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Spring Arbor Township vs Sandstone 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).

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

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 →
Sandstone TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
Health62% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Sandstone 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.

Spring Arbor Township$1,790/mo
Typical home $281K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.34% · or rent about $1,078/mo · Housing →
Sandstone Township$1,480/mo
Typical home $231K (Census) · tax rate 1.42% · or rent about $867/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
ASpring Arbor TownshipSafer than 91% of U.S. towns –Sandstone TownshipNot graded
Schools
BSpring Arbor TownshipBetter than 63% of districts in the state B−Sandstone TownshipBetter than 48% of districts in the state
Health
BSpring Arbor TownshipHealthier than 57% of U.S. towns C+Sandstone TownshipHealthier than 38% of U.S. towns
14Spring Arbor Township
4Sandstone Township

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

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

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

Where they are

Spring Arbor Township and Sandstone Township share a border

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

Spring Arbor TownshipSandstone TownshipSpring Arbor TownshipSandstone Township
Spring Arbor Township ↔ Sandstone 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
Spring Arbor TownshipSandstone Township
Snow a year40″40″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)17th20th
Outdoors & history
Spring Arbor TownshipSandstone Township
Trails2 mi—
Conserved land2.5%—
Famous people born here—1
Community
Spring Arbor TownshipSandstone Township
Library hours a week45 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.

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 TownshipSandstone Township
People
Population 8,498Highest 3,902Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.2%Highest MI: +2% -1.4%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 38.9±4.9Lowest 3% below MI 41.9±7.3Highest 4% 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.
Kids under 18 21.3%±4.2Lowest MI: 21.2% 25.8%±9.3Highest 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+ 17.5%±3.8Lowest MI: 18.6% 20.2%±6.7Highest 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+ 35.3%Highest MI: 32.4% 22.9%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 14.7%±2.3Highest MI: 6.1% 2.9%±1.9Lowest MI: 6.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $87,316±$10kLowest 20% above MI $97,708±$28kHighest 34% 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 $217,700±$27kLowest 6% below MI $230,600±$31kHighest about the MI average
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 $1,078±$309Highest 5% below MI $867±$175Lowest 23% 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 $2,915Lowest about the MI average $3,266Highest 12% above MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 13.5%±8.6Lowest MI: 50.4% 28.7%±18.8Highest 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 6.5%Highest MI: 13.2% 4.9%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 81.7%Lowest MI: 73.2% 92%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1977Highest 5 yrs newer than MI 1975Lowest 3 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 15% below MI 26 minHighest 7% above MI
Work from home 7.3%±2.1Lowest MI: 13.5% 8.3%±4.6Highest 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 7.4%Highest 5.7%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 9.8 miLowest 10.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.59Lowest 1.12Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Jackson (20%)Jackson (20%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 3% work in Sandstone Township4% work in Spring Arbor Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.5%Highest 0.6%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 2.3 miHighest 0.6 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 7.4Highest 3.9Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #168 of 493 in MI#260 of 493 in MI
School district Western School DistrictWestern School District
High school in town Western High SchoolNone in town
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.

Spring Arbor Township neighborsTown Square →

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

Sandstone Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sandstone Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Spring Arbor Township

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Summit Township22,817 people · $197K homes
C
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Concord Township2,739 people · $188K homes
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Hanover Township3,669 people · $228K homes

Towns like Spring Arbor Township

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Schoolcraft Township9,237 people · $258K homes
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Flushing8,284 people · $205K homes
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Flat Rock10,340 people · $229K homes
+ Compare
Northfield Township8,595 people · $315K 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.

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