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Compare towns

Newkirk Township vs Reading

164 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (23× in Reading) and jobs per worker (6.4× in Reading).

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Newkirk Township, MIAn outdoors townLake County · 909 people
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Reading, MIHomes around $180KMichigan · 947 people
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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.

Newkirk TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors61.6% conserved land187 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves All about Newkirk Township →
ReadingHomes around $180K
Housing$180K typical home33% below the MI typical home All about Reading →
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.

Street grid23×
Reading has the more walkable street grid
Reading 43.7Newkirk Township 1.9
Jobs per worker6.4×
Reading is more of a job hub
Reading 0.64Newkirk Township 0.10
Conserved land+60.2 pts
Newkirk Township has more conserved land
Newkirk Township 61.6%Reading 1.4%
Seasonal homes+48.9 pts
Newkirk Township has more second homes
Newkirk Township 51.2%Reading 2.3%
Average commute19 min
Reading has the shorter commute
Newkirk Township 41 minReading 21 min
Typical home built36 yrs
Reading’s homes are older
Newkirk Township 1974Reading 1938
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $390 more a month in Reading

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.

Newkirk Township$720/mo
Typical home $111K (Census) · tax rate 1.49% · or rent about $887/mo · Housing →
Reading$1,110/mo
Typical home $180K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.10% · or rent about $835/mo · Housing →

The difference: $390 a month, about $4,700 a year, between Reading and Newkirk 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.

Life in each

Newkirk Township gets 76 more inches of snow a year

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
Newkirk TownshipReading
Snow a year120″44″
January low12°F15°F
July high81°F83°F
Growing season (days)119d161d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)39th28th
Outdoors & history
Newkirk TownshipReading
Trails187 mi0 mi
Conserved land61.6%1.4%
Community
Newkirk TownshipReading
Library hours a week—41 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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.

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
–Newkirk TownshipNot graded B−ReadingBetter than 47% of districts in the state
Where they are

164 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Newkirk TownshipLake CountyReadingMI
Newkirk Township ↔ Reading164 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.

Newkirk TownshipReading
People
Population 909Lowest 947Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.6%Highest MI: +2% +1.5%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 42.9±5.7Lowest 7% above MI 43.8±5.6Highest 9% above MI
Reading and Newkirk Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 17.8%±6Lowest MI: 21.2% 19.9%±5.7Highest MI: 21.2%
Reading and Newkirk Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 23.8%±4.6Highest MI: 18.6% 15.6%±3.9Lowest MI: 18.6%
Newkirk Township and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.8%Highest MI: 32.4% 12%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.8%±1.4Lowest MI: 6.1% 3.6%±2Highest MI: 6.1%
Reading and Newkirk Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $56,268±$1kHighest 23% below MI $49,342±$15kLowest 32% below MI
Newkirk Township and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $110,600±$55kHighest 52% below MI $107,800±$24kLowest 53% below MI
Newkirk Township and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $887±$331Highest 21% below MI $835±$160Lowest 26% below MI
Newkirk Township and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,649Highest 43% below MI $1,189Lowest 59% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 7.7%±21.2Lowest MI: 50.4% 31.1%±14Highest MI: 50.4%
Reading and Newkirk Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 12%Lowest MI: 13.2% 24.6%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 68%Highest MI: 73.2% 58.3%Lowest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1974Highest 2 yrs newer than MI 1938Lowest 34 yrs older than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 41 minHighest 68% above MI 21 minLowest 12% below MI
Work from home 9.5%±5.6Highest MI: 13.5% 2.7%±2.4Lowest MI: 13.5%
Newkirk Township and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1%Lowest 2.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 35.8 miHighest 15.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.10Lowest 0.64Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Cadillac (14%)Hillsdale (14%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ReadingFew work in Newkirk Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 61.6%Highest 1.4%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 186.8 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.6 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.9Lowest 43.7Highest
Schools
School district —Reading Community Schools
High school in town —Reading High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 16.2
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.

Newkirk Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Newkirk Township’s Town Square.

Reading neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Reading’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Newkirk Township

E
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Ellsworth Township722 people · $131K homes
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Peacock Township418 people · $144K homes
E
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Eden Township351 people · $163K homes
D
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Dover Township460 people · $199K homes

Towns like Newkirk Township

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Farwell974 people · $99K homes
B
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Brown City1,139 people · $128K homes
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Elba Township1,090 people · $127K homes
+ Compare
Stephenson902 people · $102K 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.

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