Median Age
26 Years
Largest Age Group
20-29 Years
Approximately 41% of Residents
Under 20
23%
Over 65
9%
Houghton
Houghton, MI Area Guide
Avg Rent
$400
Population
7,817
Renter Mix
58% Rent
A bikeable Michigan town with sweeping views of the surrounding lakes
Scenic
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Walkable
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Bikeable
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Lake
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Breweries
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Charming
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Community
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With its rolling hills that lead down to the waterfront, Houghton is uniquely positioned on the Keweenaw Peninsula that stretches into Lake Superior. The waterfront area, including Shelden Ave. and Montezuma Ave., house upscale restaurants, popular breweries, and more, all with amazing views of the Portage Waterway and picturesque Portage Canal Lift Bridge.
Houghton is surprisingly bikeable and walkable, as long as you don’t mind a few hills. Almost everything in the town’s borders is within 10 minutes of each other, and the waterfront parks and trails can make any commute from your apartment scenic.
Houghton is a bit of a college town. Michigan Technological University’s campus calls the town home, but there’s a number of other schools in the area for all grades, making this a fantastic locale for families and college students alike. M-26 is pretty much the only main road that will carry you off the peninsula, but from there it’s easy to connect to the rest of the Great Lakes area.
Demographics
Median Household Income
$32,546
Average: $62,841
Education
2,630
Residents Have a Degree
Job Market
3,231
Workers Employed
Age Distribution
Get a sense of this area's population profile.
Housing Distribution
Houghton has more renters than homeowners.
Renters
58%
Non-Renters
42%
Education Distribution
Review this city's overall education levels.
Bachelor's or Higher
28%
Other Education
72%
Rent Trends
As of May 2026, the average apartment rent in Houghton, MI is $400 for one bedroom, $1,025 for two bedrooms, and $1,918 for three bedrooms. Apartment rent in Houghton has increased by 1.5% in the past year.
Property Type
Average Rent
Average Sq Ft
Apartment
$400/month
0 Sq Ft
Cost of Living
The cost of living in Houghton, MI is 8.8% lower than the national average. Generally, housing in Houghton is 17.7% less expensive than the national average, with rent falling between $0 - $1,918. You can expect to pay 5.1% less for groceries, 3.2% less for utilities, and 3.8% less for transportation.
Compare Cities
Getting Around
Explore how walkable, bikeable, drivable, and transit-friendly Houghton, MI is for everyday living.
Fairly Walkable
Walkability
40
/ 100
Exceptionally Drivable
Drivability
90
/ 100
Moderately Bikeable
Bikeability
60
/ 100
Scores provided by
Schools
Public
Grades K-5
594 Students
Public
Grades 6-8
356 Students
Public
Grades 9-12
472 Students
School data provided by
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Data provided by
GreatSchools.org
© 2026. All rights reserved.
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Data provided by
GreatSchools.org
© 2026. All rights reserved.
Points of Interest
Shopping Centers
Parks and Recreation
- Seaman Mineral Museum
- Mont Ripley
- McLain State Park
Colleges
Top Apartments in Houghton
Search Nearby Rentals
Nearby House Rentals
Methodology
† Our analysis of utilities, groceries, transportation, healthcare, home prices, and other goods and services is sourced from the Cost of Living Index, a respected benchmark published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) that provides a thorough overview of living expenses across different regions.
Rent data is provided by CoStar Group’s Market Trend reports. As the industry leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, and news, CoStar conducts extensive research to produce and maintain a comprehensive database of commercial real estate information. We combine this data with public record to provide the most up-to-date rental information available.
Consumer goods, services, and home prices are sourced from the Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). The data on this page is updated quarterly. It was last published in February 2026.
Demographic information comes from Neustar and combines detailed address data with U.S. Census and American Community Survey statistics to produce reliable local estimates.