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.

Report cards

Cheboygan 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

BClareSafer than 58% of U.S. towns C+CheboyganSafer than 35% of U.S. towns

Schools

B−ClareBetter than 54% of districts in the state BCheboyganBetter than 57% of districts in the state

Health

DClareHealthier than 12% of U.S. towns DCheboyganHealthier than 14% of U.S. towns

6Clare

13Cheboygan

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

Most remote workersWork · 714 towns #301#650 Fastest growingGrowth · 723 towns #228#543 Lowest property taxCost of living · 723 towns #373#108 Most conserved landOutdoors · 712 towns #476#239 Shortest commuteGetting around · 723 towns #471#245 Highest graduation rateSchools · 540 towns #367#256 SafestSafety · 255 towns #117#164 Most trailsOutdoors · 601 towns #353#256

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

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.

Down paymentRate%

Clare$1,580/mo

Typical home $228K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.03% · or rent about $822/mo · Housing →

Cheboygan$1,440/mo

Typical home $223K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.46% · or rent about $683/mo · Housing →

The difference: $140 a month, about $1,700 a year, between Clare and Cheboygan.

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

126 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ClareMI CheboyganMI

Clare ↔ Cheboygan126 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

ClareCheboygan

People

Population 3,324Lowest 4,820Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.4%Highest MI: +2% -2%Lowest MI: +2%

Median age 43.9±4.7Highest 9% above MI 43.3±5.3Lowest 8% above MI

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

Kids under 18 20.2%±5.5Highest MI: 21.2% 16.4%±2.8Lowest MI: 21.2%

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

Age 65+ 23.1%±5.4Lowest MI: 18.6% 24%±4.5Highest MI: 18.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.9%Highest MI: 32.4% 18.8%Lowest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.4%±4Highest MI: 6.1% 4.3%±1.6Lowest MI: 6.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $41,226±$11kLowest 43% below MI $42,290±$7kHighest 42% below MI

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $134,600±$31kHighest 42% below MI $123,200±$18kLowest 47% below MI

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $822±$64Highest 27% below MI $683±$77Lowest 40% below MI

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,734Highest 6% below MI $1,800Lowest 38% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 39.5%±16.5Lowest MI: 50.4% 44.4%±16.2Highest MI: 50.4%

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

Below poverty line 18.9%Highest MI: 13.2% 14.9%Lowest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 59.3%Lowest MI: 73.2% 66.9%Highest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1966Highest 6 yrs older than MI 1959Lowest 13 yrs older than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minHighest 10% above MI 22 minLowest 7% below MI

Work from home 11.5%±7.4Highest MI: 13.5% 4.3%±2.6Lowest MI: 13.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 16.6%Lowest 24.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miLowest 28.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.72Highest 1.26Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Mount Pleasant (10%)Inverness Township (5%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in CheboyganFew work in Clare

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.6%Lowest 6.6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 1.2 miLowest 4.1 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.6 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Lowest 16Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 40.4Lowest 40.6Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #295 of 493 in MI #231 of 493 in MI

School district Clare Public SchoolsCheboygan Area Schools

High school in town Clare High SchoolCheboygan Area High School

Students per teacherat that high school 19.0Highest 15.5Lowest

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.

Clare neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Clare’s Town Square.

Cheboygan neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Cheboygan’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Clare and Cheboygan

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

Bordering Clare

+ Compare

Grant Township3,416 people · $156K homes

+ Compare

Vernon Township1,271 people · $204K homes

Towns like Clare

+ Compare

Caro4,290 people · $103K homes

+ Compare

Bad Axe2,992 people · $125K homes

+ Compare

Kalkaska2,539 people · $156K homes

+ Compare

Hart1,924 people · $141K 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.

Clare vs Cheboygan

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

Cheboygan gets 39 more inches of snow a year

Cheboygan places higher on 13 of 21 MI lists

A typical home costs about the same each month

126 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Clare and Cheboygan

Bordering Clare

Towns like Clare

Post to Clare

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