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Forest Township vs Waverly Township

Next-door neighbors in Cheboygan County. The biggest differences: conserved land (+39.2 pts in Forest Township) and seasonal homes (+18.2 pts in Waverly Township).

F ×
Forest Township, MIAn outdoors townCheboygan County · 1,259 people
W ×
Waverly Township, MIOne of the healthiest townsCheboygan County · 642 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.

Forest TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors#338 most conserved land in MI84 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves Health88% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Forest Township →
Waverly TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health72% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Waverly 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.

Conserved land+39.2 pts
Forest Township has more conserved land
Forest Township 49.1%Waverly Township 9.9%
Seasonal homes+18.2 pts
Waverly Township has more second homes
Waverly Township 41.9%Forest Township 23.7%
Homeowners+16.3 pts renters
Forest Township has more renters
Waverly Township 93.8%Forest Township 77.5%
Trails+61%
Waverly Township has more miles of trail
Waverly Township 134.6 miForest Township 83.8 mi
Average commute5 min
Waverly Township has the shorter commute
Forest Township 26 minWaverly Township 22 min
Property tax bill+17%
Tax bills are bigger in Waverly Township
Waverly Township $1,233Forest Township $1,050
★ What stands out · Report cards

Forest Township places higher on 9 of 19 MI lists

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
DForest TownshipHealthier than 12% of U.S. towns CWaverly TownshipHealthier than 28% of U.S. towns
9Forest Township
7Waverly Township

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 723 towns #666#93 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 723 towns #163#529 Most new homesHousing · 512 towns #403#187 Most conserved landOutdoors · 712 towns #338#546 Highest incomeIncome · 723 towns #439#268 Cheapest rentCost of living · 687 towns #252#403 Fastest growingGrowth · 723 towns #661#541 Highest graduation rateSchools · 540 towns #367#448

Left end = #1 in Michigan. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Forest Township’s rankings →

Where they are

Forest Township and Waverly Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Forest TownshipWaverly TownshipForest TownshipWaverly Township
Forest Township ↔ Waverly Township9.7 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
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.

Forest Township$760/mo
Typical home $129K (Census) · tax rate 0.82% · or rent about $675/mo · Housing →
Waverly Township$760/mo
Typical home $125K (Census) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $850/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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.

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 TownshipWaverly Township
Snow a year87″87″
January low12°F12°F
July high80°F80°F
Growing season (days)135d135d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th57th
Outdoors & history
Forest TownshipWaverly Township
Trails84 mi135 mi
Conserved land49.1%9.9%
Community
Forest TownshipWaverly 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.

Forest TownshipWaverly Township
People
Population 1,259Highest 642Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -6.5% MI: +2% —
Median age 50.5±11.7Highest 26% above MI 42.2±6.5Lowest 5% above MI
Forest Township and Waverly 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% 26.2%±6.1Highest MI: 21.2%
Waverly 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%±5.4Highest MI: 18.6% 13.1%±5.6Lowest MI: 18.6%
Forest Township and Waverly 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%Lowest MI: 32.4% 16.9%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.2%±1.8Lowest MI: 6.1% 5.3%±4.7Highest MI: 6.1%
Waverly Township and Forest 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 $67,375±$19kHighest 8% below MI
Waverly 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 $125,000±$50kLowest 46% below MI
Forest Township and Waverly Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $675±$329Lowest 40% below MI $850±$91Highest 25% below MI
Waverly Township and Forest 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 $1,233Highest 58% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 7.1%±34.1Highest MI: 50.4% 0%±100Lowest MI: 50.4%
Forest Township and Waverly 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% 19.9%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 77.5%Lowest MI: 73.2% 93.8%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1983 11 yrs newer than MI 1983 11 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 9% above MI 22 minLowest 11% below MI
Work from home 10.3%±5.9Lowest MI: 13.5% 11.5%±5.4Highest MI: 13.5%
Waverly Township and Forest Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1.5%Highest 0.8%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 31.3 miHighest 30.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.42Highest 0.33Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Petoskey (6%)Cheboygan (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Waverly TownshipFew work in Forest Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 49.1%Highest 9.9%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 83.8 miLowest 134.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miLowest 2.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.4Highest 1.0Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #412 of 493 in MI—
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.

Waverly Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Waverly Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Forest Township

A
+ Compare
Allis Township973 people · $140K homes
N
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Nunda Township976 people · $173K homes
W
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Walker Township496 people · $202K homes
M
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Montmorency Township1,282 people · $214K homes

Towns like Forest Township

+ Compare
Meyer Township1,073 people · $116K homes
B
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Batavia Township1,010 people · $133K homes
M
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Moscow Township1,269 people · $172K homes
W
+ Compare
Wright Township1,570 people · $131K 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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