Department of Community Development

Jackson at a Glance

The City of Jackson was once named the “Crossroads of Michigan” for its strategic location along some of the State’s most well-traveled highways and railways. Today, Jackson is a lot more than just a convenient rest stop for seasoned travelers. With a well-educated workforce and stable business infrastructure, Jackson is one of Michigan’s cities that is primed for excellent economic growth.

Basic Information

City: Jackson
County: Jackson County
Area: 11.1 sq. miles 
City Population: 36,316 (Source: 2000 US Census)
County Population: 163,629 (Source: 2000 US Census)

Honors and Recognition:

City-related

• Cool City Designation, Michigan State Government – City of Jackson, June 2004
• Weber-Seavy Award – Jackson Police Department Resident-Officer Program, 1995 which is awarded to only ten programs in the nation
• Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, Government Finance Officers Association – City of Jackson, annually since 1991
• #1 ranking in Small Museums and #2 ranking in Art Galleries, Michigan’s Best Treasure Awards and Readers’ Choice Awards – Ella Sharp Museum, 2000

County-related

• Fourth Best Golf Value in America, Golf Digest Magazine – Jackson County, 2004
• #14 ranking on Best Places to Play Golf, Golf Digest Magazine – Jackson County, 1997
• Award of Excellence – Jackson County ISD Manufacturing Technologies Laboratory, 1999
• #3 ranking among Michigan’s nature centers – Dahlem Environmental Center
• Fourth Best Bird Watching Site in Michigan – Phyllis Haehnle Memorial Sanctuary

Economy:

• Jackson County Labor Force: 77,800 (71,600 employed, 6,200 unemployed)

Source: Office of Labor, February 2007

Largest Community Employers

• Allegiance Health System – 3,146
• ­­Michigan Department of Corrections – 2,345
• Consumers Energy – 2,000
• Local Government – 870
• Michigan Automotive Compressor – 850
• Jackson Public Schools – 782
• Meijer, Inc. – 755
• Jackson Community College – 650
• Eaton Corporation – 598
• Walmart/Sam’s Club – 568

Source: Enterprise Group of Jackson

Income

• Median family income: $39,072
• Median household income: $31,294

City Investments

Public

• More than $3 million from various State departments through “Cool City” designation
• More than $2.8 million for streetscape enhancements
• Nearly $500,000 for a Riverwalk Trail, connecting Downtown with the Armory Arts Village
• About $10 million from a City-wide millage for City Hall renovations
• More than $1.5 million since 1994 for exterior renovations through Façade Improvement
• More than $250,000 to turn under-utilized space into residential units through the MSHDA Residential Rental Rehabilitation Program

Private

• Nearly $4.5 million in Anesthesia Business Consultants’ new headquarters
• Approximately $600,000 for the expansion of Daryl’s Downtown
• More than $113 in construction of the new Consumers Energy headquarters
• Development of City View Lofts—a warehouse conversion into 26 high-end lofts
• Rehabilitation of the County Senior Center into a multiple unit of downtown retail space, including Swan Creek Candle Co. and Lenny’s Sub Shop
• New construction of the Miller Office Building
• Multi-million dollar investment for the Armory Arts Project

Education

Jackson is focused on providing our children with the finest education to ready them for adulthood, with 32 K-12 schools, half of which are private or parochial. The community was opposed to a national trend of building sprawling new campuses for high schools. Instead, they chose to renovate historic Jackson High School for nearly $25 million, allowing students to enjoy their near-downtown location in a historic building that could never be replaced. Jackson is also a hotbed of higher learning, as it’s home to two colleges, one university, and is conveniently located near seven others. Those institutions are:

• Baker College
• Jackson Community College
• Spring Arbor University
• Albion College
• Hillsdale College
• University of Michigan
• Michigan State University
• Adrian College
• Siena Heights University
• Eastern Michigan University