Sessions Schoolhouse · National Register of Historic Places
Berlin Township’s story
184 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1916 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1842Berlin Township is settled
Berlin TownshipMI
6 bordering townsMap →
Sessions Schoolhouse · Photo: kennethaw88 · CC BY 4.0
Population
2,160
2025 Census estimate · +1.5% since 2020
Median home value
$238K
Census ACS
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
42.4
years
Jobs based here
961
Balanced
Is Berlin Township a good place to live?
Berlin Township’s best subject grades are an A− for schools and cost of living and an A for the outdoors; its weakest is a D− for walkability. Only 67 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score lower on walkability. 3.7% of residents live below the poverty line in Berlin Township, where Michigan’s towns sit at 8.9% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. 17% of the land in Berlin Township is conserved, where Michigan’s towns sit at 4.4% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Ionia State Recreation Area, at 4,357 acres with 31.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Berlin Township has 1 place on the National Register. Berlin Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Berlin Township stand out
Where Berlin Township beats most towns.
How Berlin Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Berlin Township is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.1 of 20; 6% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →SchoolsA−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $238K, 2.9 years of the Grand Rapids metro’s $83K median household incomeA−Open →Jobs & income$74K median household incomeB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 36% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →HealthSparrow Ionia Hospital 3.2 miles awayC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsAOpen →History1 place on the National Register; 1 notable person born hereA−Open →Civic life1.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Berlin Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Berlin Township, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterIonia water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Berlin Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsSaranac Community SchoolsLakewood Public Schools2 districts serve Berlin Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBerlin Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes48846, 48881, 48849, 4887548846 61% · 48881 31% · 48849 7% · 48875 1%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Berlin Township.
SchoolsA−
Berlin Township’s public schools outperform 80% of Michigan districts
Its public schools are run by the Berlin Township S/D #3 school district. Its one school is below.
80%of MI districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coon SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 15 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsA
16.6% of Berlin Township is conserved land
34 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The trail density in Berlin Township is 0.8 miles per square mile.
16.6%conserved
16.6%
conserved · 4,393 of 26,494 acres
34 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ionia State Recreation Area | 31.6 mi | 4,357 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
In Berlin Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Berlin Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 16° and about 54 inches of snow falls in a winter.
54″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–33°
Spring35–57°
Summer58–80°
Fall40–60°
Oct 12
typical first frost
May 3
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Health in Berlin Township trails 63% of U.S. towns
Berlin Township beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 41% of adults have obesity in Berlin Township.
37%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Berlin Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better29 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Berlin Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 17.1% | 14.6% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.5% | 77.6% |
| Fewer adults getting cholesterol checked | 85.6% | 87.4% |
Sparrow Ionia Hospital
3.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Berlin Township has 1.2 jobs for every working resident, and 939 people commute in
Most working residents leave Berlin Township for work: only 3% work in town. Berlin Township’s average trip to work is 22 minutes. Since 2011, Berlin Township has lost 57 jobs, to 961 in 2021.
3%work in town
| Berlin Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.8% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Work from home | 9.9% | 10% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Berlin Township3%
Ionia15%
Grand Rapids8%
Boston Township4%
Ionia Township4%
23 mi
median commute distance
961
jobs based in Berlin Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 3% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Berlin Township
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 82 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Berlin Township.
36risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
82
paid flood claims since 1978
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Michigan overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (22% statewide). 22% of Berlin Township residents are 65 or older. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan.
42.4median age · MI 40.2
| Berlin Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 22% | 21% | 22% |
Berlin TownshipMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school35%
Some college25%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.7 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Berlin Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.5% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.9% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.2% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.7% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.6% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.1% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.7% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.7% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 34.8% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.8% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.2% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.9% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.7% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,200, single groups can be off by several points
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Berlin Township
19pages on Berlin Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Berlin Township; the nearest are
Davenport UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Grand Rapids21.1 mi$24,466 tuitionMontcalm Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sidney24 mi$4,662 in-state tuitionMichigan State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · East Lansing35 mi$16,458 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Berlin Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Berlin Township
Township in Michigan, United States
Berlin Township is a civil township of Ionia County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township population was 2,138.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 42 sq mi
- Elevation
- 840 ft
Berlin Township’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Berlin Township.
Easton TownshipIoniaOrange TownshipBoston TownshipIonia TownshipOdessa TownshipBerlin Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin Township | — | — | A− | — | A− | C+ |
| Easton Township | #421 | B− | A | — | B | C |
| Ionia | #276 | B | A | B | B− | C |
| Orange Township | — | — | A− | — | B− | B− |
| Boston Township | #96 | A | A− | — | A | B |
| Ionia Township | #544 | C | A− | — | B− | C |
| Odessa Township | #130 | A− | A− | — | A− | B− |
Berlin Township and Orange Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Berlin Township, Easton Township, Orange Township, Boston Township, Ionia Township and Odessa Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Berlin Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Berlin Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Berlin Township, MI expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.