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Edwards Township vs Nester Township

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (25.8× in Nester Township) and street grid (7.7× in Edwards Township).

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Edwards Township, MIOne of the healthiest townsOgemaw County · 1,398 people
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Nester Township, MIAn outdoors townRoscommon County · 183 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.

Edwards TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health79% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Edwards Township →
Nester TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors57.2% conserved land147 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Nester Township →
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.

Trails25.8×
Nester Township has more miles of trail
Nester Township 147.2 miEdwards Township 5.7 mi
Street grid7.7×
Edwards Township has the more walkable street grid
Edwards Township 2.3Nester Township 0.3
Jobs per worker7.5×
Edwards Township is more of a job hub
Edwards Township 0.15Nester Township 0.02
Conserved land+57.1 pts
Nester Township has more conserved land
Nester Township 57.2%Edwards Township 0.1%
Size7.6×
Edwards Township is the bigger place
Edwards Township 1,398Nester Township 183
Average commute26 min
Edwards Township has the shorter commute
Nester Township 46 minEdwards Township 19 min
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $310 more a month in Edwards 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.

Edwards Township$1,130/mo
Typical home $188K (Census) · tax rate 0.90% · or rent about $775/mo · Housing →
Nester Township$810/mo
Typical home $132K (Census) · tax rate 1.11% · Housing →

The difference: $310 a month, about $3,700 a year, between Edwards Township and Nester 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

Edwards Township and Nester Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Edwards TownshipNester TownshipEdwards TownshipNester Township
Edwards Township ↔ Nester Township7.4 miles apart · They share a border
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−Edwards TownshipHealthier than 21% of U.S. towns –Nester TownshipNot graded
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
Edwards TownshipNester Township
Snow a year53″49″
January low10°F13°F
July high80°F82°F
Growing season (days)143d148d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)30th52nd
Outdoors & history
Edwards TownshipNester Township
Trails6 mi147 mi
Conserved land0.1%57.2%
National Register places—1
Archive photos—4
Community
Edwards TownshipNester 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.

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.

Edwards TownshipNester Township
People
Population 1,398Highest 183Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -3.7% MI: +2% —
Median age 53.7±9.5Lowest 34% above MI 64±3.9Highest 59% above MI
Nester Township and Edwards Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 18.4%±4.6Highest MI: 21.2% 3.3%±12.4Lowest MI: 21.2%
Edwards Township and Nester Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 34.4%±5.4Lowest MI: 18.6% 47%±22.4Highest MI: 18.6%
Nester Township and Edwards Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.3%Highest MI: 32.4% 14%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.9%±0.7Highest MI: 6.1% 0%±8.5Lowest MI: 6.1%
Edwards Township and Nester Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $72,431±$12kHighest about the MI average $63,750±$44kLowest 13% below MI
Edwards Township and Nester Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $188,000±$29kHighest 19% below MI $132,100±$54kLowest 43% below MI
Edwards Township and Nester Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $775±$110 31% below MI —
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,685Highest 42% below MI $1,461Lowest 50% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 12.5%±100 MI: 50.4% —
Below poverty line 4.8%Lowest MI: 13.2% 10.9%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 96.5%Lowest MI: 73.2% 97.7%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977Lowest 5 yrs newer than MI 1986Highest 14 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 20% below MI 46 minHighest 88% above MI
Work from home 10.4%±4.1Highest MI: 13.5% 4.4%±8.4Lowest MI: 13.5%
Edwards Township and Nester Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1.6%Highest 0%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 38.3 miLowest 44.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.15Highest 0.02Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town West Branch (17%)Denton Township (15%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Nester TownshipFew work in Edwards Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.1%Lowest 57.2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 5.7 miLowest 147.2 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 2.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 2.3Highest 0.3Lowest
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.

Edwards Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Edwards Township’s Town Square.

Nester Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Nester Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Edwards Township

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Horton Township783 people · $164K homes
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Ogemaw Township1,126 people · $207K homes
C
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Clement Township913 people · $177K homes

Towns like Edwards Township

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Mills Township1,695 people · $180K homes
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Masonville Township1,538 people · $166K homes
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Riga Township1,079 people · $200K homes
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Rose Lake Township1,386 people · $175K 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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