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Moving to
Waverly.
Waverly is an unincorporated community in Eaton County, MI. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Waverly
Waverly is an unincorporated community in Michigan with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Waverly deals with a population that has been shrinking, cold winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Shrinking population
- Cold winters
- Snowy winters — 50" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Waverly compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Waverly
Based on Waverly's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,340
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $46,800 a year
- 38% of Waverly renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$46,920
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,460
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 17% below US
$1,170/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,170 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $234,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $234,600 · 38% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.7% county unemployment
Unemployment in Eaton County is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Eaton County (county-wide)
Safety
148 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Waverly doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the Eaton County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs below the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 888/100k · Policed by Eaton County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 30% below US
18 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.1 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 19% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 81°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 20°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 23% above US
44% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 44% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is River Raisin National Battlefield Park (86 miles away).
Bottom line
Waverly's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are a population that has been shrinking and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,170/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, remote workers (19% of workers here already work from home), and people who want short commutes.
Other places near Waverly
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