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Summit Township vs Spring Arbor Township

Next-door neighbors in Jackson County. The biggest differences: street grid (3.9× in Summit Township) and trails (4.2× in Summit Township).

S ×
Summit Township, MIAn outdoors townJackson County · 22,817 people
S ×
Spring Arbor Township, MIKnown for its schoolsJackson County · 8,498 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.

Summit TownshipAn outdoors town
Outdoors#254 most walkable in MI9.6 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves Health79% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates College town1 collegeJackson College All about Summit Township →
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 →
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 grid3.9×
Summit Township has the more walkable street grid
Summit Township 28.6Spring Arbor Township 7.4
Trails4.2×
Summit Township has more miles of trail
Summit Township 9.6 miSpring Arbor Township 2.3 mi
Household income+32%
Households in Spring Arbor Township earn more
Spring Arbor Township $87,316Summit Township $65,987
Size2.7×
Summit Township is the bigger place
Summit Township 22,817Spring Arbor Township 8,498
Age 65++7 pts
Summit Township has more people 65 and up
Summit Township 24.5%Spring Arbor Township 17.5%
Typical home built15 yrs
Summit Township’s homes are older
Spring Arbor Township 1977Summit Township 1962
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $550 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.

Summit Township$1,240/mo
Typical home $197K (Census) · tax rate 1.26% · or rent about $1,069/mo · Housing →
Spring Arbor Township$1,790/mo
Typical home $281K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.34% · or rent about $1,078/mo · Housing →

The difference: $550 a month, about $6,500 a year, between Spring Arbor Township and Summit 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 11 of 20 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
–Summit TownshipNot graded ASpring Arbor TownshipSafer than 91% of U.S. towns
Schools
CSummit TownshipBetter than 25% of districts in the state BSpring Arbor TownshipBetter than 63% of districts in the state
Health
C−Summit TownshipHealthier than 21% of U.S. towns BSpring Arbor TownshipHealthier than 57% of U.S. towns
8Summit Township
11Spring Arbor Township

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Fewest uninsuredHealth · 723 towns #529#163 Lowest obesityHealth · 723 towns #602#260 Fewest smokersHealth · 723 towns #467#144 Most activeHealth · 723 towns #610#287 HealthiestHealth · 723 towns #615#294 Best schoolsSchools · 493 towns #372#168 Highest incomeIncome · 723 towns #503#234 Most trailsOutdoors · 601 towns #347#544

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

Where they are

Summit Township and Spring Arbor Township share a border

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

Summit TownshipSpring Arbor TownshipSummit TownshipSpring Arbor Township
Summit Township ↔ Spring Arbor Township5.6 miles apart · They share a border · Same county
Who commutes between them
216 Summit Township residents work in Spring Arbor Township (2.4% of its workers)
195 Spring Arbor Township residents work in Summit Township (6.5% of its workers)
Work & commute in Summit 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
Summit TownshipSpring Arbor Township
Snow a year44″40″
January low15°F—
July high83°F—
Growing season (days)161d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)26th17th
Outdoors & history
Summit TownshipSpring Arbor Township
Trails10 mi2 mi
Conserved land5.6%2.5%
Community
Summit TownshipSpring Arbor Township
Library hours a week49 hrs45 hrs
Colleges in town11
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.

Summit TownshipSpring Arbor Township
People
Population 22,817Highest 8,498Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.8%Lowest MI: +2% +3.2%Highest MI: +2%
Median age 45.8±3.2Highest 14% above MI 38.9±4.9Lowest 3% below MI
Summit 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 19.3%±2.1Lowest MI: 21.2% 21.3%±4.2Highest MI: 21.2%
Spring Arbor Township and Summit Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 24.5%±2.3Highest MI: 18.6% 17.5%±3.8Lowest MI: 18.6%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30.1%Lowest MI: 32.4% 35.3%Highest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.7%±0.8Lowest MI: 6.1% 14.7%±2.3Highest MI: 6.1%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $65,987±$3kLowest 9% below MI $87,316±$10kHighest 20% above MI
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $197,400±$11kLowest 15% below MI $217,700±$27kHighest 6% below MI
Spring Arbor Township and Summit Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,069±$70Lowest 5% below MI $1,078±$309Highest 5% below MI
Spring Arbor Township and Summit Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,486Lowest 14% below MI $2,915Highest about the MI average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 38.6%±7.4Highest MI: 50.4% 13.5%±8.6Lowest MI: 50.4%
Below poverty line 7.7%Highest MI: 13.2% 6.5%Lowest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 81.2%Lowest MI: 73.2% 81.7%Highest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1962Lowest 10 yrs older than MI 1977Highest 5 yrs newer than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 20% below MI 21 minHighest 15% below MI
Work from home 9.5%±2.4Highest MI: 13.5% 7.3%±2.1Lowest MI: 13.5%
Summit 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 9.8%Highest 7.4%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.8 miLowest 9.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.69Highest 0.59Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Jackson (27%)Jackson (20%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Spring Arbor Township7% work in Summit Township
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5.6%Highest 2.5%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 9.6 miHighest 2.3 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 6Highest 3Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 28.6Highest 7.4Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #372 of 493 in MI#168 of 493 in MI
School district Jackson Preparatory & Early College · Jackson Public SchoolsWestern School District
High school in town Jackson Preparatory Early CollegeWestern High School
Students per teacherat that high school 19.8 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.

Summit Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Summit Township’s Town Square.

Spring Arbor Township neighborsTown Square →

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

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Set another town beside Summit Township and Spring Arbor Township

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Bordering Summit Township

+ Compare
Jackson31,058 people · $103K homes
B
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Blackman Township25,605 people · $169K homes
L
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Liberty Township3,067 people · $250K homes
V
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Vandercook Lake4,375 people · $137K homes

Towns like Summit Township

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+ Compare
Trenton18,125 people · $211K homes
A
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Allen Park27,925 people · $184K homes
B
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Bedford Township31,914 people · $253K homes
H
+ Compare
Harrison Township24,061 people · $262K 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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