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

ASpring Arbor TownshipSafer than 91% of U.S. towns B+Northfield TownshipSafer than 74% of U.S. towns

Schools

BSpring Arbor TownshipBetter than 63% of districts in the state ANorthfield TownshipBetter than 88% of districts in the state

Health

BSpring Arbor TownshipHealthier than 57% of U.S. towns ANorthfield TownshipHealthier than 94% of U.S. towns

6Spring Arbor Township

15Northfield Township

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 723 towns #146#558 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 723 towns #531#143 Most new homesHousing · 512 towns #256#19 Most remote workersWork · 714 towns #530#234 Cheapest rentCost of living · 687 towns #385#643 Most conserved landOutdoors · 712 towns #481#217 HealthiestHealth · 723 towns #294#39 Most activeHealth · 723 towns #287#34

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $250 more a month in Northfield 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.

Down paymentRate%

Spring Arbor Township$1,790/mo

Typical home $281K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.34% · or rent about $1,078/mo · Housing →

Northfield Township$2,040/mo

Typical home $315K (Census) · tax rate 1.46% · or rent about $1,621/mo · Housing →

The difference: $250 a month, about $3,000 a year, between Northfield Township 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 TownshipNorthfield Township

Snow a year40″61″

January low—16°F

July high—84°F

Growing season (days)—160d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)17th 33rd

Outdoors & history

Spring Arbor TownshipNorthfield Township

Trails2 mi 8 mi

Conserved land2.5%7.1%

National Register places—8

Archive photos—12

Famous people born here—2

Community

Spring Arbor TownshipNorthfield Township

Library hours a week45 hrs 49 hrs

Colleges in town1 —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

43 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Spring Arbor TownshipJackson County Northfield TownshipWashtenaw County

Spring Arbor Township ↔ Northfield Township43 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.

Only big differences vs Michigan average

Spring Arbor TownshipNorthfield Township

People

Population 8,498Lowest 8,595Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.2%Lowest MI: +2% +3.7%Highest MI: +2%

Median age 38.9±4.9Lowest 3% below MI 39.3±3.3Highest about the MI average

Northfield 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 21.3%±4.2Highest MI: 21.2% 20.7%±3.2Lowest MI: 21.2%

Spring Arbor Township and Northfield 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% 16.5%±2.6Lowest MI: 18.6%

Spring Arbor Township and Northfield Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 35.3%Lowest MI: 32.4% 37.8%Highest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 14.7%±2.3Highest MI: 6.1% 5.9%±1.6Lowest MI: 6.1%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $87,316±$10kLowest 20% above MI $94,259±$14kHighest 29% above MI

Northfield 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 $217,700±$27kLowest 6% below MI $315,400±$24kHighest 36% above MI

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,078±$309Lowest 5% below MI $1,621±$101Highest 44% above MI

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,915Lowest about the MI average $4,608Highest 59% above MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 13.5%±8.6Lowest MI: 50.4% 19.1%±5.6Highest MI: 50.4%

Northfield 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 6.5%Highest MI: 13.2% 5.1%Lowest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 81.7%Highest MI: 73.2% 78.8%Lowest 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 19% above MI

Work from home 7.3%±2.1Lowest MI: 13.5% 13%±3.2Highest MI: 13.5%

Work in townworking residents 7.4%Highest 5.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miLowest 13.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.59Highest 0.42Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Jackson (20%)Ann Arbor (20%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Northfield TownshipFew work in Spring Arbor Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.5%Lowest 7.1%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 2.3 miLowest 8.0 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 4Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 7.4Lowest 9.1Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #168 of 493 in MI #210 of 493 in MI

School district Western School DistrictWhitmore Lake Public School District

High school in town Western High SchoolWhitmore Lake High School

Students per teacherat that high school 19.8Highest 12.8Lowest

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.

Northfield Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Northfield Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Spring Arbor Township and Northfield Township

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Bordering Spring Arbor Township

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Summit Township22,817 people · $197K homes

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Hanover Township3,669 people · $228K homes

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Sandstone Township3,902 people · $231K homes

Towns like Spring Arbor Township

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Schoolcraft Township9,237 people · $258K homes

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Cooper Township10,469 people · $237K 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.

Spring Arbor Township vs Northfield Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Northfield Township places higher on 15 of 21 MI lists

A typical home costs $250 more a month in Northfield Township

What daily life feels like in each

43 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Spring Arbor Township and Northfield Township

Bordering Spring Arbor Township

Towns like Spring Arbor Township

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