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Harris Township vs Fairplain Township

214 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (7.9× in Harris Township) and rent (2.6× in Fairplain Township).

H ×
Harris Township, MIA regional job hubMenominee County · 1,831 people
F ×
Fairplain Township, MIOne of the healthiest townsMontcalm County · 1,896 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.

Harris TownshipA regional job hub
Work1,054 jobsbased in Harris Township, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 85%of MI districts Health71% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Harris Township →
Fairplain TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health79% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Outdoors21.7% conserved land10 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves All about Fairplain 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.

Jobs per worker7.9×
Harris Township is more of a job hub
Harris Township 1.58Fairplain Township 0.20
Rent2.6×
Rent runs higher in Fairplain Township
Fairplain Township $1,103Harris Township $424
Trails7.1×
Harris Township has more miles of trail
Harris Township 71.4 miFairplain Township 10.0 mi
Street grid3.1×
Fairplain Township has the more walkable street grid
Fairplain Township 2.8Harris Township 0.9
Property tax bill+51%
Tax bills are bigger in Fairplain Township
Fairplain Township $1,920Harris Township $1,269
Work in town+21.8 pts
More of Harris Township’s workers stay in town
Harris Township 23.1%Fairplain Township 1.3%
★ What stands out · 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.

Harris Township$990/mo
Typical home $169K (Census) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $424/mo · Housing →
Fairplain Township$1,010/mo
Typical home $162K (Census) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $1,103/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.

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
AHarris TownshipBetter than 85% of districts in the state –Fairplain TownshipNot graded
Health
CHarris TownshipHealthier than 29% of U.S. towns C−Fairplain TownshipHealthier than 21% 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
Harris TownshipFairplain Township
Snow a year70″73″
January low—13°F
July high—84°F
Growing season (days)—133d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)12th13th
Outdoors & history
Harris TownshipFairplain Township
Trails71 mi10 mi
Conserved land1.2%21.7%
Community
Harris TownshipFairplain 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

214 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Harris TownshipMenominee CountyFairplain TownshipMontcalm County
Harris Township ↔ Fairplain Township214 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.

Harris TownshipFairplain Township
People
Population 1,831Lowest 1,896Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.4%Highest MI: +2% -1.9%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 41.5±5.1Lowest 3% above MI 43.2±6.7Highest 7% above MI
Fairplain Township and Harris Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.9%±3.7Highest MI: 21.2% 19.4%±4.3Lowest MI: 21.2%
Harris Township and Fairplain Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 21.2%±2Highest MI: 18.6% 15.2%±2.4Lowest MI: 18.6%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.3%Highest MI: 32.4% 18%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.9%±1.5Highest MI: 6.1% 1.7%±1.6Lowest MI: 6.1%
Harris Township and Fairplain Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $55,104±$12kLowest 24% below MI $56,406±$9kHighest 23% below MI
Fairplain Township and Harris Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $168,800±$13kHighest 27% below MI $162,000±$27kLowest 30% below MI
Harris Township and Fairplain Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $424±$36Lowest 62% below MI $1,103±$79Highest about the MI average
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,269Lowest 56% below MI $1,920Highest 34% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 16.8%±6.6Lowest MI: 50.4% 50%±34.4Highest MI: 50.4%
Fairplain Township and Harris Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 15.4%Lowest MI: 13.2% 17.9%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 78.3%Highest MI: 73.2% 78.1%Lowest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1987Highest 15 yrs newer than MI 1985Lowest 13 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minLowest 6% above MI 27 minHighest 10% above MI
Work from home 6%±4.1Highest MI: 13.5% 5.7%±3.6Lowest MI: 13.5%
Harris Township and Fairplain Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 23.1%Highest 1.3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.8 miLowest 26.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.58Highest 0.20Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Spalding Township (9%)Greenville (14%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Fairplain TownshipFew work in Harris Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.2%Lowest 21.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 71.4 miHighest 10.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.5 miHighest 0.3 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 0.9Lowest 2.8Highest
Schools
School district Bark River-Harris School District—
High school in town Bark RiverHarris JrSr High School—
Students per teacherat that high school 16.0 —
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.

Harris Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Harris Township’s Town Square.

Fairplain Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Fairplain Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Harris Township and Fairplain Township

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Bordering Harris Township

S
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Spalding Township1,558 people · $188K homes
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Gourley Township436 people · $219K homes
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Bark River Township1,550 people · $178K homes
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Cornell Township856 people · $171K homes

Towns like Harris Township

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East Jordan2,023 people · $148K homes
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Ferris Township1,428 people · $175K homes
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Sunfield Township1,788 people · $191K homes
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Springville Township1,559 people · $132K 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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