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Vandercook Lake vs Jackson

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (52× in Jackson) and jobs per worker (4.8× in Jackson).

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Vandercook Lake, MIA town of 4,375Michigan · 4,375 people
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Jackson, MIA history townMichigan · 31,058 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.

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 →
JacksonA history town
HistorySettled in 182915 places on the National Register Famous people69 notable peopleborn in Jackson Housing$192K typical home28% below the MI typical home All about Jackson →
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.

Trails52×
Jackson has more miles of trail
Jackson 15.6 miVandercook Lake 0.3 mi
Jobs per worker4.8×
Jackson is more of a job hub
Jackson 2.27Vandercook Lake 0.47
Size7.1×
Jackson is the bigger place
Jackson 31,058Vandercook Lake 4,375
Homeowners+38.1 pts renters
Jackson has more renters
Vandercook Lake 92.8%Jackson 54.7%
Work in town+26.8 pts
More of Jackson’s workers stay in town
Jackson 29.6%Vandercook Lake 2.8%
Street grid2.2×
Jackson has the more walkable street grid
Jackson 96.2Vandercook Lake 43.8
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $410 more a month in Jackson

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.

Vandercook Lake$870/mo
Typical home $137K (Census) · tax rate 1.37% · or rent about $1,141/mo · Housing →
Jackson$1,280/mo
Typical home $192K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.70% · or rent about $898/mo · Housing →

The difference: $410 a month, about $4,900 a year, between Jackson 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

Vandercook Lake and Jackson share a border

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

Vandercook LakeJacksonVandercook LakeJackson
Vandercook Lake ↔ Jackson3.7 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
440 Vandercook Lake residents work in Jackson (24.6% 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.

Safety
–Vandercook LakeNot graded D−JacksonSafer than 3% of U.S. towns
Schools
–Vandercook LakeNot graded CJacksonBetter than 25% of districts in the state
Health
–Vandercook LakeNot graded D−JacksonHealthier than 3% of U.S. towns
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
Vandercook LakeJackson
Snow a year44″33″
January low15°F16°F
July high83°F82°F
Growing season (days)161d163d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)20th28th
Outdoors & history
Vandercook LakeJackson
Trails0 mi16 mi
Conserved land1.1%10.2%
Settled—1829
National Register places—15
Archive photos—18
Famous people born here—69
Community
Vandercook LakeJackson
Library hours a week49 hrs63 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.

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.

Vandercook LakeJackson
People
Population 4,375Lowest 31,058Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -3%Highest MI: +2% -6.6%Lowest MI: +2%
Median age 42.4±3.1Highest 5% above MI 35.3±1.7Lowest 12% below MI
Kids under 18 15.5%±3.6Lowest MI: 21.2% 23.9%±1.9Highest MI: 21.2%
Age 65+ 20.2%±2.7Highest MI: 18.6% 13.3%±1.2Lowest MI: 18.6%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.7%Highest MI: 32.4% 16.1%Lowest MI: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±1.5Lowest MI: 6.1% 4.2%±0.9Highest MI: 6.1%
Jackson 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 $59,262±$11kHighest 19% below MI $44,558±$2kLowest 39% below MI
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $136,600±$26kHighest 41% below MI $103,200±$7kLowest 55% below MI
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,141±$43Highest about the MI average $898±$47Lowest 20% below MI
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,865Highest 36% below MI $1,753Lowest 40% below MI
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 16.7%±22.7Lowest MI: 50.4% 55%±5.8Highest MI: 50.4%
Below poverty line 7%Lowest MI: 13.2% 24.6%Highest MI: 13.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 92.8%Highest MI: 73.2% 54.7%Lowest MI: 73.2%
Typical home builtmedian year 1958Highest 14 yrs older than MI 1938Lowest 34 yrs older than MI
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 20 minHighest 16% below MI 17 minLowest 30% below MI
Work from home 3.6%±2.7Lowest MI: 13.5% 9%±1.7Highest MI: 13.5%
Work in townworking residents 2.8%Lowest 29.6%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.8 miHighest 5.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.47Lowest 2.27Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Jackson (25%)Blackman Township (12%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 25% work in JacksonFew work in Vandercook Lake
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.1%Lowest 10.2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miLowest 15.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 1.4 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 20Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 43.8Lowest 96.2Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#424 of 493 in MI
School district —Jackson Public Schools · Jackson ISD
High school in town —Jackson High School
Students per teacherat that high school — 17.3
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.

Vandercook Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Vandercook Lake’s Town Square.

Jackson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jackson’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Vandercook Lake and Jackson

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Bordering Vandercook Lake

S
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Summit Township22,817 people · $197K homes

Towns like Vandercook Lake

F
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Fremont Township3,159 people · $144K homes
E
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Essexville3,327 people · $129K homes
F
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Fraser Township2,965 people · $163K homes
V
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Vassar Township3,867 people · $123K 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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