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.

Safety

C−GladwinSafer than 19% of U.S. towns BClareSafer than 58% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+GladwinBetter than 66% of districts in the state B−ClareBetter than 54% of districts in the state

Health

DGladwinHealthier than 13% of U.S. towns DClareHealthier than 12% of U.S. towns

13Gladwin

3Clare

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 723 towns #112#471 Lowest property taxCost of living · 723 towns #75#373 SafestSafety · 255 towns #207#117 Most remote workersWork · 714 towns #102#301 Most educatedPeople · 723 towns #639#471 Most conserved landOutdoors · 712 towns #326#476 Highest graduation rateSchools · 540 towns #256#367 Cheapest rentCost of living · 687 towns #14#110

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $310 more a month in Clare

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%

Gladwin$1,260/mo

Typical home $200K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.32% · or rent about $628/mo · Housing →

Clare$1,580/mo

Typical home $228K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.03% · or rent about $822/mo · Housing →

The difference: $310 a month, about $3,800 a year, between Clare and Gladwin.

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

GladwinClare

Snow a year49″49″

January low13°F 13°F

July high82°F 82°F

Growing season (days)148d 148d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)9th 14th

Outdoors & history

GladwinClare

Trails1 mi 1 mi

Conserved land4.8%2.6%

Settled1875 1870

National Register places—2

Archive photos7 —

Famous people born here4 —

Community

GladwinClare

Library hours a week44 hrs 46 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

17 miles apart

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

GladwinClare

Gladwin ↔ Clare17 miles apart

Who commutes between them

17 Clare residents work in Gladwin (1.5% of its workers)

14 Gladwin residents work in Clare (1.4% of its workers)

Work & commute in Clare →

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

GladwinClare

People

Population 3,098Lowest 3,324Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.6%Highest MI: +2% +4.4%Lowest MI: +2%

Median age 47±12.8Highest 17% above MI 43.9±4.7Lowest 9% above MI

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

Kids under 18 22%±4.7Highest MI: 21.2% 20.2%±5.5Lowest MI: 21.2%

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

Age 65+ 25.2%±5.9Highest MI: 18.6% 23.1%±5.4Lowest MI: 18.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14.6%Lowest MI: 32.4% 21.9%Highest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.8%±1.3Lowest MI: 6.1% 8.4%±4Highest MI: 6.1%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $43,005±$14kHighest 41% below MI $41,226±$11kLowest 43% below MI

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $126,900±$23kLowest 45% below MI $134,600±$31kHighest 42% below MI

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $628±$110Lowest 44% below MI $822±$64Highest 27% below MI

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,670Lowest 42% below MI $2,734Highest 6% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 35.6%±13Lowest MI: 50.4% 39.5%±16.5Highest MI: 50.4%

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

Below poverty line 17.4%Lowest MI: 13.2% 18.9%Highest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 52.3%Lowest MI: 73.2% 59.3%Highest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1965Lowest 7 yrs older than MI 1966Highest 6 yrs older than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 19% below MI 27 minHighest 10% above MI

Work from home 17.8%±9.3Highest MI: 13.5% 11.5%±7.4Lowest MI: 13.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 25.2%Highest 16.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 26.3 miHighest 16.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.21Highest 1.72Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Midland (9%)Mount Pleasant (10%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 1% work in Clare2% work in Gladwin

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.8%Highest 2.6%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miLowest 1.2 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Lowest 8Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 61.5Highest 40.4Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #303 of 493 in MI #295 of 493 in MI

School district Gladwin Community SchoolsClare Public Schools

High school in town Gladwin High SchoolClare High School

Students per teacherat that high school 24.1Highest 19.0Lowest

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.

Gladwin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Gladwin’s Town Square.

Clare neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Clare’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Gladwin and Clare

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Gladwin

+ Compare

Grout Township2,324 people · $157K homes

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Buckeye Township1,391 people · $140K homes

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Gladwin Township938 people · $171K homes

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Sage Township2,325 people · $164K homes

Towns like Gladwin

+ Compare

Bad Axe2,992 people · $125K homes

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Clio2,185 people · $138K homes

+ Compare

Harrison2,110 people · $135K homes

+ Compare

Caro4,290 people · $103K 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.

Gladwin vs Clare

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Gladwin places higher on 13 of 20 MI lists

A typical home costs $310 more a month in Clare

What daily life feels like in each

17 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Gladwin and Clare

Bordering Gladwin

Towns like Gladwin

Post to Gladwin

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