Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Birch Run’s subject grades is a B+ for civic life; the weakest is a D for safety. Birch Run’s property crime rate is 43.1 per 1,000 residents, above both Michigan’s towns (7.9) and U.S. towns (9.9). On safety, just 29 of Michigan’s 320 towns do worse. Birch Run’s trail density is 1.1 miles per square mile, where Michigan’s towns sit at 0.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Birch Run has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Birch Run beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Where Birch Run’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Birch Run is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 844 in 1960, 1,525 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1984 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Birch Run, 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 Birch Run.
Most working residents leave Birch Run for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Birch Run fell to 1,781 in 2021, 494 fewer than in 2011. 14% of Birch Run residents live below the poverty line.
| Birch Run | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
The violent crime rate in Birch Run is 2.6 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Birch Run has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 16° and about 41 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 67% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Birch Run since 1986.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Birch Run tracks Michigan closely on all 32 CDC measures. 29% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Birch Run.
| Birch Run | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 32% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 37% | 35% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Birch Run. Close and well known come first.
25 mi MuseumUSS Edson
17 mi MuseumSloan Museum13 mi MuseumCrossroads Village (Michigan)
35 mi GardenDow Gardens
17 mi MuseumFlint Institute of Arts
25 mi MuseumSaginaw Valley Naval Ship MuseumUSS Edson: U.S. Navy, Public domain · Sloan Museum: Amancour, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dow Gardens: Chris.Schiemann, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Flint Institute of Arts: Blueskiesfalling at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum: John McCullough, CC BY-SA 2.5
None within 15 miles of Birch Run; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 Birch Run residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
Village in Michigan, United States
Birch Run is a village in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, Birch Run had a population of 1,525. The village is located within Birch Run Township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
The typical home is worth about $191,000, 28% below the Michigan typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
_underway_off_Long_Beach,_California_(USA),_circa_in_the_mid-1960s.jpg){kind=link}
