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.

Down paymentRate%

Forest Township$760/mo

Typical home $129K (Census) · tax rate 0.82% · or rent about $675/mo · Housing →

Meyer Township$700/mo

Typical home $116K (Census) · tax rate 0.92% · or rent about $579/mo · Housing →

The difference: $70 a month, about $800 a year, between Forest Township and Meyer 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.

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

–Forest TownshipNot graded B+Meyer TownshipBetter than 66% of districts in the state

Health

DForest TownshipHealthier than 12% of U.S. towns CMeyer TownshipHealthier than 30% 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

Forest TownshipMeyer Township

Snow a year87″70″

January low12°F —

July high80°F —

Growing season (days)135d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th 12th

Outdoors & history

Forest TownshipMeyer Township

Trails84 mi 64 mi

Conserved land49.1%0%

National Register places—1

Community

Forest TownshipMeyer Township

Library hours a week—16 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

164 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Forest TownshipCheboygan County Meyer TownshipMenominee County

Forest Township ↔ Meyer Township164 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.

Only big differences vs Michigan average

Forest TownshipMeyer Township

People

Population 1,259Highest 1,073Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -6.5%Lowest MI: +2% -0.9%Highest MI: +2%

Median age 50.5±11.7Highest 26% above MI 48.7±4.7Lowest 21% above MI

Forest Township and Meyer Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 19.9%±5Lowest MI: 21.2% 20.2%±4.3Highest MI: 21.2%

Meyer Township and Forest Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 20.3%±5.4Lowest MI: 18.6% 24.6%±4.8Highest MI: 18.6%

Meyer Township and Forest Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 10.1%Highest MI: 32.4% 8.9%Lowest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.2%±1.8Highest MI: 6.1% 2.1%±1.5Lowest MI: 6.1%

Forest Township and Meyer Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $57,292±$15kLowest 21% below MI $65,568±$14kHighest 10% below MI

Meyer Township and Forest Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $128,800±$22kHighest 44% below MI $115,700±$21kLowest 50% below MI

Forest Township and Meyer Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $675±$329Highest 40% below MI $579±$284Lowest 49% below MI

Forest Township and Meyer Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,050Lowest 64% below MI $1,067Highest 63% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 7.1%±34.1Lowest MI: 50.4% 33%±39.7Highest MI: 50.4%

Meyer Township and Forest Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 23.5%Highest MI: 13.2% 8.2%Lowest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 77.5%Lowest MI: 73.2% 80.9%Highest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1983Highest 11 yrs newer than MI 1970Lowest 2 yrs older than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minLowest 9% above MI 31 minHighest 28% above MI

Work from home 10.3%±5.9Highest MI: 13.5% 9.6%±7.9Lowest MI: 13.5%

Forest Township and Meyer Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 1.5%Lowest 7.6%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 31.3 miHighest 20.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.42Lowest 0.71Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Petoskey (6%)Spalding Township (16%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Meyer TownshipFew work in Forest Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 49.1%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 83.8 miHighest 63.8 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miHighest 0.7 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.4Highest 0.7Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #412 of 493 in MI—

School district —North Central Area Schools

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.

Forest Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Forest Township’s Town Square.

Meyer Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Meyer Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Forest Township

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Allis Township973 people · $140K homes

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Waverly Township642 people · $125K homes

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Nunda Township976 people · $173K homes

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Walker Township496 people · $202K homes

Towns like Forest Township

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Batavia Township1,010 people · $133K homes

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Moscow Township1,269 people · $172K homes

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Wright Township1,570 people · $131K homes

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Mason Township930 people · $109K 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.

Forest Township vs Meyer Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs about the same each month

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

164 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Forest Township and Meyer Township

Bordering Forest Township

Towns like Forest Township

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