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Ithaca vs Emerson Township

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: street grid (12.2× in Ithaca) and jobs per worker (4.3× in Ithaca).

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Ithaca, MIHomes around $199KMichigan · 2,817 people

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Emerson Township, MIA small town of 751Gratiot County · 751 people

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 →

Emerson TownshipA small town of 751

Quiet strengthsEmerson Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about Emerson 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 grid12.2×

Ithaca has the more walkable street grid

Ithaca 23.2Emerson Township 1.9

Jobs per worker4.3×

Ithaca is more of a job hub

Ithaca 1.58Emerson Township 0.37

Home values+38%

Homes cost more in Emerson Township

Emerson Township $183,700Ithaca $133,200

Emerson Township has more miles of trail

Emerson Township 0.5 miIthaca 0.2 mi

Ithaca is the bigger place

Ithaca 2,817Emerson Township 751

Work from home+9.9 pts

More people work from home in Emerson Township

Emerson Township 10.6%Ithaca 0.7%

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $180 more a month in Ithaca

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%

Ithaca$1,290/mo

Typical home $199K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.48% · or rent about $819/mo · Housing →

Emerson Township$1,110/mo

Typical home $184K (Census) · tax rate 0.96% · or rent about $825/mo · Housing →

The difference: $180 a month, about $2,100 a year, between Ithaca and Emerson 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.

Where they are

Ithaca and Emerson Township share a border

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

IthacaEmerson Township

Ithaca ↔ Emerson Township4.4 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

25 Emerson Township residents work in Ithaca (6.8% of its workers)

Work & commute in Emerson 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 –Emerson TownshipNot graded

Health

CIthacaHealthier than 29% of U.S. towns –Emerson TownshipNot graded

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

IthacaEmerson Township

Snow a year39″39″

January low15°F 15°F

July high82°F 82°F

Growing season (days)164d 164d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)27th 49th

Outdoors & history

IthacaEmerson Township

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land4.5%—

Settled1869 —

National Register places2 —

Archive photos7 —

Famous people born here7 —

Community

IthacaEmerson Township

Library hours a week43 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.

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

IthacaEmerson Township

People

Population 2,817Highest 751Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2%Highest MI: +2% -10.8%Lowest MI: +2%

Median age 42.5±10.6Lowest 6% above MI 47.2±5Highest 17% above MI

Emerson 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% 16.9%±4Highest MI: 21.2%

Emerson 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% 22.2%±3.2Highest MI: 18.6%

Emerson 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%Highest MI: 32.4% 16.4%Lowest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.8%±4.2Highest MI: 6.1% 4.4%±1.8Lowest MI: 6.1%

Ithaca and Emerson 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 $78,000±$13kHighest 7% above MI

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $133,200±$26kLowest 42% below MI $183,700±$22kHighest 21% below MI

Rentmedian gross, monthly $819±$89Lowest 27% below MI $825±$222Highest 27% below MI

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,975Highest 32% below MI $1,771Lowest 39% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.7%±18.4Highest MI: 50.4% 15.8%±100Lowest MI: 50.4%

Ithaca and Emerson Township 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% 6.5%Lowest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 72.3%Lowest MI: 73.2% 88.4%Highest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1958 14 yrs older than MI 1958 14 yrs older than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minLowest about the MI average 25 minHighest about the MI average

Work from home 0.7%±0.8Lowest MI: 13.5% 10.6%±4.5Highest MI: 13.5%

Work in townworking residents 19.1%Highest 1.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miLowest 18.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.58Highest 0.37Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Alma (10%)Alma (17%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Emerson Township7% work in Ithaca

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.5%Highest 1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 0.5 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 23.2Highest 1.9Lowest

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.

Emerson Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Emerson Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

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

Bordering Ithaca

North Star Township867 people · $184K homes

Newark Township1,198 people · $235K homes

Arcada Township1,684 people · $219K homes

Towns like Ithaca

Watervliet Township3,055 people · $155K homes

Schoolcraft Township2,163 people · $140K homes

Portland3,790 people · $166K homes

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.