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%

White Cloud$1,280/mo

Typical home $209K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.07% · or rent about $831/mo · Housing →

Forest Township$990/mo

Typical home $164K (Census) · tax rate 0.92% · or rent about $1,128/mo · Housing →

The difference: $300 a month, about $3,600 a year, between White Cloud and Forest 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

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

CWhite CloudBetter than 30% of districts in the state –Forest TownshipNot graded

Health

DWhite CloudHealthier than 9% of U.S. towns C−Forest TownshipHealthier than 24% 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

White CloudForest Township

Snow a year64″74″

January low—10°F

July high—80°F

Growing season (days)—125d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)22nd 17th

Outdoors & history

White CloudForest Township

Trails3 mi 17 mi

Conserved land6.3%26.7%

Archive photos4 —

Famous people born here2 —

Community

White CloudForest Township

Library hours a week45 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

64 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

White CloudMI Forest TownshipMissaukee County

White Cloud ↔ Forest Township64 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

White CloudForest Township

People

Population 1,280 1,280

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +5%Highest MI: +2% +2.3%Lowest MI: +2%

Median age 39.3±8.5Highest about the MI average 38.4±3.9Lowest 4% below MI

White Cloud and Forest Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 20.2%±4.2Lowest MI: 21.2% 25.7%±5.2Highest MI: 21.2%

Forest Township and White Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 20.6%±3.7Highest MI: 18.6% 11.4%±1.7Lowest MI: 18.6%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14.4%Lowest MI: 32.4% 14.6%Highest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.2%±1.3Highest MI: 6.1% 3%±3.1Lowest MI: 6.1%

White Cloud and Forest Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $45,192±$10kLowest 38% below MI $52,581±$2kHighest 28% below MI

Forest Township and White Cloud are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $165,900±$25kHighest 28% below MI $164,200±$12kLowest 29% below MI

White Cloud and Forest Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $831±$108Lowest 26% below MI $1,128±$83Highest about the MI average

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,781Highest 39% below MI $1,509Lowest 48% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 75.7%±23.1Highest MI: 50.4% 56.9%±15.4Lowest MI: 50.4%

White Cloud and Forest Township are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 15.1%Lowest MI: 13.2% 20.9%Highest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 65.6%Lowest MI: 73.2% 72.8%Highest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1971Lowest 1 yr older than MI 1981Highest 9 yrs newer than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 33 minHighest 35% above MI 30 minLowest 24% above MI

Work from home 10%±5.4Highest MI: 13.5% 2.2%±1.4Lowest MI: 13.5%

Work in townworking residents 8.6% 8.6%

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.3 miHighest 15.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.84Highest 0.73Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Grand Rapids (8%)Cadillac (15%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Forest TownshipFew work in White Cloud

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 6.3%Lowest 26.7%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 2.5 miLowest 16.5 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.3 miHighest 0.5 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 32.3Highest 1.3Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#412 of 493 in MI

School district White Cloud Public Schools—

High school in town White Cloud High School—

Students per teacherat that high school 22.8 —

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.

White Cloud neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to White Cloud’s Town Square.

Forest Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Forest Township’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside White Cloud and Forest Township

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

Bordering White Cloud

+ Compare

Wilcox Township982 people · $121K homes

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Everett Township1,832 people · $164K homes

Towns like White Cloud

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White Pigeon1,760 people · $150K homes

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Breckenridge1,517 people · $112K homes

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Colon1,570 people · $154K homes

+ Compare

Lawton2,104 people · $171K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Michigan towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

White Cloud vs Forest Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $300 more a month in White Cloud

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

64 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside White Cloud and Forest Township

Bordering White Cloud

Towns like White Cloud

Post to White Cloud

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