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Mentor Township vs Moran Township

51 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (3.7× in Moran Township) and conserved land (+41.3 pts in Moran Township).

M ×

Mentor Township, MIA small town of 866Cheboygan County · 866 people

M ×

Moran Township, MIAn outdoors townMackinac County · 998 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.

Mentor TownshipA small town of 866

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

All about Mentor Township →

Moran TownshipAn outdoors town

Outdoors41.3% conserved land237 miles of trails across 9 parks and preserves SchoolsBetter than 28%of MI districts Housing$219K typical home18% below the MI typical home All about Moran 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.

Moran Township has more miles of trail

Moran Township 236.7 miMentor Township 64.3 mi

Conserved land+41.3 pts

Moran Township has more conserved land

Moran Township 41.3%Mentor Township 0%

Street grid2.8×

Mentor Township has the more walkable street grid

Mentor Township 1.4Moran Township 0.5

Seasonal homes+20.8 pts

Moran Township has more second homes

Moran Township 37.7%Mentor Township 16.9%

Age 65++11.9 pts

Moran Township has more people 65 and up

Moran Township 34.4%Mentor Township 22.5%

Average commute9 min

Moran Township has the shorter commute

Mentor Township 29 minMoran Township 20 min

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $220 more a month in Moran Township

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%

Mentor Township$1,060/mo

Typical home $180K (Census) · tax rate 0.78% · or rent about $918/mo · Housing →

Moran Township$1,280/mo

Typical home $219K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.73% · or rent about $855/mo · Housing →

The difference: $220 a month, about $2,600 a year, between Moran Township and Mentor 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

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

–Mentor TownshipNot graded CMoran TownshipBetter than 28% of districts in the state

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

Mentor TownshipMoran Township

Snow a year84″81″

January low8°F 7°F

July high80°F 77°F

Growing season (days)95d 130d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th 4th

Outdoors & history

Mentor TownshipMoran Township

Trails64 mi 237 mi

Conserved land0%41.3%

National Register places—4

Community

Mentor TownshipMoran Township

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.

Where they are

51 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Mentor TownshipCheboygan County Moran TownshipMackinac County

Mentor Township ↔ Moran Township51 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.

Only big differences vs Michigan average

Mentor TownshipMoran Township

People

Population 866Lowest 998Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +4.8%Highest MI: +2% +3.5%Lowest MI: +2%

Median age 51.5±6.2Lowest 28% above MI 53.4±6.3Highest 33% above MI

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

Kids under 18 20.9%±6.1Highest MI: 21.2% 14.3%±4.1Lowest MI: 21.2%

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

Age 65+ 22.5%±3Lowest MI: 18.6% 34.4%±3.7Highest MI: 18.6%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 21.6%Lowest MI: 32.4% 27.8%Highest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.1%±2Lowest MI: 6.1% 6.6%±4.2Highest MI: 6.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $60,208±$13kLowest 17% below MI $68,059±$8kHighest 7% below MI

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $179,600±$36kLowest 22% below MI $230,300±$51kHighest about the MI average

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $918±$139Highest 19% below MI $855±$11Lowest 24% below MI

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,406Lowest 52% below MI $1,685Highest 42% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 28.3%±35.4Lowest MI: 50.4% 52.5%±41.4Highest MI: 50.4%

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

Below poverty line 16.5%Highest MI: 13.2% 9%Lowest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 80.5%Highest MI: 73.2% 79.8%Lowest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1983Lowest 11 yrs newer than MI 1987Highest 15 yrs newer than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 29 minHighest 20% above MI 20 minLowest 16% below MI

Work from home 6.4%±3.7Highest MI: 13.5% 3.7%±3.1Lowest MI: 13.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 4.2%Lowest 8%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.3 miHighest 17.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.14Highest 0.97Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Petoskey (7%)St. Ignace (23%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Moran TownshipFew work in Mentor Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 41.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 64.3 miLowest 236.7 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.8 mi 1.8 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 9Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.4Highest 0.5Lowest

Schools

School district —St. Ignace Area Schools · Moran Township School District

High school in town —LaSalle High School

Students per teacherat that high school — 14.3

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.

Mentor Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mentor Township’s Town Square.

Moran Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Moran Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Mentor Township

Tuscarora Township3,119 people · $254K homes

Ellis Township585 people · $244K homes

Wilmot Township764 people · $168K homes

Indian River2,039 people · $314K homes

Towns like Mentor Township

Port Sanilac812 people · $159K homes

Luna Pier1,244 people · $189K homes

Gladwin Township938 people · $171K homes

Manistique Township941 people · $201K 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.