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Porter Township vs Soo Township

318 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+64% in Porter Township) and street grid (2.1× in Porter Township).

P ×
Porter Township, MIOne of the healthiest townsCass County · 3,885 people
S ×
Soo Township, MIOne of the healthiest townsChippewa County · 2,986 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.

Porter TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health63% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Porter Township →
Soo TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health61% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Soo 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.

Property tax bill+64%
Tax bills are bigger in Porter Township
Porter Township $3,329Soo Township $2,032
Street grid2.1×
Porter Township has the more walkable street grid
Porter Township 3.8Soo Township 1.8
Jobs per worker2.2×
Soo Township is more of a job hub
Soo Township 0.42Porter Township 0.19
Trails2.2×
Soo Township has more miles of trail
Soo Township 20.8 miPorter Township 9.6 mi
Growth since 2010+4.3 pts
Porter Township has grown faster since 2010
Porter Township -1.3%Soo Township -5.6%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $420 more a month in Porter 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.

Porter Township$1,850/mo
Typical home $301K (Census) · tax rate 1.11% · or rent about $834/mo · Housing →
Soo Township$1,430/mo
Typical home $241K (Census) · tax rate 0.84% · or rent about $589/mo · Housing →

The difference: $420 a month, about $5,000 a year, between Porter Township and Soo 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

Soo Township gets 79 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
Porter TownshipSoo Township
Snow a year41″120″
January low17°F8°F
July high82°F77°F
Growing season (days)170d151d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)15th17th
Outdoors & history
Porter TownshipSoo Township
Trails10 mi21 mi
Conserved land2.4%2.2%
Famous people born here1—
Community
Porter TownshipSoo Township
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

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

Soo Township places higher on 12 of 19 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
–Porter TownshipNot graded BSoo TownshipBetter than 61% of districts in the state
Health
C+Porter TownshipHealthier than 37% of U.S. towns C+Soo TownshipHealthier than 39% of U.S. towns
6Porter Township
12Soo Township

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 723 towns #220#722 Lowest property taxCost of living · 723 towns #525#172 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 723 towns #353#163 Lowest obesityHealth · 723 towns #344#157 Highest graduation rateSchools · 540 towns #487#367 Fastest growingGrowth · 723 towns #511#663 Most affordableCost of living · 723 towns #553#406 Shortest commuteGetting around · 723 towns #177#51

Left end = #1 in Michigan. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Porter Township’s rankings →

Where they are

318 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Porter TownshipCass CountySoo TownshipChippewa County
Porter Township ↔ Soo Township318 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.

Porter TownshipSoo Township
People
Population 3,885Highest 2,986Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -1.3%Highest MI: +2% -5.6%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 49.5±4.3Highest 23% above MI 49.3±5Lowest 23% above MI
Porter Township and Soo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 19.8%±4.3Highest MI: 21.2% 17.5%±4.6Lowest MI: 21.2%
Porter Township and Soo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 27.5%±5.4Highest MI: 18.6% 23.7%±5Lowest MI: 18.6%
Porter Township and Soo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27%Highest MI: 32.4% 26.4%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.9%±1.6Lowest MI: 6.1% 9%±4.1Highest MI: 6.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $79,681±$9kHighest 9% above MI $79,107±$16kLowest 9% above MI
Porter Township and Soo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $300,800±$43kHighest 30% above MI $241,200±$37kLowest 4% above MI
Porter Township and Soo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $834±$53Highest 26% below MI $589±$354Lowest 48% below MI
Porter Township and Soo Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,329Highest 15% above MI $2,032Lowest 30% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 16.7%±11.8Lowest MI: 50.4% 44.9%±25.6Highest MI: 50.4%
Soo Township and Porter Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 10.7%Highest MI: 13.2% 5.4%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 83.5%Highest MI: 73.2% 80.6%Lowest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1974Lowest 2 yrs newer than MI 1984Highest 12 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minHighest 13% below MI 17 minLowest 29% below MI
Work from home 5.8%±3.1Lowest MI: 13.5% 7.9%±5.7Highest MI: 13.5%
Soo Township and Porter Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 5.8%Lowest 6.4%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 14.3 miHighest 5.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.19Lowest 0.42Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Elkhart (24%)Sault Ste. Marie (55%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Soo TownshipFew work in Porter Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.4%Highest 2.2%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 9.6 miLowest 20.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 7Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 3.8Highest 1.8Lowest
Schools
School district —Sault Ste. Marie Area Schools
High school in town —Malcolm High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 12.0
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.

Porter Township neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 1w

Missing Local Spots

1 neighbor in Porter Township can answer.

Soo Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Soo Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Porter Township

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Mottville Township1,502 people · $168K homes
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Mason Township2,836 people · $205K homes
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Constantine Township4,053 people · $162K homes
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Newberg Township1,528 people · $203K homes

Towns like Porter Township

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Gibraltar4,873 people · $223K homes
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Whiteford Township4,624 people · $278K homes
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Baroda Township2,833 people · $234K homes
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Woodhull Township3,684 people · $280K homes
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.

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