Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Reading vs Newkirk Township

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

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

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

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.

Reading$1,110/mo
Typical home $180K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.10% · or rent about $835/mo · Housing →
Newkirk Township$720/mo
Typical home $111K (Census) · tax rate 1.49% · or rent about $887/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
ReadingNewkirk Township
Snow a year44″120″
January low15°F12°F
July high83°F81°F
Growing season (days)161d119d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)28th39th
Outdoors & history
ReadingNewkirk Township
Trails0 mi187 mi
Conserved land1.4%61.6%
Community
ReadingNewkirk Township
Library hours a week41 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
B−ReadingBetter than 47% of districts in the state –Newkirk TownshipNot graded
Where they are

164 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ReadingMINewkirk TownshipLake County
Reading ↔ Newkirk Township164 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.

ReadingNewkirk Township
People
Population 947Highest 909Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.5%Lowest MI: +2% +3.6%Highest MI: +2%
Median age 43.8±5.6Highest 9% above MI 42.9±5.7Lowest 7% 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 19.9%±5.7Highest MI: 21.2% 17.8%±6Lowest 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+ 15.6%±3.9Lowest MI: 18.6% 23.8%±4.6Highest 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%Lowest MI: 32.4% 12.8%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.6%±2Highest MI: 6.1% 0.8%±1.4Lowest 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 $49,342±$15kLowest 32% below MI $56,268±$1kHighest 23% 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 $107,800±$24kLowest 53% below MI $110,600±$55kHighest 52% 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 $835±$160Lowest 26% below MI $887±$331Highest 21% 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 $1,189Lowest 59% below MI $1,649Highest 43% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 31.1%±14Highest MI: 50.4% 7.7%±21.2Lowest 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 24.6%Highest MI: 13.2% 12%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 58.3%Lowest MI: 73.2% 68%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 34 yrs older than MI 1974Highest 2 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 12% below MI 41 minHighest 68% above MI
Work from home 2.7%±2.4Lowest MI: 13.5% 9.5%±5.6Highest 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 2.9%Highest 1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miLowest 35.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.64Highest 0.10Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Hillsdale (14%)Cadillac (14%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Newkirk TownshipFew work in Reading
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.4%Lowest 61.6%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 186.8 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 2.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 43.7Highest 1.9Lowest
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.

Reading neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Reading’s Town Square.

Newkirk Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Newkirk Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Reading and Newkirk Township

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Reading

C
+ Compare
Coleman1,206 people · $104K homes
+ Compare
Stanton1,285 people · $115K homes
E
+ Compare
Elkton750 people · $92K homes
H
+ Compare
Hillman812 people · $87K 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.

Post to Reading

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in