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%

Beaver Township$1,000/mo

Typical home $168K (Census) · tax rate 0.89% · Housing →

Backus Township$1,010/mo

Typical home $168K (Census) · tax rate 0.90% · 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.

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.

Health

B+Beaver TownshipHealthier than 69% of U.S. towns –Backus TownshipNot graded

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

Beaver TownshipBackus Township

Snow a year75″66″

January low14°F 11°F

July high82°F 81°F

Growing season (days)137d 125d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)22nd 52nd

Outdoors & history

Beaver TownshipBackus Township

Trails4 mi 68 mi

Conserved land26.3%13.8%

Archive photos—3

Community

Beaver TownshipBackus Township

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.

Where they are

82 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Beaver TownshipNewaygo County Backus TownshipRoscommon County

Beaver Township ↔ Backus Township82 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.

Only big differences vs Michigan average

Beaver TownshipBackus Township

People

Population 463Highest 378Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -9% MI: +2% —

Median age 50.5±6.7Lowest 26% above MI 53.3±6.7Highest 33% above MI

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

Kids under 18 23.3%±4.3Highest MI: 21.2% 8.2%±4.9Lowest MI: 21.2%

Age 65+ 29.6%±6.1Highest MI: 18.6% 28.6%±4.9Lowest MI: 18.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.6%Highest MI: 32.4% 15.3%Lowest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.1%±2.5Lowest MI: 6.1% 9%±8.4Highest MI: 6.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $50,469±$13kLowest 31% below MI $62,500±$15kHighest 14% below MI

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $167,600±$15kLowest 28% below MI $167,900±$40kHighest 28% below MI

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,486Lowest 49% below MI $1,513Highest 48% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent — 85.2%±79.6 MI: 50.4%

Below poverty line 10.4%Lowest MI: 13.2% 14.4%Highest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 88.3%Highest MI: 73.2% 84.1%Lowest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1969Lowest 3 yrs older than MI 1979Highest 7 yrs newer than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 35 minHighest 45% above MI 24 minLowest about the MI average

Work from home 3.8%±4.3Lowest MI: 13.5% 7.6%±6.5Highest MI: 13.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 1.3%Lowest 1.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 31.3 miHighest 27.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.06Lowest 0.85Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Big Rapids (8%)Denton Township (14%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Backus TownshipFew work in Beaver Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 26.3%Highest 13.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 4.0 miLowest 67.9 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 1.9 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.2Highest 1.0Lowest

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.

Beaver Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Beaver Township’s Town Square.

Backus Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Backus Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

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

Bordering Beaver Township

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Denver Township1,802 people · $115K homes

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Merrill Township525 people · $109K homes

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Leavitt Township955 people · $93K homes

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Troy Township183 people · $125K homes

Towns like Beaver Township

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Daggett Township575 people · $148K homes

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Burleigh Township577 people · $148K homes

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Sherman Township399 people · $187K homes

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Marion Township560 people · $126K 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.

Beaver Township vs Backus Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs about the same each month

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

82 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Beaver Township and Backus Township

Bordering Beaver Township

Towns like Beaver Township

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