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Orange Township vs Excelsior Township

125 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (69.2× in Excelsior Township) and jobs per worker (4.6× in Orange Township).

O ×
Orange Township, MIA small town of 1,170Ionia County · 1,170 people
E ×
Excelsior Township, MIOne of the healthiest townsKalkaska County · 1,046 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.

Orange TownshipA small town of 1,170
Quiet strengthsOrange Township doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Orange Township →
Excelsior TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health79% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 33%of MI districts Outdoors13.7% conserved land42 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves All about Excelsior 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.

Trails69.2×
Excelsior Township has more miles of trail
Excelsior Township 41.5 miOrange Township 0.6 mi
Jobs per worker4.6×
Orange Township is more of a job hub
Orange Township 0.79Excelsior Township 0.17
Seasonal homes+20.3 pts
Excelsior Township has more second homes
Excelsior Township 23.6%Orange Township 3.3%
Average commute9 min
Orange Township has the shorter commute
Excelsior Township 31 minOrange Township 22 min
Property tax bill+35%
Tax bills are bigger in Orange Township
Orange Township $2,034Excelsior Township $1,509
Work from home+7.1 pts
More people work from home in Orange Township
Orange Township 11.4%Excelsior Township 4.3%
★ What stands out · Life in each

Excelsior Township gets 78 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
Orange TownshipExcelsior Township
Snow a year54″132″
January low16°F11°F
July high81°F79°F
Growing season (days)161d128d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)28th12th
Outdoors & history
Orange TownshipExcelsior Township
Trails—42 mi
Conserved land—13.7%
Settled—1875
Community
Orange TownshipExcelsior Township
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
–Orange TownshipNot graded CExcelsior TownshipBetter than 33% of districts in the state
Health
B−Orange TownshipHealthier than 48% of U.S. towns C−Excelsior TownshipHealthier than 21% of U.S. towns
Monthly cost

A typical home costs $190 more a month in Orange 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.

Orange Township$1,430/mo
Typical home $240K (Census) · tax rate 0.85% · or rent about $1,133/mo · Housing →
Excelsior Township$1,240/mo
Typical home $212K (Census) · tax rate 0.71% · or rent about $850/mo · Housing →

The difference: $190 a month, about $2,300 a year, between Orange Township and Excelsior 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.

Where they are

125 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Orange TownshipIonia CountyExcelsior TownshipKalkaska County
Orange Township ↔ Excelsior Township125 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.

Orange TownshipExcelsior Township
People
Population 1,170Highest 1,046Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.5%Lowest MI: +2% +4%Highest MI: +2%
Median age 34.3±6.3Lowest 15% below MI 35.3±5.2Highest 12% below MI
Excelsior Township and Orange Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20.4%±2.5Lowest MI: 21.2% 22.7%±3.1Highest MI: 21.2%
Excelsior Township and Orange Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 16.9%±5.3Lowest MI: 18.6% 21.2%±2.3Highest MI: 18.6%
Excelsior Township and Orange Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16%Highest MI: 32.4% 14.2%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.7%±5.6Highest MI: 6.1% 3.5%±2.1Lowest MI: 6.1%
Orange Township and Excelsior Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $91,667±$28kHighest 26% above MI $66,250±$9kLowest 9% below MI
Orange Township and Excelsior Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $240,200±$13kHighest 4% above MI $212,300±$19kLowest 8% below MI
Orange Township and Excelsior Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,133±$101Highest about the MI average $850±$482Lowest 25% below MI
Orange Township and Excelsior Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,034Highest 30% below MI $1,509Lowest 48% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 22.9%±44.8Lowest MI: 50.4% 45.5%±70.3Highest MI: 50.4%
Excelsior Township and Orange Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 7.4%Lowest MI: 13.2% 12.5%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 87.5%Lowest MI: 73.2% 90.6%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1972Lowest same as MI 1983Highest 11 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 10% below MI 31 minHighest 28% above MI
Work from home 11.4%±2.3Highest MI: 13.5% 4.3%±1.8Lowest MI: 13.5%
Work in townworking residents 0.7%Highest 0.6%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.8 miLowest 26.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.79Highest 0.17Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Ionia (14%)Kalkaska Township (27%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Excelsior TownshipFew work in Orange Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.6%Lowest 13.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miLowest 41.5 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 1.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 3Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.3Lowest 1.5Highest
Schools
School district —Excelsior Township S/D #1
High school in town —None in town
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.

Orange Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Orange Township’s Town Square.

Excelsior Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Excelsior Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Orange Township

S
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Sebewa Township1,615 people · $213K homes
B
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Berlin Township1,819 people · $238K homes
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Ionia12,753 people · $165K homes
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Ionia Township4,032 people · $159K homes

Towns like Orange Township

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Newark Township1,198 people · $235K homes
B
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Bronson Township1,426 people · $184K homes
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+ Compare
New Haven Township1,012 people · $208K homes
K
+ Compare
Kent City1,203 people · $167K 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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