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Bethany Township vs Elbridge Township

85 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (11.9× in Elbridge Township) and jobs per worker (4.5× in Bethany Township).

B ×
Bethany Township, MIOne of the healthiest townsGratiot County · 1,162 people
E ×
Elbridge Township, MIA small town of 981Oceana County · 981 people
Swap order
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.

Bethany TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health80% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Bethany Township →
Elbridge TownshipA small town of 981
Quiet strengthsElbridge Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Elbridge Township →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

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

Trails11.9×
Elbridge Township has more miles of trail
Elbridge Township 17.8 miBethany Township 1.5 mi
Jobs per worker4.5×
Bethany Township is more of a job hub
Bethany Township 0.77Elbridge Township 0.17
Growth since 2010+23.1 pts
Bethany Township has grown faster since 2010
Bethany Township +26%Elbridge Township +2.9%
Work from home+11.8 pts
More people work from home in Elbridge Township
Elbridge Township 16.5%Bethany Township 4.7%
Property tax bill+33%
Tax bills are bigger in Bethany Township
Bethany Township $1,800Elbridge Township $1,356
★ What stands out · Life in each

Elbridge Township gets 35 more inches of snow a year

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
Bethany TownshipElbridge Township
Snow a year39″75″
January low15°F14°F
July high82°F82°F
Growing season (days)164d137d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)49th21st
Outdoors & history
Bethany TownshipElbridge Township
Trails2 mi18 mi
Conserved land0.5%1.2%
Settled1858—
Community
Bethany TownshipElbridge 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.

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.

Bethany Township$1,050/mo
Typical home $172K (Census) · tax rate 1.04% · or rent about $875/mo · Housing →
Elbridge Township$1,200/mo
Typical home $208K (Census) · tax rate 0.65% · or rent about $763/mo · Housing →

The difference: $150 a month, about $1,800 a year, between Elbridge Township and Bethany 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.

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
C−Bethany TownshipHealthier than 20% of U.S. towns –Elbridge TownshipNot graded
Where they are

85 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Bethany TownshipGratiot CountyElbridge TownshipOceana County
Bethany Township ↔ Elbridge Township85 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.

Bethany TownshipElbridge Township
People
Population 1,162Highest 981Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +26%Highest MI: +2% +2.9%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 49.6±6.9 23% above MI 49.6±4.3 23% above MI
Kids under 18 19.8%±4.3Lowest MI: 21.2% 21.3%±4.3Highest MI: 21.2%
Elbridge Township and Bethany Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 23.8%±4Highest MI: 18.6% 23.1%±8.4Lowest MI: 18.6%
Bethany Township and Elbridge Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.4%Lowest MI: 32.4% 18.9%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3%±1.8Highest MI: 6.1% 2.4%±1.8Lowest MI: 6.1%
Bethany Township and Elbridge Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $80,461±$16kLowest 10% above MI $80,833±$30kHighest 11% above MI
Elbridge Township and Bethany Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $172,400±$25kLowest 26% below MI $207,500±$43kHighest 10% below MI
Elbridge Township and Bethany Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $875±$111Highest 22% below MI $763±$143Lowest 32% below MI
Bethany Township and Elbridge Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,800Highest 38% below MI $1,356Lowest 53% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 34.4%±52.5Highest MI: 50.4% 23.1%±100Lowest MI: 50.4%
Bethany Township and Elbridge Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 3.8%Lowest MI: 13.2% 14.9%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 92.3%Lowest MI: 73.2% 95.7%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1966Lowest 6 yrs older than MI 1973Highest 1 yr newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 3% below MI 21 minLowest 13% below MI
Work from home 4.7%±2.1Lowest MI: 13.5% 16.5%±8.2Highest MI: 13.5%
Work in townworking residents 3.1%Highest 0.5%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miLowest 20.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.77Highest 0.17Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Alma (18%)Hart (13%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Elbridge TownshipFew work in Bethany Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.5%Lowest 1.2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.5 miLowest 17.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 3Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 2.1Highest 1.8Lowest
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.

Bethany Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bethany Township’s Town Square.

Elbridge Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elbridge Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Bethany Township

+ Compare
St. Louis7,367 people · $119K homes
E
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Emerson Township751 people · $184K homes
J
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Jasper Township927 people · $162K homes
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Wheeler Township2,591 people · $115K homes

Towns like Bethany Township

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Wheatland Township1,334 people · $183K homes
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Watertown Township1,163 people · $175K homes
E
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Ellington Township1,146 people · $173K homes
O
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Ogemaw Township1,126 people · $207K 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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