Kalamazoo is a larger medium-sized city located in the state of Michigan. With a population of 77,092 people and 36 constituent neighborhoods, Kalamazoo is the 15th largest community in Michigan.

Unlike some cities, Kalamazoo isn't mainly white- or blue-collar. Instead, the most prevalent occupations for people in Kalamazoo are a mix of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, Kalamazoo is a city of sales and office workers, professionals, and service providers. There are especially a lot of people living in Kalamazoo who work in office and administrative support jobs (13.81%), sales jobs (11.61%), and food service (9.21%).

Kalamazoo is also a major college town with a large number of people who are 18 years or older and attending college. As is often the case in college towns, the many students that live in Kalamazoo have a strong influence on the local culture and entertainment scene, which may seem dormant by comparison in the summer months when much of the student population is away. In the fall, the return of students has a reinvigorating effect on the community. Because colleges are lasting institutions, they have a stabilizing effect on the economy by providing direct local benefits such as jobs for faculty and staff and spending by students. Kalamazoo's economy is one such example of this.

Compared to the rest of the country, citizens of Kalamazoo spend much less time in their cars: on average, their commute to work is only 17.38 minutes. This also means that noise and pollution levels in the city are less than they would otherwise be.

Kalamazoo Information and Demographics

The population of Kalamazoo is very well educated relative to most cities and towns in the nation, where the average community has 14.96% of its adult population holding a 4-year degree or higher: 32.72% of adults in Kalamazoo have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.

The per capita income in Kalamazoo in 2000 was $16,897, which is lower middle income relative to Michigan, and middle income relative to the rest of the US. This equates to an annual income of $67,588 for a family of four.

Kalamazoo is a very ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Kalamazoo home come from a variety of different races and ancestries. The most prevalent race in Kalamazoo is White, followed by African-American. Important ancestries of people in Kalamazoo include German, English, Irish, Dutch, Polish, and Italian.

The most common language spoken in Kalamazoo is English. Some people also speak Spanish.