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Empire, MI

View of Empire, MI
Image credit: Rachel Kramer / CC BY 2.0
Population
355
U.S. Census Population Estimates Program · 2025
Elevation
619 ft
Median Home Value
$456,300
U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-Year · 2024
Median Income
$83,929
U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-Year · 2024
General Quality
Overall rating out of 100

Highlights

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OverallBest places in MichiganPopulation rankingHighest population places in MichiganNearest larger communityTraverse City, Michigan23 miles away · 15,832 residents.

About Empire

Tucked along Lake Michigan on the Leelanau Peninsula, Empire is a quiet coastal village with fewer than 400 year-round residents. Daily life here revolves around the outdoors, with the town nestled neatly between Lake Michigan and the calmer waters of South Bar Lake. Locals have direct access to wide sandy beaches, scenic picnic spots, and uninterrupted views of the Manitou Islands and evening sunsets right from the neighborhood streets.

Empire Michigan Looking North M72 Western Terminus

As the main gateway to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the village puts miles of hiking trails and towering dunes right in your backyard. Summer brings a lively buzz of visitors grabbing coffee on Front Street and hiking up the Empire Bluff Trail, but the town settles into a peaceful, tight-knit rhythm once the seasons shift. It is an ideal spot for anyone looking for a relaxed, nature-centered lifestyle within an easy 30-minute drive of Traverse City.

Top Rating Signals

Highest current ratings for this town.

Lower County Wildfire Hazard Potential ClassA+100.0ratingLower FEMA County Drought Risk IndexA+100.0ratingLower Projected Late-Century County-Area Exposure to Sea-Level RiseA+100.0rating

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