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Excelsior Township vs Orange Township

125 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (69.2× in Excelsior Township) and jobs per worker (4.6× in Orange Township).

E ×
Excelsior Township, MIOne of the healthiest townsKalkaska County · 1,046 people
O ×
Orange Township, MIA small town of 1,170Ionia County · 1,170 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.

Excelsior TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health79% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 33%of MI districts Outdoors13.7% conserved land42 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves All about Excelsior Township →
Orange TownshipA small town of 1,170
Quiet strengthsOrange Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Orange 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.

Trails69.2×
Excelsior Township has more miles of trail
Excelsior Township 41.5 miOrange Township 0.6 mi
Jobs per worker4.6×
Orange Township is more of a job hub
Orange Township 0.79Excelsior Township 0.17
Seasonal homes+20.3 pts
Excelsior Township has more second homes
Excelsior Township 23.6%Orange Township 3.3%
Average commute9 min
Orange Township has the shorter commute
Excelsior Township 31 minOrange Township 22 min
Property tax bill+35%
Tax bills are bigger in Orange Township
Orange Township $2,034Excelsior Township $1,509
Work from home+7.1 pts
More people work from home in Orange Township
Orange Township 11.4%Excelsior Township 4.3%
★ What stands out · Life in each

Excelsior Township gets 78 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
Excelsior TownshipOrange Township
Snow a year132″54″
January low11°F16°F
July high79°F81°F
Growing season (days)128d161d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)12th28th
Outdoors & history
Excelsior TownshipOrange Township
Trails42 mi—
Conserved land13.7%—
Settled1875—
Community
Excelsior TownshipOrange 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.

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
CExcelsior TownshipBetter than 33% of districts in the state –Orange TownshipNot graded
Health
C−Excelsior TownshipHealthier than 21% of U.S. towns B−Orange TownshipHealthier than 48% of U.S. towns
Monthly cost

A typical home costs $190 more a month in Orange 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.

Excelsior Township$1,240/mo
Typical home $212K (Census) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $850/mo · Housing →
Orange Township$1,430/mo
Typical home $240K (Census) · tax rate 0.85% · or rent about $1,133/mo · Housing →

The difference: $190 a month, about $2,300 a year, between Orange Township and Excelsior 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

125 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Excelsior TownshipKalkaska CountyOrange TownshipIonia County
Excelsior Township ↔ Orange Township125 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.

Excelsior TownshipOrange Township
People
Population 1,046Lowest 1,170Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4%Highest MI: +2% +2.5%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 35.3±5.2Highest 12% below MI 34.3±6.3Lowest 15% below MI
Excelsior Township and Orange Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22.7%±3.1Highest MI: 21.2% 20.4%±2.5Lowest MI: 21.2%
Excelsior Township and Orange Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 21.2%±2.3Highest MI: 18.6% 16.9%±5.3Lowest MI: 18.6%
Excelsior Township and Orange Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14.2%Lowest MI: 32.4% 16%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±2.1Lowest MI: 6.1% 7.7%±5.6Highest MI: 6.1%
Orange Township and Excelsior Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $66,250±$9kLowest 9% below MI $91,667±$28kHighest 26% above MI
Orange Township and Excelsior Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $212,300±$19kLowest 8% below MI $240,200±$13kHighest 4% above MI
Orange Township and Excelsior Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $850±$482Lowest 25% below MI $1,133±$101Highest about the MI average
Orange Township and Excelsior Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,509Lowest 48% below MI $2,034Highest 30% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.5%±70.3Highest MI: 50.4% 22.9%±44.8Lowest MI: 50.4%
Excelsior Township and Orange Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 12.5%Highest MI: 13.2% 7.4%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 90.6%Highest MI: 73.2% 87.5%Lowest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1983Highest 11 yrs newer than MI 1972Lowest same as MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 31 minHighest 28% above MI 22 minLowest 10% below MI
Work from home 4.3%±1.8Lowest MI: 13.5% 11.4%±2.3Highest MI: 13.5%
Work in townworking residents 0.6%Lowest 0.7%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 26.8 miHighest 23.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.17Lowest 0.79Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Kalkaska Township (27%)Ionia (14%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Orange TownshipFew work in Excelsior Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 13.7%Highest 0.6%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 41.5 miHighest 0.6 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.5Highest 1.3Lowest
Schools
School district Excelsior Township S/D #1—
High school in town None in town—
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.

Excelsior Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Excelsior Township’s Town Square.

Orange Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Orange Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Excelsior Township

O
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Oliver Township300 people · $148K homes
K
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Kalkaska Township5,101 people · $174K homes
C
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Coldsprings Township1,594 people · $189K homes
B
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Bear Lake Township736 people · $189K homes

Towns like Excelsior Township

L
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Leonidas Township1,036 people · $209K homes
M
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Maple Valley Township1,309 people · $221K homes
G
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Garfield Township1,009 people · $183K homes
W
+ Compare
Woodbridge Township1,186 people · $160K 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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