Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Springvale Township vs Bear Creek Township

Next-door neighbors in Emmet County. The biggest differences: street grid (5.2× in Bear Creek Township) and jobs per worker (6.1× in Bear Creek Township).

×
Springvale Township, MIAn outdoors townEmmet County · 2,619 people
×
Bear Creek Township, MIOne of the healthiest townsEmmet County · 6,544 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.

Springvale TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors#62 most trails in MI84 miles of trails across 10 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 81%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Springvale Township →
Bear Creek TownshipOne of the healthiest towns
HealthHealthier than 80%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Outdoors#177 most trails in MI39 miles of trails across 15 parks and preserves SchoolsBetter than 83%of MI districts All about Bear Creek 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.

Street grid5.2×
Bear Creek Township has the more walkable street grid
Bear Creek Township 8.3Springvale Township 1.6
Jobs per worker6.1×
Bear Creek Township is more of a job hub
Bear Creek Township 1.09Springvale Township 0.18
Homeowners+33.2 pts renters
Bear Creek Township has more renters
Springvale Township 97.2%Bear Creek Township 64%
Home values+44%
Homes cost more in Bear Creek Township
Bear Creek Township $364,500Springvale Township $254,000
Age 65++17.2 pts
Bear Creek Township has more people 65 and up
Bear Creek Township 31%Springvale Township 13.8%
Trails2.2×
Springvale Township has more miles of trail
Springvale Township 83.8 miBear Creek Township 38.9 mi
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $610 more a month in Bear Creek 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.

Springvale Township$1,540/mo
Typical home $254K (Census) · tax rate 0.97% · or rent about $1,645/mo · Housing →
Bear Creek Township$2,150/mo
Typical home $365K (Census) · tax rate 0.78% · or rent about $1,453/mo · Housing →

The difference: $610 a month, about $7,300 a year, between Bear Creek Township and Springvale 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.

Where they are

Springvale Township and Bear Creek Township share a border

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

Springvale TownshipBear Creek TownshipSpringvale TownshipBear Creek Township
Springvale Township ↔ Bear Creek Township5.3 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Who commutes between them
92 Springvale Township residents work in Bear Creek Township (11.7% of its workers)
Work & commute in Springvale Township →
Report cards

Bear Creek Township places higher on 8 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
–Springvale TownshipNot graded A−Bear Creek TownshipBetter than 83% of districts in the state
Health
A−Springvale TownshipHealthier than 81% of U.S. towns A−Bear Creek TownshipHealthier than 80% of U.S. towns
5Springvale Township
8Bear Creek Township

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

Most walkableOutdoors · 723 towns #715#375 Shortest commuteGetting around · 723 towns #434#109 Highest incomeIncome · 723 towns #118#441 Fastest growingGrowth · 723 towns #440#189 Most affordableCost of living · 723 towns #446#632 Most trailsOutdoors · 601 towns #62#177 Lowest property taxCost of living · 723 towns #280#402 Most remote workersWork · 714 towns #614#499

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

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
Springvale TownshipBear Creek Township
Snow a year120″124″
January low12°F15°F
July high76°F75°F
Growing season (days)147d166d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)51st3rd
Outdoors & history
Springvale TownshipBear Creek Township
Trails84 mi39 mi
Conserved land2.1%2.4%
National Register places—1
Community
Springvale TownshipBear Creek Township
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.

Springvale TownshipBear Creek Township
People
Population 2,619Lowest 6,544Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.2%Lowest MI: +2% +5.5%Highest MI: +2%
Median age 43.6±4.8Lowest 8% above MI 51.1±7.1Highest 27% above MI
Bear Creek Township and Springvale Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 24.9%±4.3Highest MI: 21.2% 18%±3.5Lowest MI: 21.2%
Springvale Township and Bear Creek Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 13.8%±2.3Lowest MI: 18.6% 31%±5.2Highest MI: 18.6%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 37.3%Lowest MI: 32.4% 42.9%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.1%±1.3Lowest MI: 6.1% 2.5%±1.4Highest MI: 6.1%
Bear Creek Township and Springvale Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $102,083±$18kHighest 40% above MI $71,090±$13kLowest about the MI average
Springvale Township and Bear Creek Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $254,000±$41kLowest 10% above MI $364,500±$34kHighest 57% above MI
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,645±$701Highest 46% above MI $1,453±$191Lowest 29% above MI
Springvale Township and Bear Creek Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,453Lowest 16% below MI $2,826Highest about the MI average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 29.6%±78.2Lowest MI: 50.4% 48.7%±14.4Highest MI: 50.4%
Bear Creek Township and Springvale Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 3.2%Lowest MI: 13.2% 9.9%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 97.2%Highest MI: 73.2% 64%Lowest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1991Highest 19 yrs newer than MI 1987Lowest 15 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 7% above MI 20 minLowest 19% below MI
Work from home 5.6%±3Lowest MI: 13.5% 7.8%±3Highest MI: 13.5%
Bear Creek Township and Springvale Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 1%Lowest 13.6%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miHighest 6.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.18Lowest 1.09Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Petoskey (22%)Petoskey (28%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 12% work in Bear Creek TownshipFew work in Springvale Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.1%Lowest 2.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 83.8 miHighest 38.9 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.8 miHighest 0.9 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 10Lowest 15Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 1.6Lowest 8.3Highest
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.

Springvale Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Springvale Township’s Town Square.

Bear Creek Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bear Creek Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Springvale Township and Bear Creek Township

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

Bordering Springvale Township

+ Compare
Littlefield Township3,224 people · $257K homes
C
+ Compare
Chandler Township266 people · $262K homes
M
+ Compare
Mentor Township866 people · $180K homes

Towns like Springvale Township

S
+ Compare
Sands Township2,425 people · $259K homes
+ Compare
Tecumseh Township2,103 people · $309K homes
+ Compare
Negaunee Township3,255 people · $302K homes
C
+ Compare
Charleston Township2,002 people · $245K 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.

Post to Springvale 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