Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Bessemer Township’s subject grades are an A− for cost of living and history and an A for the outdoors; the weakest is a D− for incomes. On incomes, just 59 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 77% of U.S. towns. Only one of the 702 Michigan towns we compare has a lower January low than Bessemer Township. 45% of the land in Bessemer Township is conserved, where Michigan’s towns sit at 4.4% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest place to walk is Gogebic County Forest, 14,526 acres with 11.3 miles of trail. Only 80 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on the outdoors. Bessemer Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Bessemer Township beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Bessemer Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,566 in 1890, a peak of 5,482 in 1920, 1,805 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 1920 and 3 maps from 1955 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bessemer Township, 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 Bessemer Township.
68 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. For Bessemer Township, the concentration of trails is 0.6 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves in the town: 4, covering 29,384 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gogebic County Forest | 11.3 mi | 14,526 |
| 2. Ottawa National Forest - Bessemer Ranger District | 9.4 mi | 14,813 |
| 3. Forests for the Future #8 Conservation Reserve | — | 43 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Bessemer Township after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2013. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities. 48% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 30%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
For adults in Bessemer Township, the share who get no exercise outside work is 29%. Of 32 CDC measures, Bessemer Township beats the Michigan average on 2 and trails it on 10. Among adults in the town, 15% have diabetes and 17% report frequent physical distress.
| Bessemer Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 36% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 80% | 79% |
| What stands out | Bessemer Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.8% | 77.6% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 89.2% | 87.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.2% | 7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expect cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers in Bessemer Township. July afternoons reach 77°, January nights drop to 3° and about 155 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The middle household income in Bessemer Township is $56,000. Half of commuters travel less than 8 miles. A fifth of Bessemer Township residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Ironwood (19%), Wakefield (12%) and Bessemer (10%).
| Bessemer Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.4% | 5.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
1 within 15 miles of the center of Bessemer Township
About 4 of every 100 Bessemer Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
44.6% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
City in Michigan, United States
Bessemer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,805. It is the county seat of Gogebic County. The city is surrounded by Bessemer Township, but the two are administered autonomously. It is on U.S. Route 2 with Ironwood to the west and Wakefield to the east. The Big Powderhorn and Snowriver ski resorts are located within a few miles of Bessemer. Cross-country skiing and snowmobiling are also very popular in this area, due to lake-effect snow influenced by nearby Lake Superior; the area is often referred to as "Big Snow Country." Recreational opportunities in the summer months include Bluff Valley Park, the scenic Black River Falls, and access…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
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−.
