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%

Merrill$1,540/mo

Typical home $210K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.52% · or rent about $719/mo · Housing →

Waldron$920/mo

Typical home $150K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.10% · or rent about $850/mo · Housing →

The difference: $620 a month, about $7,500 a year, between Merrill and Waldron.

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.

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

MerrillWaldron

Snow a year49″33″

January low16°F —

July high82°F —

Growing season (days)172d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)35th 31st

Outdoors & history

MerrillWaldron

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land0%—

Archive photos3 6

Famous people born here1 1

Community

MerrillWaldron

Library hours a week29 hrs 37 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.

Where they are

116 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MerrillMI WaldronMI

Merrill ↔ Waldron116 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

MerrillWaldron

People

Population 798Highest 603Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -14.8%Lowest MI: +2% -6.1%Highest MI: +2%

Median age 37±4.2Lowest 8% below MI 39.2±7.5Highest about the MI average

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

Kids under 18 30.8%±10Highest MI: 21.2% 21.7%±5.1Lowest MI: 21.2%

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

Age 65+ 17.9%±5.9Highest MI: 18.6% 12.9%±4Lowest MI: 18.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11.3%Highest MI: 32.4% 7.5%Lowest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.8%±1.8Highest MI: 6.1% 0.3%±1.9Lowest MI: 6.1%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $47,500±$16kLowest 35% below MI $52,750±$17kHighest 28% below MI

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $93,200±$7kHighest 60% below MI $83,700±$10kLowest 64% below MI

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $719±$18Lowest 36% below MI $850±$186Highest 25% below MI

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,351Highest 19% below MI $918Lowest 68% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 75%±49.7Highest MI: 50.4% 34.6%±23Lowest MI: 50.4%

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

Below poverty line 33.5%Highest MI: 13.2% 8.8%Lowest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 78.5%Highest MI: 73.2% 73.1%Lowest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1952Highest 20 yrs older than MI 1938Lowest 34 yrs older than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 30 minHighest 23% above MI 26 minLowest 6% above MI

Work from home 4.5%±3.2Highest MI: 13.5% 1.9%±3.1Lowest MI: 13.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 3.6%Highest 0.5%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miLowest 23.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.68Highest 0.12Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Saginaw (11%)Hillsdale (8%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in WaldronFew work in Merrill

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 66.6Highest 27.1Lowest

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.

Merrill neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Merrill’s Town Square.

Waldron neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Waldron’s Town Square.

Add a town

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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.

Merrill vs Waldron

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $620 more a month in Merrill

What daily life feels like in each

116 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Merrill and Waldron

Towns like Merrill

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