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Shepherd, MI
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
1,457
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
32.9
years ∙ half population younger than 32.9, half older
Diversity Index
25.7%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
1.2%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Shepherd is a village within Isabella County, Michigan, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC43.523558° N, 84.692697° W
DMS43° 31′ 24.81″ N, 84° 41′ 33.71″ W
Population Density & area
1,522/sq mi
(587.7/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
47.8%
male
Male
47.8%
Female
52.2%
males per 100 females
Shepherd
91.7
Isabella County
94.7
Michigan
98.2
Nativity
1.2%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Shepherd
1.2%
Isabella County
3.3%
Michigan
7.2%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
32.9
years ∙ half population younger than 32.9, half older
Dependency ratio
49.3
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Shepherd
49.3
Isabella County
46.5
Michigan
66.3
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Shepherd | Isabella County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 19.9% | 17.8% | 21.2% |
| Working age (18-64) | 67% | 68.2% | 60.2% |
| Senior (65+) | 13.1% | 14% | 18.6% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 49.3 | 46.5 | 66.3 |
| Child dependency ratio | 29.7 | 26 | 35.3 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 19.6 | 20.5 | 31 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
25.7%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Shepherd
25.7%
Isabella County
30.5%
Michigan
45.2%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Shepherd population
| Shepherd | Isabella County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.8% | 5.1% | 5.9% |
| Mexican | 0.9% | 3.1% | 4% |
| Puerto Rican | 2.7% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Cuban | 0% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 0.2% | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 96.2% | 94.9% | 94.1% |
| One race | 90.4% | 90% | 89.6% |
| White | 85.9% | 83% | 72.4% |
| Black or African American | 1.8% | 2.4% | 13.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.1% | 2.5% | 0.3% |
| Asian | 0.5% | 1.6% | 3.4% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Some Other Race | 0% | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 5.8% | 4.9% | 4.5% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
60.7%
family
Family
60.7%
Non family
39.3%
% family households
Shepherd
60.7%
Isabella County
53.3%
Michigan
62.4%
Average household size
2.58
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Shepherd population
| Shepherd | Isabella County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 560 | 24,914 | 4,076,369 |
| Average houshold size | 2.58 | 2.38 | 2.42 |
| Family households | 340 | 13,281 | 2,545,621 |
| Average family size | 3.16 | 3.03 | 3.05 |
| Married couple family | 247 | 9,701 | 1,878,767 |
| Other families | 93 | 3,580 | 666,854 |
| Male householder | 42 | 1,450 | 199,150 |
| Female householder | 51 | 2,130 | 467,704 |
| Non-family households | 220 | 11,633 | 1,530,748 |
| One-person households | 161 | 7,937 | 1,250,418 |
| Male householder | 46 | 3,982 | 583,425 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 16 | 834 | 188,594 |
| Female householder | 115 | 3,955 | 666,993 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 44 | 1,769 | 349,637 |
| Other living arrangements | 59 | 3,696 | 280,330 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
607
housing units
Shepherd
607
Isabella County
28,660
Michigan
4,622,236
Occupancy status
92.3%
occupied
Occupied
92.3%
Vacant
7.7%
vacancy rate
Shepherd
7.7%
Isabella County
13.1%
Michigan
11.8%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
75.6%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1964
Half of houses were built before 1964, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Shepherd | Isabella County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 6 | 5.7 | 5.9 |
| 1–3 rooms | 7.1% | 10.6% | 10.5% |
| 4–6 rooms | 58.1% | 54.4% | 51.9% |
| 7+ rooms | 35% | 34.9% | 37.6% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 4.1% | 1.2% | 1.6% |
| 1 bedroom | 7.4% | 6.4% | 8.9% |
| 2 bedrooms | 24.9% | 30% | 24.6% |
| 3 bedrooms | 34.1% | 40.6% | 43.5% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 29.5% | 21.8% | 21.4% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1964 | 1983 | 1972 |
| Total housing units | 607 | 28,660 | 4,622,236 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
66.4%
owners
Renter-occupied
33.6%
Owner-occupied
66.4%
homeownership rate
Shepherd
66.4%
Isabella County
61.8%
Michigan
73.2%
Average household size
2.72
Owner-occupied
2.31
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Shepherd
2.72
Isabella County
2.55
Michigan
2.54
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Shepherd | Isabella County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 560 | 24,914 | 4,076,369 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 20.2% | 31.7% | 21% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 42.5% | 33.4% | 39.5% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 9.1% | 13.6% | 16% |
