1900 · Plat book of Mecosta County, Michigan · Wikimedia Commons
Fork’s story
Fork in pictures
1 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
Explore the history →ForkMI
A town of 1,556. Healthier than 79% of U.S. towns.
Population
1,556
+1.4% since 2010
Median home value
$145K
Census ACS
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
52.8
years
Jobs based here
110
A commuter town
What makes Fork stand out
The thing Fork does most differently from other towns.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Fork for work
Where Fork’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
110jobs based in Fork
4%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
Fork’s report card
Now in Fork
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Fork? Is a C− for health right?
Your answer becomes a post in Fork’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Fork. Another town gets a different order.
Health
Healthier than 21% of U.S. towns
Fork beats the Michigan average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
C−Health Grade
32 measures vs. Michigan
1 better20 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Fork | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.4% | 77.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.4% | 8.1% |
Corewell Health Big Rapids Hospital
17.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
20th
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Fork
Most working residents leave Fork for work: only 4% work in town. The top destinations are Evart (8%), Big Rapids (8%) and Wheatland (7%). Half commute less than 21 miles.
4%work in town
Where working residents work
In Fork4%
Evart8%
Big Rapids8%
Wheatland7%
Mount Pleasant6%
21 mi
median commute distance
110
jobs based in Fork
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACSCommute map →
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities.
75risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong windCold waves
11
paid flood claims since 2004
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Climate
Snowy winters, pleasant summers
Fork has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 61 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
61″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–31°
Spring32–55°
Summer55–80°
Fall38–58°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 13
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Schools
Fork’s public schools outperform 41% of Michigan districts
The public schools Fork’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 59% of Michigan’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
C+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barryton Elementary School | PK–4 | 204 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduationAll 1 schools →
Outdoors
2% of Fork is conserved land
4.0 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves.
2%conserved
2%
conserved · 451 of 22,395 acres
4.0 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Merrill-Gorrel County Park | 0.1 mi | 80 |
| 2. Central Park | 0.2 mi | 17 |
| 3. Barryton Lions Club Riverside Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
About Fork
Township in Michigan, United States
Fork Township is a civil township of Mecosta County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,627 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Population
- 1,627
- Area
- 35 sq mi
- Elevation
- 981 ft
Fork’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Fork.
ColdwaterSheridanChippewaOrientFork