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%

Marathon Township$1,130/mo

Typical home $186K (Census) · tax rate 1.01% · or rent about $682/mo · Housing →

Oregon Township$1,390/mo

Typical home $236K (Census) · tax rate 0.78% · or rent about $825/mo · Housing →

The difference: $260 a month, about $3,100 a year, between Oregon Township and Marathon 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

Marathon Township and Oregon Township share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Marathon TownshipOregon Township

Marathon Township ↔ Oregon Township7.1 miles apart · They share a border · Same county

Report cards

Oregon Township places higher on 9 of 19 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

CMarathon TownshipBetter than 33% of districts in the state –Oregon TownshipNot graded

Health

C+Marathon TownshipHealthier than 37% of U.S. towns C+Oregon TownshipHealthier than 38% of U.S. towns

5Marathon Township

9Oregon Township

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most remote workersWork · 714 towns #178#552 Most trailsOutdoors · 601 towns #466#212 Highest incomeIncome · 723 towns #509#275 Shortest commuteGetting around · 723 towns #700#508 Most affordableCost of living · 723 towns #216#390 Most educatedPeople · 723 towns #653#486 Most conserved landOutdoors · 712 towns #146#54 Cheapest rentCost of living · 687 towns #25#111

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

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

Marathon TownshipOregon Township

Snow a year49″34″

January low—15°F

July high—82°F

Growing season (days)—160d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)31st 43rd

Outdoors & history

Marathon TownshipOregon Township

Trails5 mi 25 mi

Conserved land9.3%17.6%

Settled1839 —

National Register places1 —

Famous people born here1 1

Community

Marathon TownshipOregon Township

Library hours a week22 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

Marathon TownshipOregon Township

People

Population 4,442Lowest 5,699Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2.2%Lowest MI: +2% -1.3%Highest MI: +2%

Median age 47.3±3.6Highest 18% above MI 44±6.1Lowest 9% above MI

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

Kids under 18 17.8%±3Highest MI: 21.2% 17.5%±3.2Lowest MI: 21.2%

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

Age 65+ 22.3%±4Lowest MI: 18.6% 25.6%±4.1Highest MI: 18.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14%Lowest MI: 32.4% 21.4%Highest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.6%±1.9Lowest MI: 6.1% 4.8%±2.1Highest MI: 6.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $65,511±$12kLowest 10% below MI $83,807±$12kHighest 15% above MI

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $186,300±$23kLowest 20% below MI $236,400±$11kHighest about the MI average

Rentmedian gross, monthly $682±$222Lowest 40% below MI $825±$814Highest 27% below MI

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,883Highest 35% below MI $1,847Lowest 36% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 35.2%±14.2Highest MI: 50.4% 8%±32.3Lowest MI: 50.4%

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

Below poverty line 11.3%Highest MI: 13.2% 9.4%Lowest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 89.6%Lowest MI: 73.2% 95.9%Highest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1976 4 yrs newer than MI 1976 4 yrs newer than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 37 minHighest 53% above MI 28 minLowest 14% above MI

Work from home 14.3%±4.2Highest MI: 13.5% 6.8%±2.4Lowest MI: 13.5%

Work in townworking residents 2.9%Highest 2.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.8 miHighest 28.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.08 0.08

Top workplaceoutside town Lapeer (9%)Lapeer (15%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Oregon TownshipFew work in Marathon Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 9.3%Lowest 17.6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 4.9 miLowest 25.1 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.7 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 10Highest 6Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 4.1Lowest 4.9Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #405 of 493 in MI—

School district LakeVille Community School District—

High school in town None in town—

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.

Marathon Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Marathon Township’s Town Square.

Oregon Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Oregon Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Marathon Township and Oregon Township

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

Bordering Marathon Township

+ Compare

Deerfield Township5,761 people · $185K homes

+ Compare

Forest Township4,404 people · $201K homes

+ Compare

Watertown Township2,304 people · $162K homes

Towns like Marathon Township

+ Compare

Taymouth Township4,036 people · $208K homes

+ Compare

Spencer Township4,200 people · $229K homes

+ Compare

Millington Township4,190 people · $175K homes

+ Compare

Montrose Township5,958 people · $186K 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.

Marathon Township vs Oregon Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $260 more a month in Oregon Township

Marathon Township and Oregon Township share a border

Oregon Township places higher on 9 of 19 MI lists

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Marathon Township and Oregon Township

Bordering Marathon Township

Towns like Marathon Township

Post to Marathon Township

Check your email