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.

Schools

B+Alpine TownshipBetter than 70% of districts in the state APlainfield TownshipBetter than 89% of districts in the state

Health

B+Alpine TownshipHealthier than 68% of U.S. towns A−Plainfield TownshipHealthier than 83% of U.S. towns

3Alpine Township

16Plainfield Township

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fewest uninsuredHealth · 723 towns #529#163 Most trailsOutdoors · 601 towns #469#173 Most conserved landOutdoors · 712 towns #419#82 Best schoolsSchools · 493 towns #348#119 Most remote workersWork · 714 towns #534#213 Highest incomeIncome · 723 towns #474#175 Most affordableCost of living · 723 towns #374#586 Most educatedPeople · 723 towns #324#139

Left end = #1 in Michigan. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Alpine Township’s rankings →

Where they are

Alpine Township and Plainfield Township share a border

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

Alpine TownshipPlainfield Township

Alpine Township ↔ Plainfield Township6.4 miles apart · They share a border · Same county

Who commutes between them

294 Alpine Township residents work in Plainfield Township (4.7% of its workers)

Work & commute in Alpine Township →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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%

Alpine Township$2,520/mo

Typical home $404K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.20% · or rent about $1,172/mo · Housing →

Plainfield Township$2,540/mo

Typical home $413K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.10% · or rent about $1,269/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

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

Alpine TownshipPlainfield Township

Snow a year75″75″

January low17°F 17°F

July high82°F 82°F

Growing season (days)157d 157d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)5th 39th

Outdoors & history

Alpine TownshipPlainfield Township

Trails5 mi 32 mi

Conserved land3.2%13.8%

Settled1847 —

Famous people born here—2

Community

Alpine TownshipPlainfield Township

Library hours a week38 hrs 58 hrs

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

Alpine TownshipPlainfield Township

People

Population 14,040Lowest 34,040Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +5.6%Lowest MI: +2% +8.3%Highest MI: +2%

Median age 36.9±2.3Lowest 8% below MI 40.9±2.3Highest about the MI average

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

Kids under 18 21.9%±3Lowest MI: 21.2% 23.5%±2Highest MI: 21.2%

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

Age 65+ 15.4%±2.9Lowest MI: 18.6% 20.5%±2Highest MI: 18.6%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27.3%Lowest MI: 32.4% 41.2%Highest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.1%±1.4Highest MI: 6.1% 3.7%±0.7Lowest MI: 6.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $67,807±$13kLowest 7% below MI $94,218±$7kHighest 29% above MI

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $233,900±$12kLowest about the MI average $326,900±$13kHighest 41% above MI

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,172±$45Lowest 4% above MI $1,269±$125Highest 12% above MI

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,807Lowest 3% below MI $3,590Highest 24% above MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.4%±12Highest MI: 50.4% 47.3%±12.5Lowest MI: 50.4%

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

Below poverty line 11.2%Highest MI: 13.2% 6.5%Lowest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 60.1%Lowest MI: 73.2% 87.8%Highest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1985 13 yrs newer than MI 1985 13 yrs newer than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 21 minHighest 12% below MI 20 minLowest 17% below MI

Work from home 7.2%±3.3Lowest MI: 13.5% 13.4%±1.8Highest MI: 13.5%

Work in townworking residents 5.1%Lowest 8.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 mi 9.8 mi

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.73Lowest 0.75Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Grand Rapids (24%)Grand Rapids (26%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 5% work in Plainfield TownshipFew work in Alpine Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3.2%Lowest 13.8%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 4.8 miLowest 32.3 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.9 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 21Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 7.7Lowest 29.4Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #348 of 493 in MI #119 of 493 in MI

School district Comstock Park Public Schools · Kenowa Hills Public SchoolsComstock Park Public Schools · Northview Public Schools

High school in town Kenowa Hills High SchoolRockford High School

Students per teacherat that high school 18.0Lowest 19.5Highest

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.

Alpine Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alpine Township’s Town Square.

Plainfield Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Plainfield Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Alpine Township and Plainfield Township

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Bordering Alpine Township

+ Compare

Wright Township3,192 people · $321K homes

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Comstock Park10,577 people · $235K homes

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Walker25,386 people · $295K homes

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Sparta Township9,494 people · $232K homes

Towns like Alpine Township

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Hazel Park14,963 people · $159K homes

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Harper Woods15,116 people · $157K homes

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

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Riverview12,186 people · $215K homes

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.

Alpine Township vs Plainfield Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Plainfield Township places higher on 16 of 19 MI lists

Alpine Township and Plainfield Township share a border

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Alpine Township and Plainfield Township

Bordering Alpine Township

Towns like Alpine Township

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