Marquette “is a melting pot” with people coming from larger cities for NMU, high-tech jobs and retirement. said Christopher Germain, an NMU graduate who achieved a long goal in 2022 when he returned to Marquette to lead the Lake Superior Community Partnership economic development office.

Unlike Michigan, which is losing residents to other states, Marquette is a migration destination, according to Census and IRS data: Since 2022, dozens of people have come from Phoenix and greater Chicago, as well as from Metro Detroit and Grand Rapids.

Out-of-state newcomers are 40% wealthier than their Michigan counterparts, the data shows, helping to make the city already younger and more educated than the state as a whole. Nearly half of residents, 46%, have a bachelor’s degree, compared to 31% statewide. And the percentage of residents aged 25 to 34 increased from 11% to 15% in a decade.

These changes led to a slogan on social media and bumper stickers around the city: “Don’t Cross City My Marquette.”

The expression evokes the disadvantages of growth: increased house costsalmost constant work, traffic jams, headaches due to short term rental condosthe development of lakefront properties and the general feeling that small-town charm is eroding.

“We will never make the same mistakes again,” Germain vowed. “We are not going to privatize our waterfront.”

But some critics fear Marquette is near a tipping point.

Municipal and regional economic groups are considering possible next steps to manage more people: Suggestions include bus service to beaches to manage crowds; limit zoning for hotels; maybe even start a city ​​income tax. The city has already limited the number of short-term rentals to 250, creating a growing waiting list.