Economic Development



Mt. Pleasant’s economy has remained steady and prosperous by creating new employment opportunities, facilitating both domestic and international business growth.

Whether an entrepreneur, small business owner, or CEO of an international corporation, the City's Economic Development team will help you find the right location, answer zoning questions, review building plans, and identify applicable grants and funding programs.


As home to Central Michigan University, Mid-Michigan College and two of the region’s most heralded health and hospital centers, we offer a vital and energetic lifestyle with amenities not often found in a community retaining a true “hometown” feel. Surrounded by lakes, rivers, forests, and healthy farmland, Mt. Pleasant offers its residents, businesses, and visitors a vibrant place to call home.

We cultivate a strong business environment by:
      • Providing a variety of locations to fit your business needs – in our historic downtown, commercial corridors or industrial parks.
      • Making significant investments in infrastructure, while remaining one of the more fiscally strong cities of its size in the State of Michigan.
      • Offering a variety of local, regional and state programs and incentives to assist with new and expanding business opportunities.
      • Redevelopment Readiness Certified Community
      • Adoption of Michigan’s first city-wide form-based zoning code in 2017.
      • Recognition over multiple consecutive years for our success and effort in contributing to Michigan’s entrepreneurial growth and economic development in the annual eCities study, conducted by iLabs researchers at University of Michigan-Dearborn’s Center for Innovation Research.
      • Maintaining a Aa3 General Obligation Bond rating through two leading financial rating agencies: Standard & Poors and Moodys.
      • Administration of the Mt. Pleasant Municipal Airport, categorized as a General Utility Airport with two available runways. 
Given its central location in the state, Mt. Pleasant serves as a retail hub for the central Michigan region. The City is supported by a diversified economy which includes investment and job growth in the following major sectors:
Manufacturing: Health Care: Education: Tourism:
  • Automotive
    Agriculture
  • Custom metal fabrication
  • Forestry equipment
  • Food services products
  • Central Michigan University School of Medicine
  • Nursing
  • Physical therapy
  • Primary and tertiary care centers.
  • Designated as a medically underserved area for physician recruitment.
  • Central Michigan University
  • Mid-Michigan College
  • High School technical education
  • City and County park systems
  • Golf
  • Chippewa River Water Trail
  • Casino gambling
  • Recreation and sporting event programming
  • More information can be found here.








More information about Central Michigan and Mt. Pleasant can be found here.