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%

Waldron$920/mo

Typical home $150K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.10% · or rent about $850/mo · Housing →

Merrill$1,540/mo

Typical home $210K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.52% · or rent about $719/mo · Housing →

The difference: $620 a month, about $7,500 a year, between Merrill and Waldron.

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

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

WaldronMerrill

Snow a year33″49″

January low—16°F

July high—82°F

Growing season (days)—172d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)31st 35th

Outdoors & history

WaldronMerrill

Trails—0 mi

Conserved land—0%

Archive photos6 3

Famous people born here1 1

Community

WaldronMerrill

Library hours a week37 hrs 29 hrs

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.

Where they are

116 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WaldronMI MerrillMI

Waldron ↔ Merrill116 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.

Only big differences vs Michigan average

WaldronMerrill

People

Population 603Lowest 798Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -6.1%Highest MI: +2% -14.8%Lowest MI: +2%

Median age 39.2±7.5Highest about the MI average 37±4.2Lowest 8% below MI

Waldron and Merrill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 21.7%±5.1Lowest MI: 21.2% 30.8%±10Highest MI: 21.2%

Merrill and Waldron are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 12.9%±4Lowest MI: 18.6% 17.9%±5.9Highest MI: 18.6%

Merrill and Waldron are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 7.5%Lowest MI: 32.4% 11.3%Highest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.3%±1.9Lowest MI: 6.1% 4.8%±1.8Highest MI: 6.1%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $52,750±$17kHighest 28% below MI $47,500±$16kLowest 35% below MI

Waldron and Merrill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $83,700±$10kLowest 64% below MI $93,200±$7kHighest 60% below MI

Merrill and Waldron are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $850±$186Highest 25% below MI $719±$18Lowest 36% below MI

Waldron and Merrill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $918Lowest 68% below MI $2,351Highest 19% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 34.6%±23Lowest MI: 50.4% 75%±49.7Highest MI: 50.4%

Merrill and Waldron are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 8.8%Lowest MI: 13.2% 33.5%Highest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 73.1%Lowest MI: 73.2% 78.5%Highest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1938Lowest 34 yrs older than MI 1952Highest 20 yrs older than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minLowest 6% above MI 30 minHighest 23% above MI

Work from home 1.9%±3.1Lowest MI: 13.5% 4.5%±3.2Highest MI: 13.5%

Merrill and Waldron are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 0.5%Lowest 3.6%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 miHighest 18.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.12Lowest 0.68Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Hillsdale (8%)Saginaw (11%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MerrillFew work in Waldron

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 27.1Lowest 66.6Highest

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.

Waldron neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Waldron’s Town Square.

Merrill neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Merrill’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Waldron and Merrill

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Towns like Waldron

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Cement City629 people · $105K 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.

Waldron vs Merrill

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $620 more a month in Merrill

What daily life feels like in each

116 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Waldron and Merrill

Towns like Waldron

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