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.

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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%

Wright Township$790/mo

Typical home $131K (Census) · tax rate 0.99% · or rent about $913/mo · Housing →

Forest Township$760/mo

Typical home $129K (Census) · tax rate 0.82% · or rent about $675/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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

Wright Township places higher on 12 of 20 MI lists

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

DWright TownshipBetter than 13% of districts in the state –Forest TownshipNot graded

Health

C−Wright TownshipHealthier than 16% of U.S. towns DForest TownshipHealthier than 12% of U.S. towns

12Wright Township

6Forest Township

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 540 towns #6#367 Shortest commuteGetting around · 723 towns #212#670 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 723 towns #258#666 Most affordableCost of living · 723 towns #578#271 Fastest growingGrowth · 723 towns #363#661 HealthiestHealth · 723 towns #236#518 Most new homesHousing · 512 towns #212#403 Lowest obesityHealth · 723 towns #209#478

Left end = #1 in Michigan. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Wright Township’s rankings →

Where they are

244 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Wright TownshipHillsdale County Forest TownshipCheboygan County

Wright Township ↔ Forest Township244 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

Wright TownshipForest Township

People

Population 1,570Highest 1,259Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -2.2%Highest MI: +2% -6.5%Lowest MI: +2%

Median age 47.1±5Lowest 17% above MI 50.5±11.7Highest 26% above MI

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

Kids under 18 20.7%±3.6Highest MI: 21.2% 19.9%±5Lowest MI: 21.2%

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

Age 65+ 21.5%±2.7Highest MI: 18.6% 20.3%±5.4Lowest MI: 18.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.6%Highest MI: 32.4% 10.1%Lowest MI: 32.4%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.8%±1Lowest MI: 6.1% 2.2%±1.8Highest MI: 6.1%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $54,449±$6kLowest 25% below MI $57,292±$15kHighest 21% below MI

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $130,900±$35kHighest 43% below MI $128,800±$22kLowest 44% below MI

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $913±$208Highest 19% below MI $675±$329Lowest 40% below MI

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,298Highest 55% below MI $1,050Lowest 64% below MI

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 28.6%±17.3Highest MI: 50.4% 7.1%±34.1Lowest MI: 50.4%

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

Below poverty line 10.9%Lowest MI: 13.2% 23.5%Highest MI: 13.2%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 83.3%Highest MI: 73.2% 77.5%Lowest MI: 73.2%

Typical home builtmedian year 1942Lowest 30 yrs older than MI 1983Highest 11 yrs newer than MI

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 29 minHighest 19% above MI 26 minLowest 9% above MI

Work from home 6.9%±3.8Lowest MI: 13.5% 10.3%±5.9Highest MI: 13.5%

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

Work in townworking residents 5%Highest 1.5%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.3 miLowest 31.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.17Lowest 0.42Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Hillsdale (9%)Petoskey (6%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Forest TownshipFew work in Wright Township

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.8%Lowest 49.1%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 83.8 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 1.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 4Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 2.3Highest 1.4Lowest

Schools

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

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.

Wright Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wright Township’s Town Square.

Forest Township neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Forest Township’s Town Square.

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Bordering Wright Township

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Pittsford Township1,513 people · $158K homes

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Medina Township1,092 people · $165K homes

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Ransom Township851 people · $171K homes

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Mill Creek Township, OH621 people · $114K homes

Towns like Wright Township

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Galien Township1,297 people · $160K homes

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Bingham Township1,407 people · $157K homes

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Elk Township1,436 people · $144K homes

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Sherwood Township2,232 people · $130K 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.

Wright Township vs Forest Township

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Forest Township gets 54 more inches of snow a year

A typical home costs about the same each month

Wright Township places higher on 12 of 20 MI lists

244 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Bordering Wright Township

Towns like Wright Township

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