Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 783, settled in 1875.
Alanson’s average trip to work is 19 minutes, where Michigan’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Alanson’s trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Michigan’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Alanson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 473 in 1910, a low of 287 in 1930, 778 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 3 maps from 1958 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alanson, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Alanson.
Most working residents leave Alanson for work: only 4% work in town. 15% of Alanson residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Petoskey (19%), Bear Creek Township (10%) and Little Traverse Township (9%).
| Alanson | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4% | 5.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Alanson has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Alanson’s July high is 79°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Alanson home is worth about $305,000, up 8.3% in a year, 16% above the Michigan typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Alanson beats the Michigan average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 20% of adults report frequent mental distress in Alanson.
| Alanson | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Alanson | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 10.1% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 3.2% | 3.7% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 20.2% | 17.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.6 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lossing-Harrington Nature Preserve | — | 10 |
| 2. Kreag Family Nature Preserve | — | 5 |
| 3. Sanctuary Park | 0.2 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Alanson
About 4 of every 100 Alanson residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Where Alanson’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
Village in the United States
Alanson ( ə-LAN-sən) is a village in Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 778 at the 2020 census. Alanson is in Littlefield Township on U.S. Highway 31 at the junction with M-68. Petoskey is about 12 miles (19 km) southwest on US 31 and Mackinaw City and the Mackinac Bridge are about 25 miles (40 km) north. Interstate 75 is about 11 miles (18 km) to the east on M-68 at Indian River. Alanson was first settled in 1875. The Alanson post office opened with the name Hinman on January 17, 1877, and changed to Alanson on June 22, 1882.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Alanson has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.