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Cascade Township vs Ada Township

Next-door neighbors in Kent County. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (3.5× in Cascade Township) and work from home (+9.5 pts in Cascade Township).

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Cascade Township, MIA regional job hubKent County · 19,864 people
A ×
Ada Township, MIHomes around $666KKent County · 14,524 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.

Cascade TownshipA regional job hub
Work31,801 jobsbased in Cascade Township, a regional job hub Schools#24 for schools in MIof 493 towns HealthHealthier than 92%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Cascade Township →
Ada TownshipHomes around $666K
Housing$666K typical home150% above the MI typical home Schools#8 for schools in MIof 493 towns HealthHealthier than 97%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Ada 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.

Jobs per worker3.5×
Cascade Township is more of a job hub
Cascade Township 3.95Ada Township 1.14
Work from home+9.5 pts
More people work from home in Cascade Township
Cascade Township 26.7%Ada Township 17.2%
Growth since 2010+5.3 pts
Cascade Township has grown faster since 2010
Cascade Township +14.8%Ada Township +9.5%
Street grid+52%
Cascade Township has the more walkable street grid
Cascade Township 21.1Ada Township 13.9
Property tax bill+16%
Tax bills are bigger in Ada Township
Ada Township $5,831Cascade Township $5,028
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,190 more a month in Ada 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.

Cascade Township$2,900/mo
Typical home $473K (Census) · tax rate 1.06% · or rent about $2,277/mo · Housing →
Ada Township$4,090/mo
Typical home $666K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.07% · or rent about $2,139/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,190 a month, about $14,300 a year, between Ada Township and Cascade 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

Cascade Township and Ada Township share a border

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

Cascade TownshipAda TownshipCascade TownshipAda Township
Cascade Township ↔ Ada Township5.8 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Who commutes between them
517 Ada Township residents work in Cascade Township (8.4% of its workers)
357 Cascade Township residents work in Ada Township (4.4% of its workers)
Work & commute in Ada Township →
Report cards

Ada Township places higher on 12 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+Cascade TownshipBetter than 96% of districts in the state A+Ada TownshipBetter than 96% of districts in the state
Health
ACascade TownshipHealthier than 92% of U.S. towns A+Ada TownshipHealthier than 97% of U.S. towns
6Cascade Township
12Ada Township

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

Most conserved landOutdoors · 712 towns #362#126 Most remote workersWork · 714 towns #18#111 Most trailsOutdoors · 601 towns #225#179 Most activeHealth · 723 towns #48#13 Fastest growingGrowth · 723 towns #56#90 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 723 towns #50#17 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 723 towns #216#185 Most walkableOutdoors · 723 towns #281#309

Left end = #1 in Michigan. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Cascade 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
Cascade TownshipAda Township
Snow a year78″66″
January low19°F—
July high83°F—
Growing season (days)174d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)17th29th
Outdoors & history
Cascade TownshipAda Township
Trails23 mi31 mi
Conserved land4%10.2%
National Register places21
Archive photos—15
Famous people born here—5
Community
Cascade TownshipAda Township
Library hours a week59 hrs46 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.

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.

Cascade TownshipAda Township
People
Population 19,864Highest 14,524Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +14.8%Highest MI: +2% +9.5%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 43.2±1.8Highest 7% above MI 41.5±2.1Lowest 3% above MI
Cascade Township and Ada Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 28.6%±3.4Highest MI: 21.2% 28.1%±4.9Lowest MI: 21.2%
Cascade Township and Ada Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 18.8%±2.1Highest MI: 18.6% 15.6%±2.3Lowest MI: 18.6%
Cascade Township and Ada Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 67.7%Lowest MI: 32.4% 71.9%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.5%±0.7Lowest MI: 6.1% 4.3%±2.1Highest MI: 6.1%
Ada Township and Cascade Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $135,896±$15kLowest 86% above MI $168,468±$24kHighest 131% above MI
Ada Township and Cascade Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $472,500±$20kLowest 104% above MI $544,700±$58kHighest 135% above MI
Ada Township and Cascade Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,277±$323Highest 102% above MI $2,139±$360Lowest 89% above MI
Cascade Township and Ada Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $5,028Lowest 73% above MI $5,831Highest 101% above MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 52%±22.4Highest MI: 50.4% 38.6%±20.1Lowest MI: 50.4%
Cascade Township and Ada Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 4.6%Highest MI: 13.2% 2%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 90.7%Lowest MI: 73.2% 92.8%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1983Lowest 11 yrs newer than MI 1994Highest 22 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 20% below MI 20 minHighest 19% below MI
Work from home 26.7%±4.3Highest MI: 13.5% 17.2%±4Lowest MI: 13.5%
Work in townworking residents 13.9%Highest 9.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.3 miHighest 8.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 3.95Highest 1.14Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Grand Rapids (25%)Grand Rapids (25%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 4% work in Ada Township8% work in Cascade Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 4%Lowest 10.2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 23.0 miLowest 31.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miLowest 0.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Lowest 17Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 21.1Highest 13.9Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #24 of 493 in MI#8 of 493 in MI
School district West Michigan Aviation Academy · Forest Hills Public SchoolsForest Hills Public Schools
High school in town West Michigan Aviation AcademyCentral High School
Students per teacherat that high school 16.9Lowest 18.2Highest
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.

Cascade Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Cascade Township’s Town Square.

Ada Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ada Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Cascade Township

+ Compare
Kentwood54,296 people · $268K homes
+ Compare
Forest Hills28,695 people · $499K homes
+ Compare
Caledonia Township16,485 people · $383K homes
+ Compare
Lowell Township6,338 people · $322K homes

Towns like Cascade Township

+ Compare
Oakland Township20,339 people · $589K homes
G
+ Compare
Grosse Pointe Woods16,094 people · $342K homes
G
+ Compare
Grand Rapids Township19,053 people · $427K homes
C
+ Compare
Cannon Township14,450 people · $461K 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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