Because Kalamazoo has a very large number of students who are 18 years or older and in college, it is thought of as a college town. This has a major influence on local Kalamazoo lifestyle, entertainment, and culture in general. Life in Kalamazoo is very much tied to the academic calendar: when students return from the summer break in the fall, one will notice them out and about, buying groceries, out with friends, and generally getting re-acquainted with each other. In Kalamazoo people study hard and play hard, and there is ample opportunity to do both.
Not only is Kalamazoo a city with many college students, but it also retains many recent graduates who are looking to start new careers, shaping the character of the city into a place that is geared toward, and considered attractive to, many single, educated people. Many singles consider Kalamazoo a good place to live without being in a really big city, with opportunities for friendships and fun with others like themselves.
Residents of the city have the good fortune of having one of the shortest daily commutes compared to the rest of the country. On average, they spend only 19.08 minutes getting to work every day.
The population of Kalamazoo is very well educated relative to most cities and towns in the nation, where the average community has 21.84% of its adult population holding a 4-year degree or higher: 37.19% of adults in Kalamazoo have a bachelor's degree or even advanced degree.
The per capita income in Kalamazoo in 2022 was $27,191, which is lower middle income relative to Michigan and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $108,764 for a family of four. However, Kalamazoo contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
Kalamazoo is an extremely ethnically-diverse city. The people who call Kalamazoo home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Kalamazoo residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Kalamazoo include German, English, Irish, Polish, and Dutch.
The most common language spoken in Kalamazoo is English. Other important languages spoken here include Polish and Spanish.