| 1999 or earlier | 28.2% | 21.3% | 23.4% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 99.3% | 98.4% | 98.4% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 0% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| 1.51 or more | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 2.7% | 7.2% | 7% |
| 1 vehicle | 35.4% | 33% | 34.8% |
| 2 vehicles | 39.6% | 38.5% | 38.3% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 22.3% | 21.3% | 19.8% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 78.4% | 71.3% | 83.6% |
| Electricity | 17.5% | 19.4% | 12.1% |
| Solar | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 0% | 1.2% | 0.8% |
| All other fuels | 1.6% | 7.3% | 3% |
| No fuel used | 2.5% | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 1.1% | 0.8% | 0.4% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 1.1% | 0.8% | 0.7% |
| No telephone service available | 0% | 1.5% | 0.7% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$157,000
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
14%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Shepherd | Isabella County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $157,000 | $170,400 | $231,600 |
| Under $100,000 | 13.2% | 21.3% | 16.8% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 61.8% | 38.5% | 24.7% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 23.4% | 22.8% | 23.4% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 1.6% | 13.6% | 24.1% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 0% | 3% | 9.2% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 0% | 0.9% | 1.6% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 69.1% | 55.6% | 57.8% |
| Without a mortgage | 30.9% | 44.4% | 42.2% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $1,203 | $1,314 | $1,569 |
| Without a mortgage | $490 | $563 | $602 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $789 | $913 | $1,129 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
26.6%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Shepherd
26.6%
Isabella County
31.3%
Michigan
32.4%
Adults without a high school diploma
2.2%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Shepherd
2.2%
Isabella County
8.1%
Michigan
8%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
294
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
35.6%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Shepherd | Isabella County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 294 | 21,229 | 2,312,914 |
| Nursery / preschool | 7.8% | 2.5% | 5.6% |
| K–12 | 51.4% | 39.3% | 67.9% |
| Kindergarten | 0.7% | 2.9% | 5.2% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 19.4% | 10.2% | 19.7% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 18.4% | 14.1% | 20.8% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 12.9% | 12% | 22.2% |
| College or graduate school | 40.8% | 58.2% | 26.5% |
| College, undergraduate | 29.3% | 48.8% | 21.1% |
| Graduate, professional school | 11.6% | 9.3% | 5.4% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 35.6% | 62.1% | 41.1% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 84.4% | 85.6% | 85.2% |
| Private school | 15.6% | 14.4% | 14.8% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
973
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
* The Census Bureau did not publish education attainment by gender data for Shepherd due to an insufficient sample size to produce reliable estimates.
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Shepherd | Isabella County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 973 | 36,489 | 7,008,507 |
| Less than 9th grade | 0% | 3% | 2.6% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 2.2% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| High school diploma or GED | 30.5% | 29.3% | 28% |
| Some college, no degree | 28.1% | 21.5% | 21.9% |
| Associate's degree | 12.6% | 9.8% | 9.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.6% | 31.3% | 32.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 18% | 17.8% | 19.7% |
| Graduate or professional | 8.6% | 13.5% | 12.7% |
| High School or higher | 97.8% | 91.9% | 92.1% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$39,261
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
6.2%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Shepherd | Isabella County | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $39,261 | $44,565 | $50,316 |
| Less than high school graduate | $— | $22,264 | $31,851 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $38,153 | $36,884 | $37,777 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $38,438 | $40,661 | $44,844 |
| Bachelor's degree | $49,643 | $51,055 | $66,893 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $53,438 | $71,992 | $85,195 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 81.3% | 35.7% | 27.4% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 18.3% | 17.9% | 15.2% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 5.1% | 13.9% | 10.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 6.2% | 5.6% | 4.2% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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