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Bear Creek Township vs Springvale Township

Next-door neighbors in Emmet County. The biggest differences: street grid (5.2× in Bear Creek Township) and jobs per worker (6.1× in Bear Creek Township).

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Bear Creek Township, MIOne of the healthiest townsEmmet County · 6,544 people
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Springvale Township, MIAn outdoors townEmmet County · 2,619 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.

Bear Creek TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 80%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Outdoors#177 most trails in MI39 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves SchoolsBetter than 83%of MI districts All about Bear Creek Township →
Springvale TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors#62 most trails in MI84 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 81%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Springvale Township →
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 grid5.2×
Bear Creek Township has the more walkable street grid
Bear Creek Township 8.3Springvale Township 1.6
Jobs per worker6.1×
Bear Creek Township is more of a job hub
Bear Creek Township 1.09Springvale Township 0.18
Homeowners+33.2 pts renters
Bear Creek Township has more renters
Springvale Township 97.2%Bear Creek Township 64%
Home values+44%
Homes cost more in Bear Creek Township
Bear Creek Township $364,500Springvale Township $254,000
Age 65++17.2 pts
Bear Creek Township has more people 65 and up
Bear Creek Township 31%Springvale Township 13.8%
Trails2.2×
Springvale Township has more miles of trail
Springvale Township 83.8 miBear Creek Township 38.9 mi
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $610 more a month in Bear Creek 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.

Bear Creek Township$2,150/mo
Typical home $365K (Census) · tax rate 0.78% · or rent about $1,453/mo · Housing →
Springvale Township$1,540/mo
Typical home $254K (Census) · tax rate 0.97% · or rent about $1,645/mo · Housing →

The difference: $610 a month, about $7,300 a year, between Bear Creek Township and Springvale Township.

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

Bear Creek Township and Springvale Township share a border

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

Bear Creek TownshipSpringvale TownshipBear Creek TownshipSpringvale Township
Bear Creek Township ↔ Springvale Township5.3 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Who commutes between them
92 Springvale Township residents work in Bear Creek Township (11.7% of its workers)
Work & commute in Springvale Township →
Report cards

Bear Creek Township places higher on 8 of 19 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.

Schools
A−Bear Creek TownshipBetter than 83% of districts in the state –Springvale TownshipNot graded
Health
A−Bear Creek TownshipHealthier than 80% of U.S. towns A−Springvale TownshipHealthier than 81% of U.S. towns
8Bear Creek Township
5Springvale Township

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

Most walkableOutdoors · 723 towns #375#715 Shortest commuteGetting around · 723 towns #109#434 Highest incomeIncome · 723 towns #441#118 Fastest growingGrowth · 723 towns #189#440 Most affordableCost of living · 723 towns #632#446 Most trailsOutdoors · 601 towns #177#62 Lowest property taxCost of living · 723 towns #402#280 Most remote workersWork · 714 towns #499#614

Left end = #1 in Michigan. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Bear Creek 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
Bear Creek TownshipSpringvale Township
Snow a year124″120″
January low15°F12°F
July high75°F76°F
Growing season (days)166d147d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)3rd51st
Outdoors & history
Bear Creek TownshipSpringvale Township
Trails39 mi84 mi
Conserved land2.4%2.1%
National Register places1—
Community
Bear Creek TownshipSpringvale Township
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.

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.

Bear Creek TownshipSpringvale Township
People
Population 6,544Highest 2,619Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +5.5%Highest MI: +2% +0.2%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 51.1±7.1Highest 27% above MI 43.6±4.8Lowest 8% above MI
Bear Creek Township and Springvale Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 18%±3.5Lowest MI: 21.2% 24.9%±4.3Highest MI: 21.2%
Springvale Township and Bear Creek Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 31%±5.2Highest MI: 18.6% 13.8%±2.3Lowest MI: 18.6%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 42.9%Highest MI: 32.4% 37.3%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.5%±1.4Highest MI: 6.1% 2.1%±1.3Lowest MI: 6.1%
Bear Creek Township and Springvale Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $71,090±$13kLowest about the MI average $102,083±$18kHighest 40% above MI
Springvale Township and Bear Creek Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $364,500±$34kHighest 57% above MI $254,000±$41kLowest 10% above MI
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,453±$191Lowest 29% above MI $1,645±$701Highest 46% above MI
Springvale Township and Bear Creek Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,826Highest about the MI average $2,453Lowest 16% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 48.7%±14.4Highest MI: 50.4% 29.6%±78.2Lowest MI: 50.4%
Bear Creek Township and Springvale Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 9.9%Highest MI: 13.2% 3.2%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 64%Lowest MI: 73.2% 97.2%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1987Lowest 15 yrs newer than MI 1991Highest 19 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 19% below MI 26 minHighest 7% above MI
Work from home 7.8%±3Highest MI: 13.5% 5.6%±3Lowest MI: 13.5%
Bear Creek Township and Springvale Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 13.6%Highest 1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.3 miLowest 10.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.09Highest 0.18Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Petoskey (28%)Petoskey (22%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Springvale Township12% work in Bear Creek Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.4%Highest 2.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 38.9 miLowest 83.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miLowest 1.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 15Highest 10Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 8.3Highest 1.6Lowest
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.

Bear Creek Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bear Creek Township’s Town Square.

Springvale Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Springvale Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Bear Creek Township and Springvale Township

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Bordering Bear Creek Township

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Petoskey5,856 people · $364K homes
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Melrose Township1,413 people · $263K homes
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Resort Township2,839 people · $395K homes
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Little Traverse Township2,650 people · $345K homes

Towns like Bear Creek Township

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Chelsea5,426 people · $313K homes
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Brighton7,688 people · $339K homes
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Frankenmuth5,157 people · $301K homes
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Marshall6,804 people · $174K 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.

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