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Compare towns

Clare vs Gladwin

17 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+64% in Clare) and rent (+31% in Clare).

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Clare, MIHomes around $228KMichigan · 3,324 people
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Gladwin, MIHomes around $200KMichigan · 3,098 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.

ClareHomes around $228K
Housing$228K typical home14% below the MI typical home Work1,931 jobsbased in Clare, a regional job hub Outdoors#218 most walkable in MI1.2 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves All about Clare →
GladwinHomes around $200K
Housing$200K typical home25% below the MI typical home Work2,155 jobsbased in Gladwin, a regional job hub Outdoors#140 most walkable in MI0.6 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves All about Gladwin →
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.

Property tax bill+64%
Tax bills are bigger in Clare
Clare $2,734Gladwin $1,670
Rent+31%
Rent runs higher in Clare
Clare $822Gladwin $628
Trails2×
Clare has more miles of trail
Clare 1.2 miGladwin 0.6 mi
Average commute7 min
Gladwin has the shorter commute
Clare 27 minGladwin 20 min
Street grid+52%
Gladwin has the more walkable street grid
Gladwin 61.5Clare 40.4
Work in town+8.6 pts
More of Gladwin’s workers stay in town
Gladwin 25.2%Clare 16.6%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Gladwin places higher on 13 of 20 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−GladwinSafer than 19% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−ClareBetter than 54% of districts in the state B+GladwinBetter than 66% of districts in the state
Health
DClareHealthier than 12% of U.S. towns DGladwinHealthier than 13% of U.S. towns
3Clare
13Gladwin

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 723 towns #471#112 Lowest property taxCost of living · 723 towns #373#75 SafestSafety · 255 towns #117#207 Most remote workersWork · 714 towns #301#102 Most educatedPeople · 723 towns #471#639 Most conserved landOutdoors · 712 towns #476#326 Highest graduation rateSchools · 540 towns #367#256 Cheapest rentCost of living · 687 towns #110#14

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 $310 more a month in Clare

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.

Clare$1,580/mo
Typical home $228K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.03% · or rent about $822/mo · Housing →
Gladwin$1,260/mo
Typical home $200K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.32% · or rent about $628/mo · Housing →

The difference: $310 a month, about $3,800 a year, between Clare and Gladwin.

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.

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
ClareGladwin
Snow a year49″49″
January low13°F13°F
July high82°F82°F
Growing season (days)148d148d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)14th9th
Outdoors & history
ClareGladwin
Trails1 mi1 mi
Conserved land2.6%4.8%
Settled18701875
National Register places2—
Archive photos—7
Famous people born here—4
Community
ClareGladwin
Library hours a week46 hrs44 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.

Where they are

17 miles apart

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

ClareGladwinClareGladwin
Clare ↔ Gladwin17 miles apart
Who commutes between them
17 Clare residents work in Gladwin (1.5% of its workers)
14 Gladwin residents work in Clare (1.4% of its workers)
Work & commute in Clare →
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.

ClareGladwin
People
Population 3,324Highest 3,098Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.4%Lowest MI: +2% +4.6%Highest MI: +2%
Median age 43.9±4.7Lowest 9% above MI 47±12.8Highest 17% above MI
Gladwin and Clare are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.2%±5.5Lowest MI: 21.2% 22%±4.7Highest MI: 21.2%
Gladwin and Clare 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% 25.2%±5.9Highest MI: 18.6%
Gladwin 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% 14.6%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 8.4%±4Highest MI: 6.1% 0.8%±1.3Lowest MI: 6.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $41,226±$11kLowest 43% below MI $43,005±$14kHighest 41% below MI
Gladwin 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 $126,900±$23kLowest 45% below MI
Clare and Gladwin 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 $628±$110Lowest 44% below MI
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,734Highest 6% below MI $1,670Lowest 42% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 39.5%±16.5Highest MI: 50.4% 35.6%±13Lowest MI: 50.4%
Clare and Gladwin 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% 17.4%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 59.3%Highest MI: 73.2% 52.3%Lowest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1966Highest 6 yrs older than MI 1965Lowest 7 yrs older than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minHighest 10% above MI 20 minLowest 19% below MI
Work from home 11.5%±7.4Lowest MI: 13.5% 17.8%±9.3Highest MI: 13.5%
Gladwin and Clare are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 16.6%Lowest 25.2%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miLowest 26.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.72Lowest 2.21Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Mount Pleasant (10%)Midland (9%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Gladwin1% work in Clare
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.6%Lowest 4.8%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 1.2 miHighest 0.6 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Highest 4Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 40.4Lowest 61.5Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #295 of 493 in MI#303 of 493 in MI
School district Clare Public SchoolsGladwin Community Schools
High school in town Clare High SchoolGladwin High School
Students per teacherat that high school 19.0Lowest 24.1Highest
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.

Gladwin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Gladwin’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Clare and Gladwin

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

Bordering Clare

G
+ Compare
Grant Township3,416 people · $156K homes
V
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Vernon Township1,271 people · $204K homes

Towns like Clare

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Caro4,290 people · $103K homes
B
+ Compare
Bad Axe2,992 people · $125K homes
+ Compare
Cheboygan4,820 people · $123K homes
K
+ Compare
Kalkaska2,539 people · $156K 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.

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