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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



Battle Creek, MI Real Estate Market

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:
  • Home Values, Rents: Reflects Q4 2023. Updated quarterly.
  • Setting, Housing Stock, Homeownership: 2022 (latest available). Updated annually.

Methodology:   NeighborhoodScout uses over 600 characteristics to build a neighborhood profile… Read more about Scout's Real Estate Data

Battle Creek, MI Housing Market Trends

With a population of 26,062, 21,140 total housing units (homes and apartments), and a median house value of $139,428, house prices in Battle Creek are some of the most affordable in Michigan as well as the nation.

Single-family detached homes are the single most common housing type in Battle Creek, accounting for 67.43% of the city's housing units. Other types of housing that are prevalent in Battle Creek include large apartment complexes or high rise apartments ( 21.26%), duplexes, homes converted to apartments or other small apartment buildings ( 8.31%), and a few mobile homes or trailers ( 2.08%).

The most prevalent building size and type in Battle Creek are three and four bedroom dwellings, chiefly found in single-family detached homes. The city has a mixture of owners and renters, with 62.40% owning and 37.60% renting.

At the end of World War II, American soldiers returned home triumphant and, with the help of the GI Bill, built homes by the millions on the edges of America's cities. These homes were predominantly capes and ranches, modest in size, but built to house a growing middle-class as the 20th century became the American century. Battle Creek's housing was primarily built during this period, from the '40s through the '60s. A full 35.09% of the city's housing hails from this era. Other housing ages represented in Battle Creek include homes built before 1939 ( 31.22%) and housing constructed between 1970-1999 ( 24.94%). There's also some housing in Battle Creek built between 2000 and later ( 8.74%).

Vacant housing appears to be an issue in Battle Creek. Fully 11.14% of the housing stock is classified as vacant. Left unchecked, vacant Battle Creek homes and apartments can be a drag on the real estate market, holding Battle Creek real estate prices below levels they could achieve if vacant housing was absorbed into the market and became occupied. Housing vacancy rates are a useful measure to consider, along with other things, if you are a home buyer or a real estate investor.

Battle Creek Home Appreciation Rates

Appreciation rates for homes in Battle Creek have been tracking above average for the last ten years, according to NeighborhoodScout data. The cumulative appreciation rate over the ten years has been 87.78%, which ranks in the top 50% nationwide. This equates to an annual average Battle Creek house appreciation rate of 6.50%.

Over the last year, Battle Creek appreciation rates have trailed the rest of the nation. In the last twelve months, Battle Creek's appreciation rate has been 3.84%, which is lower than appreciation rates in most communities in America. In the latest quarter, NeighborhoodScout's data show that house appreciation rates in Battle Creek were at -1.74%, which equates to an annual appreciation rate of -6.80%.

Notably, Battle Creek's appreciation rate in the latest quarter is one of the lowest in America.

Relative to Michigan, our data show that Battle Creek's latest annual appreciation rate is lower than 90% of the other cities and towns in Michigan.

One very important thing to keep in mind is that these are average appreciation rates for the city. Individual neighborhoods within Battle Creek differ in their investment potential, sometimes by a great deal. Fortunately, you can use NeighborhoodScout to pinpoint the exact neighborhoods in Battle Creek - or in any city or town - that have the best track record of real estate appreciation, by the latest quarter, the last year, 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, or even since 2000, to assist you in making the best Battle Creek real estate investment or home purchase decisions.

Average Home Values

Median Home Value

$139,428

Battle Creek, MI Home Prices
> $1,282,000
$961,001 - $1,282,000
$641,001 - $961,000
$513,001 - $641,000
$385,001 - $513,000
$256,001 - $385,000
$128,001 - $256,000
$64,001 - $128,000
$0 - $64,000
0.0%
0.0%
0.2%
0.2%
0.6%
0.6%
1.2%
1.2%
3.8%
3.8%
12.3%
12.3%
32.9%
32.9%
34.0%
34.0%
15.0%
15.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes
Very Low

for Michigan

Very Low

for nation

Number of Homes And Apartments:

21,140

Battle Creek Appreciation Rates

Rent & Ownership

Average Market Rent:

$1,355 / per month

Homeownership Rate

Owners
Renters
62.4%
62.4%
37.6%
37.6%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Vacancy Rate

Vacant
Occupied
11.1%
11.1%
88.9%
88.9%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Housing Market Details

Age of Homes

2000 or Newer
1970 - 1999
1940 - 1969
1939 or Older
8.7%
8.7%
24.9%
24.9%
35.1%
35.1%
31.2%
31.2%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Types of Homes

Single-Family
Townhomes
Small Apt. Buildings
Apt. Complexes
Mobile Homes
Other
67.4%
67.4%
0.9%
0.9%
8.3%
8.3%
21.3%
21.3%
2.1%
2.1%
0.0%
0.0%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes

Home Size

No Bedroom
1 Bedroom
2 Bedrooms
3 Bedrooms
4 Bedrooms
5 or more bedrooms
1.4%
1.4%
12.2%
12.2%
33.9%
33.9%
37.5%
37.5%
11.9%
11.9%
3.1%
3.1%
0% 100.0%
% of Homes