• Image field 65

  • Dickinson County Housing Needs Assessment

    Public Survey

  •   Help Shape the Future of Housing in Dickinson County

    Dickinson County is conducting a Housing Needs Assessment to better understand the housing challenges and opportunities facing our communities. Whether you're a longtime resident, a renter, a landlord, a business owner, a local official, or someone considering a move to the area, your perspective matters.

    This survey asks about your housing situation, what you see in your community, and what you'd like to see in the years ahead. The information you share will help local governments, employers, and community partners identify gaps in housing, plan for current and future needs, and pursue funding and development that reflect what residents actually want.

    The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete. We do not collect any personally identifying information. At the end, you may optionally choose to share your contact information if you'd like to stay informed or be part of future conversations.

    While most questions will be provided to all respondants, some questions will only apply based on your provided status (for example, as a resident/non-resident, owner/renter, etc). Results will be reported only in summary form and will inform a public Housing Needs Assessment report used to guide planning and policy across Dickinson County. The assessment is being compiled by the Central Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Regional Commission (CUPPAD), with the support of the Dickinson Area Economic Development Alliance and the Central U.P. Regional Housing Partnership.

    The survey will close on October 31, 2026.

    Thank you for taking the time to help build a clearer picture of housing in our community.
        

  • Section A | Household Profile

    These questions help us understand your current housing experience and background. We use this information to determine which questions on the remainder of this survey apply to you.

  • 1a) Do you currently live in Dickinson County, MI?
  • 1b) Where do you live/want to live in Dickinson County?
  • 1c) Do you live full time or part-time in Dickinson County?
  • 1d) How long have you lived in Dickinson County?
  • 1e) What is the PRIMARY reason you are looking to relocate to Dickinson County?
  • 1f) Have you previously spent time in  Dickinson County for any extended period?
  • 1g) Which of the following best describes where you currently live?
  • 2a) Do you own/operate a business in Dickinson County?
  • 2b) Do you own residential rental property in Dickinson County
  • 3a) Including yourself, how many people live in your household?
  • 3b) Does your household include children under 18 or adults 65 years or older? (select all that apply)
  • 4) Which range best describes your household's total annual income?

  • Section B | Current Housing

    These questions provide general insight on your current housing situation. This helps us set a baseline to understand how existing housing stock can be a part of the solution.

  • 5) Which best describes your current housing situation?
  • 6) What type of home do you currently live in?
  • 7) How would you rate the physical condition of your home?
  • 8) If your home needs repairs, what is the main reason they have not been completed?

  • Section C | Housing Costs and Affordability

    These questions seek to understand the reality on the ground when it comes to true housing affordability and helps shape policy. While talking about finances can be uncomfortable, please remmeber that your answers will be viewed in the aggregate and not be attributable to you individually.

  • 9) Thinking about your total monthly housing costs (rent or mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and utilities), roughly what share of your household income do they take up?
  • 10) In the past two years, have housing costs caused your household to do any of the following? (Check all that apply)
  • 11) Have home heating or energy costs caused your household to fall behind on other bills or cut back on essentials in the past year?
  • 12) In 2022, county residents ranked the lack of affordable housing as the most critical issue facing their community. Since then, would you say housing availability and affordability in Dickinson County has gotten better, stayed about the same, or gotten worse?

  • Section D | Housing Preferences and Market Conditions

    These questions help us understand if current housing meets existing needs and helps us plan for future housing needs in Dickinson County.

  • 13) Which best describes your ideal housing situation?
  • 14) Past county studies found more demand than supply for smaller homes, condos, duplexes, and apartments. If housing like this were available in your community at a price you could afford, how likely is it that you would move to it within five years?
  • 15) [Renters only] In your most recent housing search, how difficult was it to find a rental unit that was available, affordable, and in acceptable condition?
  • 16) [Renters only] How long did your most recent rental search take?
  • 17) [Current residents only] Are there homes in your immediate area that sit vacant for most of the year (seasonal, vacation, or “snowbird” homes)?
  • 18) [Current residents only] In your neighborhood, have you noticed long-term housing converting to short-term or vacation rental use (e.g., Airbnb/VRBO)?

  • Section E | Workforce and Community Impacts

    These questions help us understand how housing is impacting employment, business prosperity, and other economic and community issues that create strong communities.

  • 19) Has housing availability or cost affected employment in your household in any of the following ways? (Check all that apply)
  • 20) Do you have adult children or other family members who wanted to live in Dickinson County but left or stayed away because of housing?
  • 21) Would you support local employers partnering in housing solutions, such as employer-assisted down payments or master-leased rental units for workers?
  • 22. Would you support new housing of the following types being built in your neighborhood? (Rate each)
    Rows
  • 23) Earlier you mentioned your household has residents 65 years or older. Do those residents plan to remain in the home as they age? And what would help them do so?

  • Section F | Open Input & Final Thoughts

    We've asked you lots of questions. Now's your chance to let us know if there's anything else you'd like to share! We also have a few quick wrap-up questions which are entirely optional.

  • 26) To help us ensure we're not asking too much of people's time, how long did it take you to complete this survey?
  • 27) Would you like to participate in efforts to address housing in Dickinson County?
  • 27a) Great! How would you like to get involved?
  • Should be Empty: