Editor's note: This special report is the second in a series looking at developing communities in Michigan and is made possible through the support of the Michigan Municipal League. This series updates reports on the same communities in 2012. An updated story on Corktown was published in June.
Marquette stands out from other small cities in one important way. It has been growing even as many small cities shrink. A lot of the credit goes to Marquette’s outdoor recreation opportunities.
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Marquette is an anomaly in the Midwest, where the majority of cities face shrinking population. Across the country, the cities growing the most tend to be in states experiencing strong job expansion – in the West and South, according to TheStreet, a business news and marketing data website.
Cities with populations of 50,000 or less saw significant population declines during the pandemic. Losses have slowed to pre-pandemic levels, but in 2023, the populations of many small cities trended downward, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
What makes Marquette different? There's the thoughtful
renovation of the city’s downtown corridor, which began more than two decades ago. But, more recently, the primary draw is the natural splendor of the area — its waterfalls, hiking and biking trails, ski hills and the waterfront along Lake Superior. Outdoor recreation opportunities abound, and they are bringing growing numbers of visitors, new residents and businesses to Marquette.
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Tom BuchkoeDivers take the plunge into Lake Superior from Black Rocks at Presque Isle Park.
Long a leader in trail development, Marquette is home to miles and miles of hiking and biking pathways, some of them connecting to regional and national networks, including the Iron Ore Heritage Trail and the North Country Trail. The city has gained national acclaim as a premier mountain bike destination with more than 150 miles of singletrack. Its other assets include beaches on Lake Superior, Marquette Mountain Resort and Presque Isle Park, a 323-acre forested park on a peninsula that reaches out into Lake Superior.
Marquette, a city the size of nearly 20 square miles, has grown from a population of 20,629 in 2020 to 21,079 in 2023, a 2.3 percent increase, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“The trends we see in rural recreation counties are very different than other rural places,” says Sarah Melotte, a writer for
The Daily Yonder who chronicled population growth in rural parts of Michigan and upper Midwest states in a story,
“Rural Counties in Northern Great Lakes Grow at Above-Average Pace,” published last year.
"Since the pandemic in general, rural America has seen an increase in population after consistent population loss," Melotte said. "It has something to do with increasing broadband in rural areas making it easier to work from home. People who want to work in rural areas have increasing opportunities.”
The growth in rural recreation counties has occurred at higher percentage rate.
“It’s happening across the country in hot spots for outdoor recreation,” she says, noting that most people moving into Marquette are coming from other parts of the Midwest, likely drawn by outdoor amenities, according to individual tax data.
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Tom BuchkoeBikers take in the views from Mount Marquette.
Every city needs to plug its unique assets “as much as possible,” says Dan Gilmartin, executive director and CEO of the Michigan Municipal League. “They are what make places authentic, and people — both locals and tourists — crave authenticity in communities. Marquette has done a nice job in recent years of investing in its downtown and capitalizing on its natural beauty.”
Growth of outdoor recreation
Christopher Germain, CEO of the
Lake Superior Community Partnership, has seen significant growth in the outdoor recreation businesses in the Marquette area.
“These include businesses involved in directly providing outdoor recreation experiences, such as the
U.P. Sailing Company; those selling equipment for outdoor recreation, such as
Love and Bicycles in (nearby) Negaunee, and innovation and technology companies investing in the outdoor recreation field, such as
SwimSmart,” he says.
The partnership serves as a Chamber of Commerce for the Marquette area, working with community partners to provide resources for economic growth and development.
The U.P. Sailing Company opened in Marquette in June 2023. Co-owners Kristen VanWieren and her husband Brian moved to Marquette from Holland, Michigan, to open their American Sailing Association school and charter business.
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Tom BuchkoeKristen and Brian VanWieren, the owners of the U.P. Sailing Co., onboard Tsuru.
“We felt that Marquette was the perfect fit because it's driven by adventure-seeking locals and visitors, and because the area is rarely seen — but should be — from the water,” Kristen VanWieren says. “There's nothing quite like a sail with friends past Black Rocks in the golden evening hours. Sailing is also an eco-friendly activity, and sustainability means a lot to us.”
From his vantage point on Third Street, Bill Thompson, owner of Down Wind Sports, which sells all kinds of outdoor camping and recreation gear, has also witnessed the growth in outdoor recreation and the uptick in visitors.
“Outdoor recreation is increasing here due to infrastructure building such as hiking and biking trails and climbing area development,” Thompson says. “The outdoor recreation business impacts our town by providing recreational opportunities for a healthy lifestyle. With the job force moving to remote work, we have seen people move to the area because of these recreational opportunities, which in turn helps with economic growth.”
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Tom BuchkoeBill Thompson, owner of Down Wind Sports in Marquette, has seen the growth recreation has inspired in Marquette.
Supporting budding outdoors-focused businesses in Marquette is
Innovate Marquette Smartzone, an organization that is strategically focused on tech-based start-ups with outdoor innovation and/or sustainability applications.
