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Ely Township vs Ishpeming Township

Next-door neighbors in Marquette County. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (2.8× in Ishpeming Township) and average commute (9 min in Ishpeming Township).

E ×
Ely Township, MIA small town of 1,843Marquette County · 1,843 people
×
Ishpeming Township, MIKnown for its schoolsMarquette County · 3,416 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.

Ely TownshipA small town of 1,843
Quiet strengthsEly Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Ely Township →
Ishpeming TownshipKnown for its schools
Schools#212 for schools in MIof 493 towns Outdoors#142 most trails in MI95 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 57%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Ishpeming 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 worker2.8×
Ishpeming Township is more of a job hub
Ishpeming Township 0.50Ely Township 0.18
Average commute9 min
Ishpeming Township has the shorter commute
Ely Township 31 minIshpeming Township 21 min
Bachelor’s degree++14.7 pts
More adults in Ishpeming Township have a degree
Ishpeming Township 34.4%Ely Township 19.7%
★ What stands out · Life in each

Ishpeming Township gets 79 more inches of snow a year

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
Ely TownshipIshpeming Township
Snow a year118″197″
January low2°F7°F
July high78°F76°F
Growing season (days)96d129d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)26th11th
Outdoors & history
Ely TownshipIshpeming Township
Trails102 mi95 mi
Conserved land5.6%1.5%
National Register places1—
Archive photos—30
Famous people born here—13
Community
Ely TownshipIshpeming 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.

Where they are

Ely Township and Ishpeming Township share a border

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

Ely TownshipIshpeming TownshipEly TownshipIshpeming Township
Ely Township ↔ Ishpeming Township15 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Who commutes between them
56 Ely Township residents work in Ishpeming Township (8.1% of its workers)
24 Ishpeming Township residents work in Ely Township (1.8% of its workers)
Work & commute in Ely Township →
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.

Schools
–Ely TownshipNot graded A−Ishpeming TownshipBetter than 83% of districts in the state
Health
C+Ely TownshipHealthier than 42% of U.S. towns BIshpeming TownshipHealthier than 57% of U.S. towns
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.

Ely Township$1,150/mo
Typical home $196K (Census) · tax rate 0.76% · Housing →
Ishpeming Township$1,210/mo
Typical home $206K (Census) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $797/mo · Housing →

The difference: $60 a month, about $700 a year, between Ishpeming Township and Ely 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.

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.

Ely TownshipIshpeming Township
People
Population 1,843Lowest 3,416Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2.7%Highest MI: +2% -3.4%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 39.7±5.2Lowest about the MI average 41.7±3.3Highest 4% above MI
Ishpeming Township and Ely Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 17.6%±2.1Lowest MI: 21.2% 20.3%±4.8Highest MI: 21.2%
Ishpeming Township and Ely Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.5%±3.8Highest MI: 18.6% 19.1%±3.9Lowest MI: 18.6%
Ely Township and Ishpeming Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.7%Lowest MI: 32.4% 34.4%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.9%±2.9Lowest MI: 6.1% 8.5%±4.1Highest MI: 6.1%
Ishpeming Township and Ely Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $100,104±$13kHighest 37% above MI $94,271±$26kLowest 29% above MI
Ely Township and Ishpeming Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $196,300±$19kLowest 15% below MI $206,400±$18kHighest 11% below MI
Ishpeming Township and Ely Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly — $797±$353 29% below MI
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,496Lowest 48% below MI $1,550Highest 47% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 0%±81.5Lowest MI: 50.4% 8.8%±22.6Highest MI: 50.4%
Ishpeming Township and Ely Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 5%Highest MI: 13.2% 4.3%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 96.1%Highest MI: 73.2% 90.8%Lowest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1973 1 yr newer than MI 1973 1 yr newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 31 minHighest 26% above MI 21 minLowest 12% below MI
Work from home 2.8%±1.2Lowest MI: 13.5% 6.8%±3.6Highest MI: 13.5%
Ishpeming Township and Ely Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 2.2%Lowest 6.4%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miHighest 14.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.18Lowest 0.50Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Ishpeming (32%)Marquette (28%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 8% work in Ishpeming Township2% work in Ely Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5.6%Highest 1.5%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 102.1 miHighest 94.7 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miLowest 1.0 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 4Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.3Lowest 1.8Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#212 of 493 in MI
School district —NICE Community School District
High school in town —Westwood High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 16.7
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.

Ely Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ely Township’s Town Square.

Ishpeming Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ishpeming Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Ely Township and Ishpeming Township

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Bordering Ely Township

T
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Tilden Township1,124 people · $143K homes
H
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Humboldt Township448 people · $161K homes
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Champion Township154 people · $95K homes
W
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West Branch Township49 people · $170K homes

Towns like Ely Township

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Maple Valley Township2,047 people · $171K homes
W
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Wakeshma Township1,521 people · $202K homes
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Garfield Township2,543 people · $251K homes
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Pickford Township1,674 people · $167K 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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