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Soo Township vs Porter Township

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

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

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

Soo Township$1,430/mo
Typical home $241K (Census) · tax rate 0.84% · or rent about $589/mo · Housing →
Porter Township$1,850/mo
Typical home $301K (Census) · tax rate 1.11% · or rent about $834/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
Soo TownshipPorter Township
Snow a year120″41″
January low8°F17°F
July high77°F82°F
Growing season (days)151d170d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)17th15th
Outdoors & history
Soo TownshipPorter Township
Trails21 mi10 mi
Conserved land2.2%2.4%
Famous people born here—1
Community
Soo TownshipPorter Township
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

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

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

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

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

Where they are

318 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Soo TownshipChippewa CountyPorter TownshipCass County
Soo Township ↔ Porter 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.

Soo TownshipPorter Township
People
Population 2,986Lowest 3,885Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -5.6%Lowest MI: +2% -1.3%Highest MI: +2%
Median age 49.3±5Lowest 23% above MI 49.5±4.3Highest 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 17.5%±4.6Lowest MI: 21.2% 19.8%±4.3Highest 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+ 23.7%±5Lowest MI: 18.6% 27.5%±5.4Highest 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+ 26.4%Lowest MI: 32.4% 27%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 9%±4.1Highest MI: 6.1% 1.9%±1.6Lowest MI: 6.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $79,107±$16kLowest 9% above MI $79,681±$9kHighest 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 $241,200±$37kLowest 4% above MI $300,800±$43kHighest 30% 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 $589±$354Lowest 48% below MI $834±$53Highest 26% 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 $2,032Lowest 30% below MI $3,329Highest 15% above MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 44.9%±25.6Highest MI: 50.4% 16.7%±11.8Lowest 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 5.4%Lowest MI: 13.2% 10.7%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 80.6%Lowest MI: 73.2% 83.5%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1984Highest 12 yrs newer than MI 1974Lowest 2 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 29% below MI 21 minHighest 13% below MI
Work from home 7.9%±5.7Highest MI: 13.5% 5.8%±3.1Lowest 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 6.4%Highest 5.8%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.3 miLowest 14.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.42Highest 0.19Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Sault Ste. Marie (55%)Elkhart (24%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Porter TownshipFew work in Soo Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.2%Lowest 2.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 20.8 miHighest 9.6 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Highest 2Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.8Lowest 3.8Highest
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.

Soo Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Soo Township’s Town Square.

Porter Township neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 1w

Missing Local Spots

1 neighbor in Porter Township can answer.

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Bordering Soo Township

R
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Raber Township597 people · $113K homes
B
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Bruce Township1,872 people · $184K homes
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Sugar Island Township577 people · $175K homes
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Sault Ste. Marie13,335 people · $139K homes

Towns like Soo Township

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Marengo Township2,451 people · $250K homes
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Stockbridge Township3,939 people · $231K homes
B
+ Compare
Baroda Township2,833 people · $234K homes
H
+ Compare
Hagar Township3,200 people · $238K 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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