Traverse City is a city in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, home to about 15,339 people across 7.9 square miles. Its ZIP code is 49686, and parts of 49684 are in Traverse City too.
Homes sold for a median of $289 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.
Mostly Traverse City; also Peninsula and East Bay
Mostly Garfield; part is in Traverse City
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Traverse City. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Traverse City’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)129 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Cherry Capital Airport (TVC)3 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Milwaukee, WI164 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL225 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Traverse City; 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.
Traverse City had 15,341 residents in the 2020 census, up 7% since 2000.
It’s the 128th largest of 1,531 towns in Michigan by population.
Grand Traverse County grew from 20,479 residents in 1900 to 95,238 in 2020.
Grand Traverse County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 79°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 36.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 101 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Traverse City Munson, MI weather station (about a mile away).
47,454 jobs at 3,549 businesses in Grand Traverse County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
512 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Traverse City.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 29 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 48 |
| Dentists | 42 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 90 |
| Mental health providers | 169 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 85 |
| Optometrists | 19 |
| Chiropractors | 30 |
| Pharmacies | 10 |
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 (29 nearby)
Grocery stores (10 nearby)
Pharmacies (4 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums
Theaters and performance venues (7 nearby)
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 1891.
Colleges and universities
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 Traverse City Area Public Schools, Grand Traverse Academy, Northwest Education Services and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Grade SchoolTraverse City | Pre-K–7 | 510 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Eastern Elementary SchoolTraverse City | Pre-K–5 | 475 | Public | 3.3 mi |
| Grand Traverse AcademyTraverse City | Pre-K–12 | 824 | Charter | 4.5 mi |
| North EdBridgewayTraverse City | Pre-K–12 | 70 | Special Education | 2.6 mi |
| North EdNew HorizonsTraverse City | Pre-K–12 | 75 | Special Education | 2.0 mi |
| TCAPS Montessori SchoolTraverse City | Pre-K–8 | 331 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Traverse Heights Elem SchoolTraverse City | Pre-K–5 | 245 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| Willow Hill Elementary SchoolTraverse City | Pre-K–5 | 429 | Public | 2.1 mi |
| North EdCreekside SchoolTraverse City | K–12 | 64 | Special Education | 0.8 mi |
| Old Mission Peninsula SchoolTraverse City | K–6 | 146 | Charter | 10.8 mi |
| The Greenspire SchoolTraverse City | 6–12 | 93 | Charter | 0.9 mi |
| West Middle SchoolTraverse City | 6–8 | 1,081 | Public | 0.7 mi |
| Central High SchoolTraverse City | 8–12 | 1,326 | Public | 3.0 mi |
| The Greenspire High SchoolTraverse City | 9–12 | 176 | Charter | 1.0 mi |
| Traverse City High SchoolTraverse City | 9–12 | 171 | Alternative Education | 3.9 mi |
| North EdCareer TechTraverse City | 11–12 | — | Career and Technical | 3.7 mi |
| Life Skills CenterTraverse City | Ungraded | 67 | Special Education | 3.7 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Pathfinder SchoolTraverse City | Pre-K–8 | 109 | Nonsectarian | 4.3 mi |
| Trinity Lutheran SchoolTraverse City | Pre-K–8 | 90 | Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod | 0.9 mi |
| Traverse Bay Mennonite SchoolTraverse City | 2–12 | 22 | Mennonite | 2.0 mi |
| St Francis High SchoolTraverse City | 9–12 | 337 | Roman Catholic | 1.3 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 Garfield, Peninsula, Elmwood Charter Township, East Bay, Long Lake, Bingham Township (Leelanau County), Almira, Solon Township (Leelanau County) and Traverse City City.
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.