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Compare towns

St. Ignace vs Bad Axe

167 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (5.8× in St. Ignace) and household income (+45% in St. Ignace).

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St. Ignace, MIA colonial town, settled 1671Michigan · 2,463 people
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Bad Axe, MIHomes around $178KMichigan · 2,992 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.

St. IgnaceA colonial town, settled 1671
HistorySettled in 16711 place on the National Register Health91% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about St. Ignace →
Bad AxeHomes around $178K
Housing$178K typical home33% below the MI typical home Health89% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Outdoors#172 most walkable in MI0.9 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves All about Bad Axe →
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.

Trails5.8×
St. Ignace has more miles of trail
St. Ignace 5.2 miBad Axe 0.9 mi
Household income+45%
Households in St. Ignace earn more
St. Ignace $64,663Bad Axe $44,688
Average commute10 min
Bad Axe has the shorter commute
St. Ignace 31 minBad Axe 22 min
Property tax bill+26%
Tax bills are bigger in St. Ignace
St. Ignace $2,306Bad Axe $1,834
Jobs per worker+67%
Bad Axe is more of a job hub
Bad Axe 2.12St. Ignace 1.27
Work in town+9.9 pts
More of St. Ignace’s workers stay in town
St. Ignace 35.2%Bad Axe 25.3%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $500 more a month in St. Ignace

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.

St. Ignace$1,650/mo
Typical home $247K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.74% · or rent about $607/mo · Housing →
Bad Axe$1,150/mo
Typical home $178K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.46% · or rent about $742/mo · Housing →

The difference: $500 a month, about $6,100 a year, between St. Ignace and Bad Axe.

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

St. Ignace gets 38 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
St. IgnaceBad Axe
Snow a year81″43″
January low7°F13°F
July high77°F80°F
Growing season (days)130d152d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)1st7th
Outdoors & history
St. IgnaceBad Axe
Trails5 mi1 mi
Conserved land7.2%3%
Settled16711870
National Register places1—
Archive photos—10
Famous people born here—6
Community
St. IgnaceBad Axe
Library hours a week42 hrs48 hrs
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.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

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
–St. IgnaceNot graded B−Bad AxeSafer than 49% of U.S. towns
Schools
BSt. IgnaceBetter than 58% of districts in the state B−Bad AxeBetter than 48% of districts in the state
Health
DSt. IgnaceHealthier than 9% of U.S. towns DBad AxeHealthier than 11% of U.S. towns
Where they are

167 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

St. IgnaceMIBad AxeMI
St. Ignace ↔ Bad Axe167 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.

St. IgnaceBad Axe
People
Population 2,463Lowest 2,992Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -6%Lowest MI: +2% -3.5%Highest MI: +2%
Median age 48.8±3.3Highest 21% above MI 48.6±5.8Lowest 21% above MI
St. Ignace and Bad Axe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 13.8%±2.7Lowest MI: 21.2% 16.7%±4.3Highest MI: 21.2%
Bad Axe and St. Ignace are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 22.3%±2.9Lowest MI: 18.6% 26.4%±5.2Highest MI: 18.6%
Bad Axe and St. Ignace are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.1%Lowest MI: 32.4% 22.1%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.9%±1Highest MI: 6.1% 0%±0.5Lowest MI: 6.1%
St. Ignace and Bad Axe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $64,663±$9kHighest 11% below MI $44,688±$11kLowest 39% below MI
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $132,200±$37kHighest 43% below MI $125,200±$12kLowest 46% below MI
St. Ignace and Bad Axe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $607±$53Lowest 46% below MI $742±$86Highest 34% below MI
Bad Axe and St. Ignace are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,306Highest 21% below MI $1,834Lowest 37% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 49.2%±11.5Lowest MI: 50.4% 51.7%±18.2Highest MI: 50.4%
Bad Axe and St. Ignace are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 24.6%Highest MI: 13.2% 20.2%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 64.5%Highest MI: 73.2% 57.4%Lowest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1965Highest 7 yrs older than MI 1961Lowest 11 yrs older than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 31 minHighest 29% above MI 22 minLowest 11% below MI
Work from home 7.1%±3.6Lowest MI: 13.5% 8%±5.9Highest MI: 13.5%
Bad Axe and St. Ignace are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 35.2%Highest 25.3%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.3 miLowest 13.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.27Lowest 2.12Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sault Ste. Marie (8%)Colfax Township (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Bad AxeFew work in St. Ignace
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7.2%Highest 3%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 5.2 miHighest 0.9 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.0 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Highest 3Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 58.2Highest 52.9Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#283 of 493 in MI
School district —Bad Axe Public Schools
High school in town —Bad Axe High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 12.2
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.

St. Ignace neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to St. Ignace’s Town Square.

Bad Axe neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bad Axe’s Town Square.

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Bordering St. Ignace

M
+ Compare
Moran Township998 people · $230K homes
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St. Ignace Township1,093 people · $179K homes

Towns like St. Ignace

S
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St. Charles1,934 people · $119K homes
H
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Harrison2,110 people · $135K homes
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Chesaning2,484 people · $137K homes
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L'Anse1,790 people · $104K 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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