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Vandercook Lake vs Summit Township

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

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

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

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 →

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 →

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%

Vandercook Lake$870/mo

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

Summit Township$1,240/mo

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

Vandercook Lake and Summit Township share a border

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

Vandercook LakeSummit Township

Vandercook Lake ↔ Summit Township2.3 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

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

Health

–Vandercook LakeNot graded C−Summit TownshipHealthier than 21% 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 LakeSummit Township

Snow a year44″44″

January low15°F 15°F

July high83°F 83°F

Growing season (days)161d 161d

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

Outdoors & history

Vandercook LakeSummit Township

Trails0 mi 10 mi

Conserved land1.1%5.6%

Community

Vandercook LakeSummit Township

Library hours a week49 hrs 49 hrs

Colleges in town—1

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

Vandercook LakeSummit Township

People

Population 4,375Lowest 22,817Highest

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

Median age 42.4±3.1Lowest 5% above MI 45.8±3.2Highest 14% 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 15.5%±3.6Lowest MI: 21.2% 19.3%±2.1Highest 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+ 20.2%±2.7Lowest MI: 18.6% 24.5%±2.3Highest 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+ 18.7%Lowest MI: 32.4% 30.1%Highest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±1.5Lowest MI: 6.1% 4.7%±0.8Highest 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 $59,262±$11kLowest 19% below MI $65,987±$3kHighest 9% 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 $136,600±$26kLowest 41% below MI $197,400±$11kHighest 15% below MI

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

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

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 16.7%±22.7Lowest MI: 50.4% 38.6%±7.4Highest 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%Lowest MI: 13.2% 7.7%Highest MI: 13.2%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

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

Work in townworking residents 2.8%Lowest 9.8%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 6.8 miHighest 5.8 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 11% work in Summit TownshipFew work in Vandercook Lake

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.1%Lowest 5.6%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miLowest 9.6 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.3 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 6Highest

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

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.

Vandercook Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Vandercook Lake’s Town Square.

Summit Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Summit Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Vandercook Lake and Summit Township

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Bordering Vandercook Lake

Jackson31,058 people · $103K homes

Towns like Vandercook Lake

Fremont Township3,159 people · $144K homes

Essexville3,327 people · $129K homes

Fraser Township2,965 people · $163K homes

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.