City Score: Sault Ste. Marie, MI

Micro area. The Joy Project City Score for Sault Ste. Marie, MI: the condition of its cities from public data and how the church is moving across them, with every source.

The score

Sault Ste. Marie, MI scores 28 out of 100 on the Joy Project City Score, status Liberty since Oct 2026. Condition 28 (the city from public data, 60%) and Movement 27 (how the church is moving, 40%). How the score is built.

The condition of Sault Ste. Marie, MI

  • What Sault Ste. Marie, MI is up against: 45 out of 100 — Better than 62% of cbsas, up 8 points
  • Where grace is growing: 10 out of 100 — Better than 3% of cbsas
  • Marriage & family: 25 out of 100 — Better than 16% of cbsas
  • Christian liberty: 21 out of 100 — Better than 9% of cbsas

What takes Sault Ste. Marie, MI to Revival

  • City Pulse: City Pulse 27 → 40
  • Prayer: Prayer 39 → 45
  • Discipleship: Discipleship 39 → 45

What affected it

  • This quarter: Drug overdose deaths up 20 percentile points (What Sault Ste. Marie, MI is up against)
  • This quarter: Cohabiting households up 14 percentile points (Marriage & family)
  • This quarter: Adults 25-44 married up 9 percentile points (Marriage & family)

Sault Ste. Marie, MI over time

  • — Entered Liberty

Sources

  1. Violent crime: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Michigan · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  2. Property crime: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Michigan · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  3. Sexually transmitted infections: CDC NCHHSTP AtlasPlus · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  4. Drug overdose deaths: CDC NCHS, provisional county drug overdose deaths (VSRR) · 2025 · Michigan (25 counties summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  5. Adult entertainment outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  6. Gambling outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  7. Cannabis outlets: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  8. Liquor outlets and bars: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  9. Predatory lenders: OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  10. Abortion facilities (mapped): OpenStreetMap outlet counts (Metro pulse, metro_reformation_stats) · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  11. Church adherents: 2020 U.S. Religion Census · 2020 · Sault Ste. Marie, MI · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  12. Congregations: 2020 U.S. Religion Census · 2020 · Sault Ste. Marie, MI · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  13. Charitable giving: IRS Statistics of Income, county data · 2023 · Sault Ste. Marie, MI (1 county summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  14. Given to local needs in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Sault Ste. Marie, MI (1 county summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  15. Needs met in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Sault Ste. Marie, MI (1 county summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  16. Volunteers mobilized in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Sault Ste. Marie, MI (1 county summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  17. New believers in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Sault Ste. Marie, MI (1 county summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  18. Searches for a church in Joy: Verified in Joy (the impact ledger) · 2026-09 · Sault Ste. Marie, MI (1 county summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  19. Foster and adoptive families in the churches: Church workspace entries (church-attested) · 2026-10 · Sault Ste. Marie, MI (1 county summed) · fetched Oct 29, 2026 · verified in Joy
  20. Children with married parents: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Sault Ste. Marie, MI (1 county summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  21. Adults 25-44 married: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Sault Ste. Marie, MI (1 county summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  22. Cohabiting households: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Sault Ste. Marie, MI (1 county summed) · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  23. Divorces: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Michigan · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  24. Marriages: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year · 2020-2024 · Michigan · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  25. Births to unmarried mothers: CDC WONDER · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  26. Religious Liberty in the States score: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Michigan · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  27. Safeguards fully in law: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Michigan · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  28. State Religious Freedom Restoration Act: Religious Liberty in the States · 2026 · Michigan · fetched Oct 28, 2026
  29. Anti-Christian hate crimes: FBI Crime Data Explorer · 2025 · Michigan · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  30. School choice: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · Michigan · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  31. Protections for the unborn: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · Michigan · fetched Oct 29, 2026
  32. Homeschool freedom: The Liberty register (config/conditions/liberty_laws.yml) · 2026 · Michigan · fetched Oct 29, 2026

Its cities by status

  • 14 cities in Liberty

Highest City Scores in Sault Ste. Marie, MI

  1. Sault Ste. Marie, MI — 29, Liberty
  2. Barbeau, MI — 28, Liberty
  3. Brimley, MI — 28, Liberty
  4. Chippewa County, MI — 28, Liberty
  5. De Tour Village, MI — 28, Liberty
  6. Drummond, MI — 28, Liberty
  7. Eckerman, MI — 28, Liberty
  8. Goetzville, MI — 28, Liberty
  9. Hulbert, MI — 28, Liberty
  10. Kincheloe, MI — 28, Liberty
  11. Paradise, MI — 28, Liberty
  12. Pickford, MI — 28, Liberty
  13. Rudyard, MI — 28, Liberty
  14. SAULT S MARIE, MI — 28, Liberty

Quote it

Cite it as: Joy Project City Score v1.0, Sault Ste. Marie, MI, 2026-Q4, joyproject.com/metros/sault-ste-marie-mi. Methodology.

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