Independence, MI: Local News, Events & Neighbors

Independence Township is a charter township of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 36,686 at the 2020 census. Independence Township was first organized in 1834. The township surrounds the city of Clarkston, but the two are administered autonomously after Clarkston incorporated as a city in 1992. The township is home to the Pine Knob Music Theatre and the Pine Knob Ski Resort.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Independence ranks

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#6Rent easiest to afford in MI #59Highest income in MI #28Safest in MI All MI rankings →

Town numbers

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Living in Independence

Safety in Independence

A

Safety Grade A

Independence reports less crime per resident than 85% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

Violent crime per 1,000

Independence 0.8

Michigan 4.3

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Independence 2.7

Michigan 13

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Health in Independence

Compared with Michigan

23better than MI

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 9 are too close to call.

Conditions 9▲ 3 close Habits 3▲ 1 close Care 3▲ 4 close Mind 4▲ 1 close Everyday needs 4▲ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

9.2%Fewer adults facing food insecurityMI 15.4% · better 6.3%Fewer older adults who have lost all their teethMI 10.2% · better

Care nearby

Mclaren OaklandPontiac · 9 mi · ER

Baldwin Family Medicine CenterPontiac · 6.3 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careNo shortage

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthNo shortage

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · ZIP codes 48348, 48346 · CMS · HRSAHealth in Independence →

Schools in Independence

All Independence schools →

A

School Grade A

The public schools Independence’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 86% of Michigan’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.

#90Best public schoolsof 490 in MI

DistrictClarkston Community School DistrictSchools10

Bailey Lake Elementary School A-Elementary · Grades K–5 · 522 students Pine Knob Elementary School B+Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 487 students Independence Elementary School A-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 446 students Clarkston Elementary School A-Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 416 students North Sashabaw Elementary School C-Elementary · Grades K–5 · 313 students Sashabaw Middle School B+Middle · Grades 5–8 · 933 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within MI. Ratings are from neighbors.

Famous people from IndependenceWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Independence.Meet them →