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Compare towns

Clio vs Bad Axe

57 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (4.1× in Bad Axe) and trails (3× in Bad Axe).

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Clio, MIOne of the healthiest townsMichigan · 2,185 people
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Bad Axe, MIHomes around $178KMichigan · 2,992 people
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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.

ClioOne of the healthiest towns
Health78% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates HistorySettled in 18372 places on the National Register All about Clio →
Bad AxeHomes around $178K
Housing$178K typical home33% below the MI typical home Health89% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Outdoors#172 most walkable in MI0.9 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves All about Bad Axe →
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 worker4.1×
Bad Axe is more of a job hub
Bad Axe 2.12Clio 0.52
Trails3×
Bad Axe has more miles of trail
Bad Axe 0.9 miClio 0.3 mi
Average commute12 min
Bad Axe has the shorter commute
Clio 33 minBad Axe 22 min
Work in town+22.6 pts
More of Bad Axe’s workers stay in town
Bad Axe 25.3%Clio 2.7%
Property tax bill+42%
Tax bills are bigger in Clio
Clio $2,596Bad Axe $1,834
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $360 more a month in Clio

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.

Clio$1,510/mo
Typical home $222K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.88% · or rent about $790/mo · Housing →
Bad Axe$1,150/mo
Typical home $178K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.46% · or rent about $742/mo · Housing →

The difference: $360 a month, about $4,400 a year, between Clio and Bad Axe.

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.

Safety
B−ClioSafer than 45% of U.S. towns B−Bad AxeSafer than 49% of U.S. towns
Schools
BClioBetter than 55% of districts in the state B−Bad AxeBetter than 48% of districts in the state
Health
C−ClioHealthier than 22% of U.S. towns DBad AxeHealthier than 11% of U.S. towns
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
ClioBad Axe
Snow a year40″43″
January low16°F13°F
July high82°F80°F
Growing season (days)162d152d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)13th7th
Outdoors & history
ClioBad Axe
Trails0 mi1 mi
Conserved land3%3%
Settled18371870
National Register places2—
Archive photos510
Famous people born here46
Community
ClioBad Axe
Library hours a week—48 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

57 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ClioMIBad AxeMI
Clio ↔ Bad Axe57 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.

ClioBad Axe
People
Population 2,185Lowest 2,992Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.6%Lowest MI: +2% -3.5%Highest MI: +2%
Median age 47.9±9.7Lowest 19% above MI 48.6±5.8Highest 21% above MI
Bad Axe and Clio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 19.5%±6.5Highest MI: 21.2% 16.7%±4.3Lowest MI: 21.2%
Clio and Bad Axe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 23.5%±5.1Lowest MI: 18.6% 26.4%±5.2Highest MI: 18.6%
Bad Axe and Clio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.1%Highest MI: 32.4% 22.1%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2%±3Highest MI: 6.1% 0%±0.5Lowest MI: 6.1%
Clio and Bad Axe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $52,500±$6kHighest 28% below MI $44,688±$11kLowest 39% below MI
Clio and Bad Axe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $138,200±$27kHighest 40% below MI $125,200±$12kLowest 46% below MI
Clio and Bad Axe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $790±$112Highest 30% below MI $742±$86Lowest 34% below MI
Clio and Bad Axe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,596Highest 11% below MI $1,834Lowest 37% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.6%±15.9Lowest MI: 50.4% 51.7%±18.2Highest MI: 50.4%
Bad Axe and Clio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 20%Lowest MI: 13.2% 20.2%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 54.5%Lowest MI: 73.2% 57.4%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1972Highest same as MI 1961Lowest 11 yrs older than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 33 minHighest 36% above MI 22 minLowest 11% below MI
Work from home 3.9%±3.3Lowest MI: 13.5% 8%±5.9Highest MI: 13.5%
Bad Axe and Clio are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 2.7%Lowest 25.3%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.3 miHighest 13.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.52Lowest 2.12Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Flint (10%)Colfax Township (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Bad AxeFew work in Clio
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3% 3%
Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miLowest 0.9 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miLowest 0.4 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 3Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 67.5Highest 52.9Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#283 of 493 in MI
School district Clio Area School DistrictBad Axe Public Schools
High school in town None in townBad Axe High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 12.2
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.

Clio neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Clio’s Town Square.

Bad Axe neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bad Axe’s Town Square.

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Towns like Clio

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Clare3,324 people · $135K homes
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St. Ignace2,463 people · $132K 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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