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Ithaca vs Arcada Township

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: street grid (11.6× in Ithaca) and jobs per worker (12.2× in Ithaca).

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Ithaca, MIHomes around $199KMichigan · 2,817 people
A ×
Arcada Township, MIA small town of 1,684Gratiot County · 1,684 people
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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.

IthacaHomes around $199K
Housing$199K typical home25% below the MI typical home Schools#243 for schools in MIof 493 towns Health71% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Ithaca →
Arcada TownshipA small town of 1,684
Quiet strengthsArcada Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Arcada 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.

Street grid11.6×
Ithaca has the more walkable street grid
Ithaca 23.2Arcada Township 2.0
Jobs per worker12.2×
Ithaca is more of a job hub
Ithaca 1.58Arcada Township 0.13
Trails4.5×
Arcada Township has more miles of trail
Arcada Township 0.9 miIthaca 0.2 mi
Home values+64%
Homes cost more in Arcada Township
Arcada Township $218,900Ithaca $133,200
Work from home+14.9 pts
More people work from home in Arcada Township
Arcada Township 15.6%Ithaca 0.7%
Household income+40%
Households in Arcada Township earn more
Arcada Township $88,523Ithaca $63,109
★ 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.

Ithaca$1,290/mo
Typical home $199K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.48% · or rent about $819/mo · Housing →
Arcada Township$1,360/mo
Typical home $219K (Census) · tax rate 1.17% · or rent about $725/mo · Housing →

The difference: $70 a month, about $900 a year, between Arcada Township and Ithaca.

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

Ithaca and Arcada Township share a border

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

IthacaArcada TownshipIthacaArcada Township
Ithaca ↔ Arcada Township4.9 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
51 Arcada Township residents work in Ithaca (7.8% of its workers)
Work & commute in Arcada Township →
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
B+IthacaBetter than 72% of districts in the state –Arcada TownshipNot graded
Health
CIthacaHealthier than 29% of U.S. towns C+Arcada TownshipHealthier than 41% 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
IthacaArcada Township
Snow a year39″39″
January low15°F15°F
July high82°F82°F
Growing season (days)164d164d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)27th49th
Outdoors & history
IthacaArcada Township
Trails0 mi1 mi
Conserved land4.5%1.2%
Settled1869—
National Register places2—
Archive photos7—
Famous people born here7—
Community
IthacaArcada Township
Library hours a week43 hrs—
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.

IthacaArcada Township
People
Population 2,817Highest 1,684Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2%Lowest MI: +2% -0.6%Highest MI: +2%
Median age 42.5±10.6Lowest 6% above MI 45±6.9Highest 12% above MI
Arcada Township and Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 16.8%±4.6Lowest MI: 21.2% 18.3%±3.5Highest MI: 21.2%
Arcada Township and Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 15.3%±3.8Lowest MI: 18.6% 19.9%±2.9Highest MI: 18.6%
Arcada Township and Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26.3%Lowest MI: 32.4% 38.2%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.8%±4.2Highest MI: 6.1% 6.7%±4.7Lowest MI: 6.1%
Ithaca and Arcada Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $63,109±$5kLowest 13% below MI $88,523±$12kHighest 21% above MI
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $133,200±$26kLowest 42% below MI $218,900±$19kHighest 5% below MI
Rentmedian gross, monthly $819±$89Highest 27% below MI $725±$446Lowest 36% below MI
Ithaca and Arcada Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,975Lowest 32% below MI $2,568Highest 12% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.7%±18.4Lowest MI: 50.4% 61.3%±61.1Highest MI: 50.4%
Arcada Township and Ithaca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 16.8%Highest MI: 13.2% 12.9%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 72.3%Lowest MI: 73.2% 95%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1958Lowest 14 yrs older than MI 1975Highest 3 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minHighest about the MI average 22 minLowest 8% below MI
Work from home 0.7%±0.8Lowest MI: 13.5% 15.6%±7Highest MI: 13.5%
Work in townworking residents 19.1%Highest 0.6%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miHighest 13.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.58Highest 0.13Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Alma (10%)Alma (21%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Arcada Township8% work in Ithaca
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 4.5%Highest 1.2%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.9 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 23.2Highest 2.0Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #243 of 493 in MI—
School district Ithaca Public Schools—
High school in town Ithaca High School—
Students per teacherat that high school 18.6 —
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.

Ithaca neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ithaca’s Town Square.

Arcada Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Arcada Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Ithaca

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North Star Township867 people · $184K homes
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Emerson Township751 people · $184K homes
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Newark Township1,198 people · $235K homes

Towns like Ithaca

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Watervliet Township3,055 people · $155K homes
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Schoolcraft Township2,163 people · $140K homes
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Portland3,790 people · $166K homes
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Amber Township2,566 people · $229K 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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