person | $25,996 |
| Median gross rent per month | $898 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 24.2% |
| Median home value | $103,200 |
| Homeowners | 54.7% |
| Poverty rate | 24.6% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 91.8 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $47,760 |
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 | 35.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 88.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 16.1% |
| Born abroad | 1.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 60.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -5.0 | 23 | 51 |
| Feb | -4.0 | 25 | 55 |
| Mar | 1.6 | 35 | 59 |
| Apr | 8.1 | 47 | 81 |
| May | 14.6 | 58 | 105 |
| Jun | 20.0 | 68 | 88 |
| Jul | 22.6 | 73 | 86 |
| Aug | 21.9 | 71 | 85 |
| Sep | 17.8 | 64 | 75 |
| Oct | 10.4 | 51 | 76 |
| Nov | 3.6 | 38 | 65 |
| Dec | -2.0 | 28 | 57 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holt | MI | 28 mi | 25,316 | $86,472 | $1,317 |
| Adrian | MI | 30 mi | 20,395 | $50,209 | $956 |
| Okemos | MI | 32 mi | 26,396 | $102,612 | $1,298 |
| Lansing | MI | 33 mi | 113,023 | $54,382 | $993 |
| Ann Arbor | MI | 35 mi | 122,036 | $82,212 | $1,649 |
| Haslett | MI | 35 mi | 18,559 | $74,031 | $1,125 |
| East Lansing | MI | 35 mi | 45,758 | $45,687 | $1,171 |
| Waverly | MI | 36 mi | 23,575 | $75,700 | $1,170 |
| Coldwater | MI | 37 mi | 13,671 | $50,781 | $943 |
| Ypsilanti | MI | 40 mi | 19,857 | $46,588 | $1,080 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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31,058 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$898 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 24.2% of the median household income.
$44,558 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.5% (BLS county, Jackson County (latest month 2026M09)).
Michigan. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.