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Compare towns

St. Ignace vs Harrison

130 miles apart. The biggest differences: household income (+64% in St. Ignace) and trails (3.5× in St. Ignace).

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St. Ignace, MIA colonial town, settled 1671Michigan · 2,463 people
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Harrison, MIOne of the healthiest townsMichigan · 2,110 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 →
HarrisonOne of the healthiest towns
Health91% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$137K typical home49% below the MI typical home SchoolsBetter than 26%of MI districts All about Harrison →
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.

Household income+64%
Households in St. Ignace earn more
St. Ignace $64,663Harrison $39,430
Trails3.5×
St. Ignace has more miles of trail
St. Ignace 5.2 miHarrison 1.5 mi
Property tax bill+48%
Tax bills are bigger in St. Ignace
St. Ignace $2,306Harrison $1,561
Work in town+23.8 pts
More of St. Ignace’s workers stay in town
St. Ignace 35.2%Harrison 11.4%
Seasonal homes+17.7 pts
Harrison has more second homes
Harrison 25.6%St. Ignace 7.9%
Growth since 2010+7.7 pts
Harrison has grown faster since 2010
Harrison +1.7%St. Ignace -6%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $810 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 →
Harrison$850/mo
Typical home $137K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.16% · or rent about $620/mo · Housing →

The difference: $810 a month, about $9,700 a year, between St. Ignace and Harrison.

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 32 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. IgnaceHarrison
Snow a year81″49″
January low7°F13°F
July high77°F82°F
Growing season (days)130d148d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)1st6th
Outdoors & history
St. IgnaceHarrison
Trails5 mi2 mi
Conserved land7.2%2.7%
Settled1671—
National Register places1—
Archive photos—13
Famous people born here—1
Community
St. IgnaceHarrison
Library hours a week42 hrs46 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.

Schools
BSt. IgnaceBetter than 58% of districts in the state CHarrisonBetter than 26% of districts in the state
Health
DSt. IgnaceHealthier than 9% of U.S. towns DHarrisonHealthier than 9% of U.S. towns
Where they are

130 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

St. IgnaceMIHarrisonMI
St. Ignace ↔ Harrison130 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. IgnaceHarrison
People
Population 2,463Highest 2,110Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -6%Lowest MI: +2% +1.7%Highest MI: +2%
Median age 48.8±3.3Highest 21% above MI 47.2±13.6Lowest 17% above MI
St. Ignace and Harrison 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% 19.3%±3.9Highest MI: 21.2%
Harrison 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% 28.9%±5.4Highest MI: 18.6%
Harrison 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%Highest MI: 32.4% 12.4%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.9%±1Lowest MI: 6.1% 3.2%±2Highest MI: 6.1%
Harrison and St. Ignace 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 $39,430±$3kLowest 46% below MI
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $132,200±$37kLowest 43% below MI $135,100±$32kHighest 42% below MI
Harrison and St. Ignace 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 $620±$63Highest 45% below MI
Harrison 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 $1,561Lowest 46% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 49.2%±11.5Highest MI: 50.4% 48.5%±13.2Lowest MI: 50.4%
St. Ignace and Harrison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 24.6%Lowest MI: 13.2% 25.5%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 64.5%Highest MI: 73.2% 64.2%Lowest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1965Lowest 7 yrs older than MI 1968Highest 4 yrs older than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 31 minHighest 29% above MI 27 minLowest 13% above MI
Work from home 7.1%±3.6Lowest MI: 13.5% 8.9%±4.9Highest MI: 13.5%
Harrison 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 11.4%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.3 miLowest 35.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.27Lowest 1.43Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sault Ste. Marie (8%)Mount Pleasant (7%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in HarrisonFew work in St. Ignace
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 7.2%Highest 2.7%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 5.2 miHighest 1.5 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.0 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Highest 4Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 58.2Highest 35.9Lowest
Schools
School district —Harrison Community Schools
High school in town —Harrison Community High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 15.3
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.

Harrison neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Harrison’s Town Square.

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Bordering St. Ignace

M
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Moran Township998 people · $230K homes
S
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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
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Chesaning2,484 people · $137K homes
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Bad Axe2,992 people · $125K homes
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L'Anse1,790 people · $104K 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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