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Summit Township vs Vandercook Lake

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (32× in Summit Township) and size (5.2× in Summit Township).

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Summit Township, MIAn outdoors townJackson County · 22,817 people

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Vandercook Lake, MIA town of 4,375Michigan · 4,375 people

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 →

Vandercook LakeA town of 4,375

Quiet strengthsVandercook Lake doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about Vandercook Lake →

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.

Summit Township has more miles of trail

Summit Township 9.6 miVandercook Lake 0.3 mi

Summit Township is the bigger place

Summit Township 22,817Vandercook Lake 4,375

Home values+45%

Homes cost more in Summit Township

Summit Township $197,400Vandercook Lake $136,600

Property tax bill+33%

Tax bills are bigger in Summit Township

Summit Township $2,486Vandercook Lake $1,865

Work from home+5.9 pts

More people work from home in Summit Township

Summit Township 9.5%Vandercook Lake 3.6%

Homeowners+11.6 pts renters

Summit Township has more renters

Vandercook Lake 92.8%Summit Township 81.2%

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $370 more a month in Summit 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.

Down paymentRate%

Summit Township$1,240/mo

Typical home $197K (Census) · tax rate 1.26% · or rent about $1,069/mo · Housing →

Vandercook Lake$870/mo

Typical home $137K (Census) · tax rate 1.37% · or rent about $1,141/mo · Housing →

The difference: $370 a month, about $4,400 a year, between Summit Township and Vandercook Lake.

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

Summit Township and Vandercook Lake share a border

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

Summit TownshipVandercook Lake

Summit Township ↔ Vandercook Lake2.3 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

198 Vandercook Lake residents work in Summit Township (11.1% of its workers)

Work & commute in Vandercook Lake →

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

CSummit TownshipBetter than 25% of districts in the state –Vandercook LakeNot graded

Health

C−Summit TownshipHealthier than 21% of U.S. towns –Vandercook LakeNot graded

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 TownshipVandercook Lake

Snow a year44″44″

January low15°F 15°F

July high83°F 83°F

Growing season (days)161d 161d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)26th 20th

Outdoors & history

Summit TownshipVandercook Lake

Trails10 mi 0 mi

Conserved land5.6%1.1%

Community

Summit TownshipVandercook Lake

Library hours a week49 hrs 49 hrs

Colleges in town1 —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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.

Only big differences vs Michigan average

Summit TownshipVandercook Lake

People

Population 22,817Highest 4,375Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.8%Highest MI: +2% -3%Lowest MI: +2%

Median age 45.8±3.2Highest 14% above MI 42.4±3.1Lowest 5% above MI

Summit Township and Vandercook Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 19.3%±2.1Highest MI: 21.2% 15.5%±3.6Lowest MI: 21.2%

Summit Township and Vandercook Lake 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% 20.2%±2.7Lowest MI: 18.6%

Summit Township and Vandercook Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30.1%Highest MI: 32.4% 18.7%Lowest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.7%±0.8Highest MI: 6.1% 3.5%±1.5Lowest MI: 6.1%

Summit Township and Vandercook Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $65,987±$3kHighest 9% below MI $59,262±$11kLowest 19% below MI

Summit Township and Vandercook Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $197,400±$11kHighest 15% below MI $136,600±$26kLowest 41% below MI

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,069±$70Lowest 5% below MI $1,141±$43Highest about the MI average

Vandercook Lake and Summit Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,486Highest 14% below MI $1,865Lowest 36% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 38.6%±7.4Highest MI: 50.4% 16.7%±22.7Lowest MI: 50.4%

Summit Township and Vandercook Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 7.7%Highest MI: 13.2% 7%Lowest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 81.2%Lowest MI: 73.2% 92.8%Highest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1962Highest 10 yrs older than MI 1958Lowest 14 yrs older than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 20% below MI 20 minHighest 16% below MI

Work from home 9.5%±2.4Highest MI: 13.5% 3.6%±2.7Lowest MI: 13.5%

Work in townworking residents 9.8%Highest 2.8%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 5.8 miLowest 6.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.69Highest 0.47Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Jackson (27%)Jackson (25%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Vandercook Lake11% work in Summit Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 5.6%Highest 1.1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 9.6 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 6Highest 2Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 28.6Lowest 43.8Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #372 of 493 in MI—

School district Jackson Preparatory & Early College · Jackson Public Schools—

High school in town Jackson Preparatory Early College—

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.

Summit Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Summit Township’s Town Square.

Vandercook Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Vandercook Lake’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Summit Township and Vandercook Lake

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

Bordering Summit Township

Jackson31,058 people · $103K homes

Spring Arbor Township8,498 people · $218K homes

Blackman Township25,605 people · $169K homes

Liberty Township3,067 people · $250K homes

Towns like Summit Township

Trenton18,125 people · $211K homes

Allen Park27,925 people · $184K homes

Bedford Township31,914 people · $253K homes

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.