Branch TownshipMI
A town of 1,413, settled in 1876.
Is Branch Township a good place to live?
The best of Branch Township’s subject grades are a B+ for civic life and cost of living; the weakest is a D for incomes. Branch Township’s median age is 51.6 years, above both Michigan’s towns (42.5 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 73% of U.S. towns. 35% of the land in Branch Township is conserved, where Michigan’s towns sit at 4.4% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Branch Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Branch Township stand out
Where Branch Township beats most towns.
1,413 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Branch Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Branch Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Branch Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Branch 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 Branch Township.
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Branch Township
37 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Manistee National Forest - Baldwin Ranger District | 26.8 mi | 7,600 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
On CDC estimates, Branch Township is less healthy than 83% of U.S. towns
Branch Township beats the Michigan average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 43% of Branch Township adults have high blood pressure.
| Branch Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 36% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Branch Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.1% | 77.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 15.4% | 10.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Branch Township has 0.1 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Branch Township for work: only 2% work in town. The average trip to work in Branch Township is 30 minutes. Since 2011, Branch Township has lost 21 jobs, to 34 in 2021.
| Branch Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Low risk in Branch Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 75% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Branch Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Branch Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Branch Township’s July high is 82°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Everything we know about Branch Township
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Branch Township
About 2 of every 100 Branch Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
98% of working residents leave Branch Township for work
Where Branch Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
About Branch Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Sweetwater Township is a civil township of Lake County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 258 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 892 ft
Questions about Branch Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Branch 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 B+.