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Downtown Jackson from the 12th floor of One Energy Plaza, Jackson, MIPhillip L. Hofmeister / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Moving to Jackson, Michigan

Jackson offers up to $60,000 toward a home through 100 Homes Program (City of Jackson down payment assistance). Here is what life costs in Jackson County, where people work, what there is to do, and remote jobs you can bring with you.
  • YesPaid to move hereUp to $60,000 toward a home
  • $193,700Typical home value1Jackson County
  • $985Typical rent1Utilities included
  • 159,552Population-0.5% since 2020

By Sol Lakein.Checked November 4, 2026.How we compare costs

Get paid to move to Jackson

Tap a program for who qualifies, how it pays, whether it is open and the official link.

Every program in Michigan

Something to know about Jackson

Did you know?

Jackson's Cascades, a 500-foot man-made illuminated waterfall, opened in May 1932 after being built during the Great Depression.

Source: WMUK (Western Michigan University public radio), May 2014

A fact about Jackson

What it costs to live in Jackson

Jackson County next to Michigan and the US.1
MeasureJackson CountyMichiganUnited States
Typical home value$193,700$231,600$332,700
Monthly owner costs with a mortgage$1,377$1,569$1,963
Typical rent, with utilities$985$1,129$1,413
Typical household income$66,073$72,875$80,734
Homes lived in by their owners75.0%73.2%65.2%
Households with broadband91.5%90.5%91.0%
Average commute, one way23 min24 min26 min

On the typical home here, the mortgage comes to about $1,064 a month2.

Current home prices, rent and weather for Jackson

Jobs and work in Jackson County

  • 50,612Jobs at local employers2023, +0.4% vs 2022
  • 2,991Employer businesses2023
  • 9,813Self-employed businessesNonemployer firms, 2024
  • 91.5%Households with broadbandUS: 91.0%

56.7% of residents 16 and older are in the labor force, the average commute is 22.5 minutes, and 23.4% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree1,3. Builders pulled permits for 303 new homes in 2025.

Remote jobs you can do from Jackson

Current remote openings for people living in the US.

Loading current remote jobs.

Things to do in Jackson

Notable places in Jackson County, by type.4

Parks, lakes and the outdoors

  • Lake Columbia
  • Clark Lake
  • Bartig Lake
  • Gilletts Lake

Museums, theaters and libraries

  • Michigan Theatre
  • Coe House
  • Waterloo Farm Museum

Colleges and universities

  • Spring Arbor University
  • Jackson College

Thinking about Jackson? Get the free moving guide

12 pages: what a move costs, hiring movers safely, an 8-week checklist and how to apply for programs like these.

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Moving to Jackson: questions people ask

Does Jackson pay you to move there?

Yes. 100 Homes Program (City of Jackson down payment assistance): Up to $60,000 toward a home. Each program has its own rules, status and official link on its page, checked October 30, 2026.

How much does it cost to live in Jackson?

In Jackson County, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $193,700 and median gross rent is $985 a month (US Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024). Michigan: $231,600 and $1,129. United States: $332,700 and $1,413. With 20% down at 7.32%, principal and interest on a home at the county median value come to about $1,064 a month (our arithmetic).

Is Jackson a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. On the numbers: home values in Jackson County are below the US median, household income is below the US median, and the population fell 0.5% from April 2020 to July 2025 (US Census Bureau). Visit before you decide.

Can I work remotely from Jackson?

91.5% of households in Jackson County have a broadband subscription (US: 91.0%; ACS 2020-2024). Check the program rules for job requirements.

What is there to do in Jackson?

Notable places in Jackson County include Lake Columbia, Clark Lake, Michigan Theatre, Coe House, Spring Arbor University. The full list by type is on this page (Wikidata).

Other Michigan towns that pay you to move

Notes on the numbers
  1. 1Costs and people: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimates (dollars in 2024 terms), read November 4, 2026. "Typical" is the median. Census figures cover all homes and renters, not just recent sales or new leases. QuickFacts
  2. 2Mortgage: principal and interest on the county's typical home value with 20% down at 7.32% (Freddie Mac 30-year fixed average, week of October 22, 2026), our arithmetic. Rate source
  3. 3Jobs and businesses: US Census Bureau QuickFacts, County Business Patterns 2023, Nonemployer Statistics 2024, Building Permits Survey 2025, ACS 2020-2024.
  4. 4Things to do: notable places from Wikidata (CC0), read November 4, 2026. Know a place we should add? Email hello@slowersundays.com.
Sources for this page