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%

Nelson Township$1,540/mo

Typical home $253K (Census) · tax rate 1.02% · or rent about $569/mo · Housing →

Salem Township$1,870/mo

Typical home $308K (Census) · tax rate 1.01% · Housing →

The difference: $330 a month, about $3,900 a year, between Salem Township and Nelson 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

Salem Township places higher on 14 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

–Nelson TownshipNot graded ASalem TownshipBetter than 85% of districts in the state

Health

B−Nelson TownshipHealthier than 49% of U.S. towns B+Salem TownshipHealthier than 70% of U.S. towns

4Nelson Township

14Salem Township

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

Most conserved landOutdoors · 712 towns #198#650 Lowest depressionHealth · 723 towns #610#233 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 723 towns #529#205 Highest incomeIncome · 723 towns #493#220 Fastest growingGrowth · 723 towns #288#44 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 723 towns #353#163 Lowest obesityHealth · 723 towns #344#157 Fewest smokersHealth · 723 towns #394#217

Left end = #1 in Michigan. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Nelson 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

Nelson TownshipSalem Township

Snow a year73″78″

January low13°F 19°F

July high84°F 83°F

Growing season (days)133d 174d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)11th 39th

Outdoors & history

Nelson TownshipSalem Township

Trails3 mi 5 mi

Conserved land7.6%0.7%

Settled1854 —

National Register places1 —

Famous people born here—1

Community

Nelson TownshipSalem Township

Library hours a week40 hrs 43 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

41 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Nelson TownshipKent County Salem TownshipAllegan County

Nelson Township ↔ Salem Township41 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

Nelson TownshipSalem Township

People

Population 4,940Lowest 5,178Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.7%Lowest MI: +2% +16%Highest MI: +2%

Median age 42.7±2.7Highest 6% above MI 40.4±4.7Lowest about the MI average

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

Kids under 18 19.8%±4.6Highest MI: 21.2% 19.4%±4.3Lowest MI: 21.2%

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

Age 65+ 18.9%±5.1Highest MI: 18.6% 13.4%±3.7Lowest MI: 18.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23%Lowest MI: 32.4% 23.2%Highest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.8%±2.1Highest MI: 6.1% 3.8%±2.1Lowest MI: 6.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $66,735±$10kLowest 8% below MI $89,034±$20kHighest 22% above MI

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $253,300±$30kLowest 9% above MI $307,500±$30kHighest 33% above MI

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $569±$143 50% below MI —

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,596Lowest 11% below MI $3,096Highest 7% above MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 66.4%±50.6Highest MI: 50.4% 0%±42.1Lowest MI: 50.4%

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

Below poverty line 9.7%Highest MI: 13.2% 2.9%Lowest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 93.4%Lowest MI: 73.2% 94.7%Highest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1985Highest 13 yrs newer than MI 1983Lowest 11 yrs newer than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minHighest 16% above MI 27 minLowest 10% above MI

Work from home 11.6%±4.1Lowest MI: 13.5% 14.2%±9.2Highest MI: 13.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 2.1%Lowest 6.4%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.3 miHighest 14.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.18Lowest 0.24Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Grand Rapids (20%)Grand Rapids (9%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Salem TownshipFew work in Nelson Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 7.6%Highest 0.7%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 2.6 miLowest 5.0 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 mi 0.1 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 4.6Lowest 8.0Highest

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.

Nelson Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Nelson Township’s Town Square.

Salem Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Salem Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Nelson Township

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Cedar Springs3,670 people · $214K homes

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Spencer Township4,200 people · $229K homes

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Courtland Township9,102 people · $359K homes

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Pierson Township3,443 people · $244K homes

Towns like Nelson Township

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Oregon Township5,699 people · $236K homes

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Allegan Township4,793 people · $233K homes

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Leroy Township3,676 people · $245K homes

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Brooks Township3,771 people · $244K 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.

Nelson Township vs Salem Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $330 more a month in Salem Township

Salem Township places higher on 14 of 18 MI lists

What daily life feels like in each

41 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Nelson Township and Salem Township

Bordering Nelson Township

Towns like Nelson Township

Post to Nelson Township

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