A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Alma$1,120/mo

Typical home $167K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.72% · or rent about $836/mo · Housing →

Arcada Township$1,360/mo

Typical home $219K (Census) · tax rate 1.17% · or rent about $725/mo · Housing →

The difference: $250 a month, about $2,900 a year, between Arcada Township and Alma.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Alma and Arcada Township share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

AlmaArcada Township

Alma ↔ Arcada Township3.8 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

139 Arcada Township residents work in Alma (21.1% of its workers)

Work & commute in Arcada Township →

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Michigan ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

CAlmaSafer than 34% of U.S. towns –Arcada TownshipNot graded

Schools

BAlmaBetter than 60% of districts in the state –Arcada TownshipNot graded

Health

C+AlmaHealthier than 42% of U.S. towns C+Arcada TownshipHealthier than 41% of U.S. towns

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

AlmaArcada Township

Snow a year39″39″

January low15°F 15°F

July high82°F 82°F

Growing season (days)164d 164d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)56th 49th

Outdoors & history

AlmaArcada Township

Trails5 mi 1 mi

Conserved land4.9%1.2%

Settled1853 —

National Register places2 —

Archive photos27 —

Famous people born here14 —

Community

AlmaArcada Township

Library hours a week50 hrs —

Colleges in town1 —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Michigan average

AlmaArcada Township

People

Population 9,396Highest 1,684Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.1%Highest MI: +2% -0.6%Lowest MI: +2%

Median age 33.1±2.6Lowest 18% below MI 45±6.9Highest 12% above MI

Kids under 18 19.3%±3Highest MI: 21.2% 18.3%±3.5Lowest MI: 21.2%

Alma and Arcada Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 17.5%±2.8Lowest MI: 18.6% 19.9%±2.9Highest MI: 18.6%

Arcada Township and Alma are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28%Lowest MI: 32.4% 38.2%Highest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 17.8%±2.1Highest MI: 6.1% 6.7%±4.7Lowest MI: 6.1%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $53,307±$9kLowest 27% below MI $88,523±$12kHighest 21% above MI

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $115,900±$15kLowest 50% below MI $218,900±$19kHighest 5% below MI

Rentmedian gross, monthly $836±$39Highest 26% below MI $725±$446Lowest 36% below MI

Alma and Arcada Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,991Lowest 31% below MI $2,568Highest 12% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50.7%±13Lowest MI: 50.4% 61.3%±61.1Highest MI: 50.4%

Arcada Township and Alma are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 21.7%Highest MI: 13.2% 12.9%Lowest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 65.9%Lowest MI: 73.2% 95%Highest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1964Lowest 8 yrs older than MI 1975Highest 3 yrs newer than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 20% below MI 22 minHighest 8% below MI

Work from home 10.7%±3.9Lowest MI: 13.5% 15.6%±7Highest MI: 13.5%

Arcada Township and Alma are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 24.1%Highest 0.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miHighest 13.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.65Highest 0.13Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Mount Pleasant (7%)Alma (21%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Arcada Township21% work in Alma

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.9%Highest 1.2%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 5.4 miHighest 0.9 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miHighest 0.0 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 13Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 49.2Highest 2.0Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #270 of 493 in MI—

School district Alma Public Schools · Ashley Community Schools—

High school in town Alma Senior High School—

Students per teacherat that high school 15.9 —

Michigan average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Alma neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alma’s Town Square.

Arcada Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Arcada Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Alma and Arcada Township

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Alma

+ Compare

Pine River Township2,687 people · $156K homes

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St. Louis7,367 people · $119K homes

Towns like Alma

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Ishpeming6,181 people · $112K homes

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Sault Ste. Marie13,335 people · $139K homes

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Charlotte9,277 people · $154K homes

+ Compare

Harper Woods15,116 people · $157K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Michigan towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Alma vs Arcada Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $250 more a month in Arcada Township

Alma and Arcada Township share a border

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Alma and Arcada Township

Bordering Alma

Towns like Alma

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