Is Blue Lake Township a good place to live?
Blue Lake Township’s trail density is 3.2 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Michigan’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Papoose Lake Nature Sanctuary, at 44 acres. Blue Lake Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
413 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Blue Lake Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Blue Lake 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Blue Lake Township.
Blue Lake Township stands out in Michigan and nationally: the median age there is higher
Among adults 25 and older, 42% have a four-year degree or more, against 32% across Michigan. Blue Lake Township has grown 3.5% since 2020, to 413 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Adults 18 to 34 are 3% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 57% of residents (38% statewide).
| Blue Lake Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 60.9 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 42% | 26% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Blue Lake Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 1.6% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.6% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0.5% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 2.7% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.1% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.1% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 44.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.9% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.1% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.4% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.1% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 13% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.7% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.6% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 22.2% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazards: very low risk in Blue Lake Township, mostly inland flooding
The risk rating from FEMA for Blue Lake Township comes to 9 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 48% come from inland flooding and 33% from cold waves. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 91% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The average trip to work in Blue Lake Township is longer than in most of Michigan or the rest of the country
Only 1% of working residents stay in Blue Lake Township for work; the rest commute out. Blue Lake Township: 16% of residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Kalkaska Township (11%), Traverse City (9%) and Garfield Township (8%). Half the trips to work are shorter than 34 miles.
| Blue Lake Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 48 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Blue Lake Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Expect July afternoons of 79° and January nights of 11°, with about 132 inches of snow a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Blue Lake Township is
In Blue Lake Township, 18% of adults smoke cigarettes. For adults locally, the share who report frequent physical distress is 17%.
| Blue Lake Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| What stands out | Blue Lake Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.2% | 10.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.7% | 8.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.7% | 7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit | 102 mi | 15,968 |
| 2. Papoose Lake Nature Sanctuary | — | 44 |
| 3. Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit | — | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Blue Lake Township
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Blue Lake Township; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Blue Lake Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
99% of working residents leave Blue Lake Township for work
Where Blue Lake Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
About Blue Lake Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Blue Lake Township is a civil township of Kalkaska County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township population was 393.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,371 ft
Questions about Blue Lake Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Blue Lake Township, MI a good place to live?
Blue Lake Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.