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%

Jefferson Township$1,570/mo

Typical home $269K (Census) · tax rate 0.73% · or rent about $869/mo · Housing →

Howard Township$1,210/mo

Typical home $200K (Census) · tax rate 0.98% · Housing →

The difference: $360 a month, about $4,300 a year, between Jefferson Township and Howard 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.

Report cards

Jefferson Township places higher on 9 of 18 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.

Schools

A−Jefferson TownshipBetter than 81% of districts in the state B−Howard TownshipBetter than 45% of districts in the state

Health

CJefferson TownshipHealthier than 28% of U.S. towns CHoward TownshipHealthier than 26% of U.S. towns

9Jefferson Township

7Howard Township

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 723 towns #644#406 Most affordableCost of living · 723 towns #482#269 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 723 towns #353#529 Most remote workersWork · 714 towns #508#360 Best schoolsSchools · 493 towns #355#278 Most new homesHousing · 512 towns #204#273 Highest incomeIncome · 723 towns #423#330 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 723 towns #203#294

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

Where they are

Jefferson Township and Howard Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Jefferson TownshipHoward Township

Jefferson Township ↔ Howard Township6.1 miles apart · They share a border · Same county

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

Jefferson TownshipHoward Township

Snow a year37″63″

January low—19°F

July high—83°F

Growing season (days)—180d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)7th 24th

Outdoors & history

Jefferson TownshipHoward Township

Trails1 mi 0 mi

Conserved land0.9%0.1%

National Register places—1

Archive photos—1

Community

Jefferson TownshipHoward Township

Library hours a week—40 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 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

Jefferson TownshipHoward Township

People

Population 2,578Lowest 6,278Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.9%Highest MI: +2% +1.1%Lowest MI: +2%

Median age 43.9±6.2Lowest 9% above MI 50.7±2.5Highest 26% above MI

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

Kids under 18 21.3%±5.3Highest MI: 21.2% 17.5%±3.8Lowest MI: 21.2%

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

Age 65+ 22%±4.6Lowest MI: 18.6% 25.1%±4.4Highest MI: 18.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.4%Lowest MI: 32.4% 20.2%Highest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±1.8Lowest MI: 6.1% 4.1%±2.4Highest MI: 6.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $72,375±$8kLowest about the MI average $79,226±$10kHighest 9% above MI

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $268,900±$31kHighest 16% above MI $200,000±$25kLowest 14% below MI

Rentmedian gross, monthly $869±$384 23% below MI —

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,970Highest 32% below MI $1,967Lowest 32% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 36.2%±40.7Lowest MI: 50.4% 51%±23.7Highest MI: 50.4%

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

Below poverty line 14.2%Highest MI: 13.2% 5.7%Lowest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 86%Lowest MI: 73.2% 91.3%Highest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1987Highest 15 yrs newer than MI 1971Lowest 1 yr older than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 25 minLowest 3% above MI 26 minHighest 6% above MI

Work from home 7.7%±3.3Lowest MI: 13.5% 10.1%±4Highest MI: 13.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 1.4%Lowest 3.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.3 miHighest 12.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.26Highest 0.17Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Elkhart (14%)Niles (11%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Howard TownshipFew work in Jefferson Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.9%Highest 0.1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 1.4 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 2Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 3.1Lowest 7.0Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #355 of 493 in MI #278 of 493 in MI

School district Cassopolis Public SchoolsNiles Community Schools

High school in town Cassopolis High SchoolNone in town

Students per teacherat that high school 21.5 —

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.

Jefferson Township neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Jefferson Township can answer.

Howard Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Howard Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Jefferson Township and Howard Township

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Bordering Jefferson Township

+ Compare

Calvin Township1,593 people · $224K homes

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Ontwa Township6,870 people · $250K homes

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LaGrange Township3,751 people · $120K homes

Towns like Jefferson Township

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Woodland Township2,312 people · $298K homes

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Blue Lake Township2,423 people · $248K homes

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Climax Township2,239 people · $207K homes

+ Compare

Park Township2,530 people · $206K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Michigan towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

Jefferson Township vs Howard Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $360 more a month in Jefferson Township

Jefferson Township places higher on 9 of 18 MI lists

Jefferson Township and Howard Township share a border

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Jefferson Township and Howard Township

Bordering Jefferson Township

Towns like Jefferson Township

Post to Jefferson Township

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