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Compare towns

Alpine Township vs Riverview

143 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (9.3× in Riverview) and trails (3× in Alpine Township).

A ×
Alpine Township, MIOne of the healthiest townsKent County · 14,040 people
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Riverview, MIAn outdoors townMichigan · 12,186 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

Alpine TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 68%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Housing$404K typical home52% above the MI typical home SchoolsBetter than 70%of MI districts All about Alpine Township →
RiverviewAn outdoors town
Outdoors#62 most conserved land in MI1.6 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 61%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 69%of MI districts All about Riverview →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Street grid9.3×
Riverview has the more walkable street grid
Riverview 71.8Alpine Township 7.7
Trails3×
Alpine Township has more miles of trail
Alpine Township 4.8 miRiverview 1.6 mi
Property tax bill+45%
Tax bills are bigger in Riverview
Riverview $4,079Alpine Township $2,807
Age 65++9.9 pts
Riverview has more people 65 and up
Riverview 25.3%Alpine Township 15.4%
Conserved land+13.8 pts
Riverview has more conserved land
Riverview 17%Alpine Township 3.2%
Growth since 2010+5.6 pts
Alpine Township has grown faster since 2010
Alpine Township +5.6%Riverview 0%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $830 more a month in Alpine Township

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.

Alpine Township$2,520/mo
Typical home $404K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.20% · or rent about $1,172/mo · Housing →
Riverview$1,690/mo
Typical home $248K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.90% · or rent about $1,101/mo · Housing →

The difference: $830 a month, about $10,000 a year, between Alpine Township and Riverview.

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.

Report cards

Riverview places higher on 13 of 21 MI lists

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
–Alpine TownshipNot graded BRiverviewSafer than 56% of U.S. towns
Schools
B+Alpine TownshipBetter than 70% of districts in the state B+RiverviewBetter than 69% of districts in the state
Health
B+Alpine TownshipHealthier than 68% of U.S. towns BRiverviewHealthier than 61% of U.S. towns
8Alpine Township
13Riverview

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 723 towns #610#77 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 723 towns #529#163 Most conserved landOutdoors · 712 towns #419#62 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 142 towns #98#32 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 723 towns #165#467 Most walkableOutdoors · 723 towns #387#106 Fastest growingGrowth · 723 towns #183#445 Lowest property taxCost of living · 723 towns #393#629

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

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 TownshipRiverview
Snow a year75″54″
January low17°F—
July high82°F—
Growing season (days)157d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)5th12th
Outdoors & history
Alpine TownshipRiverview
Trails5 mi2 mi
Conserved land3.2%17%
Settled18471923
Archive photos—6
Community
Alpine TownshipRiverview
Library hours a week38 hrs38 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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.

Where they are

143 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Alpine TownshipKent CountyRiverviewMI
Alpine Township ↔ Riverview143 miles apart
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.

Alpine TownshipRiverview
People
Population 14,040Highest 12,186Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +5.6%Highest MI: +2% 0%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 36.9±2.3Lowest 8% below MI 40.6±4.4Highest about the MI average
Riverview 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%±3Highest MI: 21.2% 21.7%±3.8Lowest MI: 21.2%
Alpine Township and Riverview 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% 25.3%±2.9Highest MI: 18.6%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27.3%Highest MI: 32.4% 21.3%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.1%±1.4Highest MI: 6.1% 3.3%±1.1Lowest MI: 6.1%
Alpine Township and Riverview 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 $73,468±$5kHighest about the MI average
Riverview and Alpine Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $233,900±$12kHighest about the MI average $215,100±$14kLowest 7% below MI
Alpine Township and Riverview are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,172±$45Highest 4% above MI $1,101±$64Lowest about the MI average
Alpine Township and Riverview 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 $4,079Highest 40% above MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52.4%±12Highest MI: 50.4% 40.9%±8.9Lowest MI: 50.4%
Alpine Township and Riverview 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% 7.3%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 60.1%Lowest MI: 73.2% 64.3%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1985Highest 13 yrs newer than MI 1969Lowest 3 yrs older than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 12% below MI 24 minHighest about the MI average
Work from home 7.2%±3.3Lowest MI: 13.5% 9.7%±2.7Highest MI: 13.5%
Riverview and Alpine Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 5.1%Lowest 5.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miLowest 13.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.73Lowest 0.75Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Grand Rapids (24%)Detroit (12%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in RiverviewFew work in Alpine Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.2%Lowest 17%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 4.8 miHighest 1.6 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 7Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 7.7Lowest 71.8Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #348 of 493 in MI#280 of 493 in MI
School district Comstock Park Public Schools · Kenowa Hills Public SchoolsRiverview Community School District
High school in town Kenowa Hills High SchoolRiverview Community High School
Students per teacherat that high school 18.0Lowest 22.2Highest
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.

Riverview neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Riverview’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Alpine Township

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Plainfield Township34,040 people · $327K homes
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+ Compare
Wright Township3,192 people · $321K homes
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Comstock Park10,577 people · $235K homes
W
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Walker25,386 people · $295K homes

Towns like Alpine Township

+ Compare
Hazel Park14,963 people · $159K homes
H
+ Compare
Harper Woods15,116 people · $157K homes
+ Compare
Sault Ste. Marie13,335 people · $139K homes
+ Compare
Greenville8,995 people · $184K 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.

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