Alma is a city in Gratiot County, Michigan, home to about 9,396 people across 5.9 square miles. Its ZIP code is 48801.
Homes sold for a median of $112 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Alma; also Pine River and Arcada
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Alma. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Alma’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR)55 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | MBS International Airport (MBS)31 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Detroit, MI105 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL187 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Alma; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Alma had 9,488 residents in the 2020 census, up 2% since 2000.
It’s the 209th largest of 1,531 towns in Michigan by population.
Gratiot County grew from 29,889 residents in 1900 to 41,761 in 2020.
Gratiot County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 15°F. About 34.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 39 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Alma, MI weather station (about a mile away).
10,633 jobs at 725 businesses in Gratiot County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
296 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Alma.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 45 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 46 |
| Dentists | 7 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 63 |
| Mental health providers | 97 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 31 |
| Optometrists | 7 |
| Pharmacies | 11 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (15 nearby)
Grocery stores (2 nearby)
Pharmacies (1 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1853.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Gratiot-Isabella RESD, Alma Public Schools, Ashley Community Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GIRESD Center ProgramsAlma | Pre-K–12 | 173 | Special Education | 0.8 mi |
| Luce Road Elementary SchoolAlma | Pre-K–K | 141 | Public | 1.3 mi |
| Hillcrest Elementary SchoolAlma | 1–3 | 400 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Pine Avenue Elementary SchoolAlma | 4–5 | 265 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Donald L Pavlik Middle SchoolAlma | 6–8 | 457 | Public | 1.1 mi |
| Alma Senior High SchoolAlma | 9–12 | 552 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Gratiot Continuous Learning CenterAlma | 9–12 | 41 | Alternative Education | <0.1 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Mary SchoolAlma | Pre-K–6 | 99 | Roman Catholic | 0.1 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Pine River, Arcada, Sumner, Seville and Emerson.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.