Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Sandstone Township vs Spring Arbor Township

Next-door neighbors in Jackson County. The biggest differences: trails (3.8× in Spring Arbor Township) and street grid (+90% in Spring Arbor Township).

S ×
Sandstone Township, MIOne of the healthiest townsJackson County · 3,902 people
S ×
Spring Arbor Township, MIKnown for its schoolsJackson County · 8,498 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.

Sandstone TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health62% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Sandstone Township →
Spring Arbor TownshipKnown for its schools
Schools#168 for schools in MIof 493 towns SafetySafer than 91%of U.S. towns we grade HealthHealthier than 57%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Spring Arbor 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.

Trails3.8×
Spring Arbor Township has more miles of trail
Spring Arbor Township 2.3 miSandstone Township 0.6 mi
Street grid+90%
Spring Arbor Township has the more walkable street grid
Spring Arbor Township 7.4Sandstone Township 3.9
Jobs per worker+90%
Sandstone Township is more of a job hub
Sandstone Township 1.12Spring Arbor Township 0.59
Bachelor’s degree++12.4 pts
More adults in Spring Arbor Township have a degree
Spring Arbor Township 35.3%Sandstone Township 22.9%
In college+11.8 pts
Spring Arbor Township is more of a college town
Spring Arbor Township 14.7%Sandstone Township 2.9%
Average commute5 min
Spring Arbor Township has the shorter commute
Sandstone Township 26 minSpring Arbor Township 21 min
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $310 more a month in Spring Arbor 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.

Sandstone Township$1,480/mo
Typical home $231K (Census) · tax rate 1.42% · or rent about $867/mo · Housing →
Spring Arbor Township$1,790/mo
Typical home $281K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.34% · or rent about $1,078/mo · Housing →

The difference: $310 a month, about $3,700 a year, between Spring Arbor Township and Sandstone 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.

Report cards

Spring Arbor Township places higher on 14 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.

Safety
–Sandstone TownshipNot graded ASpring Arbor TownshipSafer than 91% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−Sandstone TownshipBetter than 48% of districts in the state BSpring Arbor TownshipBetter than 63% of districts in the state
Health
C+Sandstone TownshipHealthier than 38% of U.S. towns BSpring Arbor TownshipHealthier than 57% of U.S. towns
4Sandstone Township
14Spring Arbor Township

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

Shortest commuteGetting around · 723 towns #433#146 Most new homesHousing · 512 towns #454#256 Fewest smokersHealth · 723 towns #394#144 Fastest growingGrowth · 723 towns #517#267 Cheapest rentCost of living · 687 towns #160#385 Most educatedPeople · 723 towns #437#209 Lowest obesityHealth · 723 towns #478#260 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 723 towns #353#163

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

Where they are

Sandstone Township and Spring Arbor Township share a border

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

Sandstone TownshipSpring Arbor TownshipSandstone TownshipSpring Arbor Township
Sandstone Township ↔ Spring Arbor Township5.7 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Who commutes between them
87 Spring Arbor Township residents work in Sandstone Township (2.9% of its workers)
60 Sandstone Township residents work in Spring Arbor Township (4.1% of its workers)
Work & commute in Spring Arbor Township →
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
Sandstone TownshipSpring Arbor Township
Snow a year40″40″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)20th17th
Outdoors & history
Sandstone TownshipSpring Arbor Township
Trails—2 mi
Conserved land—2.5%
Famous people born here1—
Community
Sandstone TownshipSpring Arbor Township
Library hours a week—45 hrs
Colleges in town—1
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.

Sandstone TownshipSpring Arbor Township
People
Population 3,902Lowest 8,498Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -1.4%Lowest MI: +2% +3.2%Highest MI: +2%
Median age 41.9±7.3Highest 4% above MI 38.9±4.9Lowest 3% below MI
Sandstone Township and Spring Arbor Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 25.8%±9.3Highest MI: 21.2% 21.3%±4.2Lowest MI: 21.2%
Sandstone Township and Spring Arbor Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 20.2%±6.7Highest MI: 18.6% 17.5%±3.8Lowest MI: 18.6%
Sandstone Township and Spring Arbor Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.9%Lowest MI: 32.4% 35.3%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.9%±1.9Lowest MI: 6.1% 14.7%±2.3Highest MI: 6.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $97,708±$28kHighest 34% above MI $87,316±$10kLowest 20% above MI
Sandstone Township and Spring Arbor Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $230,600±$31kHighest about the MI average $217,700±$27kLowest 6% below MI
Sandstone Township and Spring Arbor Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $867±$175Lowest 23% below MI $1,078±$309Highest 5% below MI
Spring Arbor Township and Sandstone Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,266Highest 12% above MI $2,915Lowest about the MI average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 28.7%±18.8Highest MI: 50.4% 13.5%±8.6Lowest MI: 50.4%
Sandstone Township and Spring Arbor Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 4.9%Lowest MI: 13.2% 6.5%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 92%Highest MI: 73.2% 81.7%Lowest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1975Lowest 3 yrs newer than MI 1977Highest 5 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 7% above MI 21 minLowest 15% below MI
Work from home 8.3%±4.6Highest MI: 13.5% 7.3%±2.1Lowest MI: 13.5%
Sandstone Township and Spring Arbor Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 5.7%Lowest 7.4%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miHighest 9.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.12Highest 0.59Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Jackson (20%)Jackson (20%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 4% work in Spring Arbor Township3% work in Sandstone Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.6%Lowest 2.5%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miLowest 2.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 3Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 3.9Lowest 7.4Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #260 of 493 in MI#168 of 493 in MI
School district Western School DistrictWestern School District
High school in town None in townWestern High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 19.8
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.

Sandstone Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sandstone Township’s Town Square.

Spring Arbor Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Spring Arbor Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Sandstone Township and Spring Arbor Township

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

Bordering Sandstone Township

T
+ Compare
Tompkins Township2,631 people · $207K homes
P
+ Compare
Parma Township2,651 people · $195K homes
B
+ Compare
Blackman Township25,605 people · $169K homes

Towns like Sandstone Township

S
+ Compare
Sherman Township3,471 people · $263K homes
E
+ Compare
Eaton Rapids Township4,001 people · $235K homes
L
+ Compare
Leroy Township3,676 people · $245K homes
D
+ Compare
Danby Township2,975 people · $289K 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 Sandstone Township

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