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Compare towns

Spring Arbor Township vs Flat Rock

65 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (6.5× in Flat Rock) and property tax bill (+87% in Flat Rock).

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Spring Arbor Township, MIKnown for its schoolsJackson County · 8,498 people
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Flat Rock, MIAn outdoors townMichigan · 10,340 people
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.

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.

★ What stands out · Report cards

Spring Arbor Township places higher on 11 of 21 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.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Spring Arbor Township$1,790/mo
Typical home $281K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.34% · or rent about $1,078/mo · Housing →
Flat Rock$1,940/mo
Typical home $268K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.38% · or rent about $919/mo · Housing →

The difference: $150 a month, about $1,800 a year, between Flat Rock and Spring Arbor 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

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
Spring Arbor TownshipFlat Rock
Snow a year40″45″
January low—19°F
July high—84°F
Growing season (days)—188d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)17th21st
Outdoors & history
Spring Arbor TownshipFlat Rock
Trails2 mi4 mi
Conserved land2.5%4.1%
Archive photos—12
Famous people born here—4
Community
Spring Arbor TownshipFlat Rock
Library hours a week45 hrs44 hrs
Colleges in town1—
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.

Where they are

65 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Spring Arbor Township ↔ Flat Rock65 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.

Spring Arbor TownshipFlat Rock
People
Population 8,498Lowest 10,340Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.2%Lowest MI: +2% +6.7%Highest MI: +2%
Median age 38.9±4.9Lowest 3% below MI 39.3±1.9Highest about the MI average
Flat Rock and Spring Arbor Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21.3%±4.2Lowest MI: 21.2% 24.7%±4Highest MI: 21.2%
Flat Rock and Spring Arbor Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.5%±3.8Highest MI: 18.6% 15.3%±2.8Lowest MI: 18.6%
Spring Arbor Township and Flat Rock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 35.3%Highest MI: 32.4% 29.5%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 14.7%±2.3Highest MI: 6.1% 6.3%±2.5Lowest MI: 6.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $87,316±$10kHighest 20% above MI $81,585±$10kLowest 12% above MI
Spring Arbor Township and Flat Rock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $217,700±$27kLowest 6% below MI $228,800±$22kHighest about the MI average
Flat Rock and Spring Arbor Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,078±$309Highest 5% below MI $919±$125Lowest 19% below MI
Spring Arbor Township and Flat Rock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,915Lowest about the MI average $5,455Highest 88% above MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 13.5%±8.6Lowest MI: 50.4% 38.4%±17.3Highest MI: 50.4%
Flat Rock and Spring Arbor Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 6.5%Lowest MI: 13.2% 10.3%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 81.7%Lowest MI: 73.2% 83.2%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977Lowest 5 yrs newer than MI 1985Highest 13 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 15% below MI 29 minHighest 20% above MI
Work from home 7.3%±2.1Lowest MI: 13.5% 9.1%±2.6Highest MI: 13.5%
Flat Rock 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 7.4%Highest 4.8%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miLowest 16.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.59Highest 0.39Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Jackson (20%)Detroit (9%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Flat RockFew work in Spring Arbor Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.5%Lowest 4.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 2.3 miLowest 3.7 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3 3
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 7.4Lowest 48.2Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #168 of 493 in MI#382 of 493 in MI
School district Western School DistrictFlat Rock Community Schools · Huron School District
High school in town Western High SchoolFlat Rock Community High School
Students per teacherat that high school 19.8Highest 17.3Lowest
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.

Spring Arbor Township neighborsTown Square →

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

Flat Rock neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Flat Rock’s Town Square.

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Bordering Spring Arbor Township

Towns like Spring Arbor Township

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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