“The real fun comes with connecting students, faculty and staff with entrepreneurs, and supporting researchers and innovators through Innovate Marquette’s suite of services,” says David Nyberg, who is executive director of business engagement and economic development at
Northern Michigan University and who serves on the Innovate Marquette SmartZone board of directors.
Jacob Soter, the entrepreneur behind SwimSmart, has worked with both Innovate Marquette Smartzone and the MTEC SmartZone in Houghton-Hancock to get his beach safety technology company off the ground. His company, whose technology is being used at Michigan beaches, is headquartered in Marquette.
"I fell in love with the Upper Peninsula while I was attending Michigan Technological University in Houghton. “I have called it home ever since,” he says. “The outdoors, the snow and the community, these have been grounding forces that kept me here.”
Teamwork is essential for those innovating in the outdoor recreation industry, says David Ollila, the entrepreneur behind
Shophouse Park in Marquette. Designed as an innovation hub, the complex will be “a unique facility where the outdoor recreation industry hits the woods ... a remote base for start-ups and corporations to innovate and a place for the outdoor community to gather.”
Olilla describes Shophouse Park as a home, shop and trailhead for teams to develop, tweak and introduce new outdoor products and experiences.
Born in Marquette, Olilla lived and worked in California and then in Flint until after the pandemic, when he moved back home.
“Our family chooses to live here because we prefer to live in a place of natural beauty, with seamless access to outdoor activities,” he says.
Downtown redevelopment
Marquette’s carefully designed and implemented improvements to the downtown corridor have also impacted the city’s growth. In 2020, the city’s Downtown Development Authority (MDDA) completed and adopted a plan to guide future growth and development within downtown Marquette.
The goals are to ensure that the city remains a highly desirable community in which to live and to address the status and needs of infrastructure, recreational amenities and public services, according to the
MDDA website.
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Tom Buchkoe“It is important that Marquette positions itself to take advantage of growth in the region as a quality community for businesses to locate and people to live,” says the online description of the plan. “Having a vibrant and well-connected downtown at the center of the community will help to achieve this.”
The MDDA notes that Marquette is a hub for outdoor activities, including outdoor biking, hiking and cross-country ski trails. “That’s why the plan places an emphasis on non-motorized transit routes that connect through the downtown to attract visitors, tourists and locals alike,” the plan website says.
To that end, the plan supports improvements to the city’s landscape, including streetscape modifications and updated ways of using public spaces and facilities. Additionally, the plan encourages better access to the lakeshore and increased connection between downtown and the Third Street Corridor, which links downtown Marquette with NMU.
The plan identifies policies and economic development strategies to promote the future growth and business development. The plan also offers a comprehensive action plan that spells out how to implement those policies and strategies and outlines opportunities for collaboration.
"We are also fortunate to have InvestUP as a regional partner focusing on growing our region’s outdoor recreation economy through the Michigan Outdoor Innovation Fund," says Karen Kovacs, Marquette city manager. "Not only can we be the place to visit to enjoy outdoor recreation, but we can also be the place that provides the opportunity to invent, test, and manufacture the technology, equipment, and infrastructure that supports recreation and tourism."
What's ahead
Marquette's growth promises a bright future. But it also presents challenges. Among them is maintaining a balanced relationship between residents and visitors. There are concerns about the lack of workforce and affordable housing and accessible public transportation. Many, too, are worried about the impact tourism is having on the city's recreational assets.
"One of the challenges we hear from businesses is the lack of available housing for their workforce," says Marquette Mayor Sally Davis. "The city has been able to incentivize housing developments through various programs, and I’m happy to say that we have over 500 housing units at various price levels currently being built."
Providing, maintaining and improving Marquette's infrastructure and services is a concern because that price tag is borne only by local residents and taxpayers.
"Our residents are keenly aware of this situation, as demonstrated in the dozens of e-mails I receive each month from residents inquiring if the city can impose a fee or tax directly to tourists to help some of our funding needs," Kovacs says, noting the current local lodging tax goes only towards tourism marketing. "We also need to be mindful that we don’t over burden visitors with costs and drive them away. As with anything, it’s always about balance."
The city, she adds, is exploring conducting a sustainable tourism plan that would focus on future infrastructure planning, developing fiscal policies, promoting environmental stewardship, and building a resilient economy.
Concern about the environmental impact is not limited to the city. The Respect Marquette County Coalition was created because the region's outdoor tourism has seen such great growth in recent years. The destination is committed to maintaining the beauty of natural environment.
Regarding public transportation, the city is encouraging collaboration between its transit provider and local cab companies and by surveying residents and businesses to determine actual public transportation concerns and needs.
The city works with several economic development partners to encourage and embrace the growth of business.
"It’s exciting to look back on history and see how vibrant Marquette has become," Mayor Davis says.
Jennifer Donovan is a reporter with more than 40 years of experience on daily newspapers, magazines and university writing and editing. She is retired as director of news and media relations at Michigan Technological University and lives in Houghton.