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Norman Township vs Dickson Township

Next-door neighbors in Manistee County. The biggest differences: average commute (7 min in Norman Township) and street grid (+62% in Norman Township).

N ×
Norman Township, MIAn outdoors townManistee County · 1,704 people
D ×
Dickson Township, MIAn outdoors townManistee County · 922 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.

Norman TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors55.5% conserved land101 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves Health89% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Norman Township →
Dickson TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors59.3% conserved land111 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves All about Dickson Township →
The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Average commute7 min
Norman Township has the shorter commute
Dickson Township 32 minNorman Township 25 min
Street grid+62%
Norman Township has the more walkable street grid
Norman Township 2.1Dickson Township 1.3
Jobs per worker+56%
Dickson Township is more of a job hub
Dickson Township 0.53Norman Township 0.34
Work in town+8.3 pts
More of Norman Township’s workers stay in town
Norman Township 11.6%Dickson Township 3.3%
★ What stands out · Where they are

Norman Township and Dickson Township share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

Norman TownshipDickson TownshipNorman TownshipDickson Township
Norman Township ↔ Dickson Township6.6 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Who commutes between them
10 Norman Township residents work in Dickson Township (2.1% of its workers)
Work & commute in Norman Township →
Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Norman Township$940/mo
Typical home $157K (Census) · tax rate 0.90% · or rent about $859/mo · Housing →
Dickson Township$950/mo
Typical home $157K (Census) · tax rate 0.97% · or rent about $1,625/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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
–Norman TownshipNot graded C+Dickson TownshipBetter than 38% of districts in the state
Health
DNorman TownshipHealthier than 11% of U.S. towns –Dickson TownshipNot graded
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
Norman TownshipDickson Township
Snow a year93″93″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)21st32nd
Outdoors & history
Norman TownshipDickson Township
Trails101 mi111 mi
Conserved land55.5%59.3%
Community
Norman TownshipDickson Township
Library hours a week25 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.

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.

Norman TownshipDickson Township
People
Population 1,704Highest 922Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.9%Highest MI: +2% -1.3%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 48±5.7Lowest 19% above MI 48.9±6.6Highest 22% above MI
Dickson Township and Norman Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 17.4%±4.2Lowest MI: 21.2% 22%±5.2Highest MI: 21.2%
Dickson Township and Norman Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 22.7%±0.8Lowest MI: 18.6% 26.1%±1.8Highest MI: 18.6%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25%Highest MI: 32.4% 19.7%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.9%±1.4Highest MI: 6.1% 1.6%±1.7Lowest MI: 6.1%
Norman Township and Dickson Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $63,634±$4kHighest 13% below MI $55,781±$13kLowest 23% below MI
Norman Township and Dickson Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $156,900±$8kLowest 32% below MI $157,400±$9kHighest 32% below MI
Dickson Township and Norman Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $859±$34Lowest 24% below MI $1,625±$997Highest 44% above MI
Dickson Township and Norman Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,408Lowest 52% below MI $1,525Highest 47% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 30.6%±22.9Lowest MI: 50.4% 66.7%±28.2Highest MI: 50.4%
Dickson Township and Norman Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 10.4%Lowest MI: 13.2% 21.8%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 90.7%Lowest MI: 73.2% 91.3%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1979Highest 7 yrs newer than MI 1975Lowest 3 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 25 minLowest about the MI average 32 minHighest 31% above MI
Work from home 19.9%±8.5Highest MI: 13.5% 8.2%±5Lowest MI: 13.5%
Norman Township and Dickson Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 11.6%Highest 3.3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miLowest 22.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.34Lowest 0.53Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Manistee Township (15%)Manistee Township (23%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Dickson TownshipFew work in Norman Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 55.5%Lowest 59.3%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 100.9 miLowest 111.0 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.4 miLowest 1.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 6 6
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 2.1Highest 1.3Lowest
Schools
School district —Kaleva Norman Dickson School District
High school in town —Brethren High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 16.9
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.

Norman Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Norman Township’s Town Square.

Dickson Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Dickson Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Norman Township and Dickson Township

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Bordering Norman Township

S
+ Compare
Stronach Township957 people · $166K homes
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South Branch Township285 people · $139K homes
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Elk Township869 people · $182K homes
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Eden Township351 people · $163K homes

Towns like Norman Township

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Mount Haley Township1,723 people · $170K homes
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Inverness Township1,836 people · $199K homes
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Richmond Township1,850 people · $161K homes
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Reading Township1,814 people · $188K 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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