Central Lake High School, 2015
Central Lake’s story
157 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2015.
- 1869Central Lake is settled
Central LakeMI
A town of 987, settled in 1869.
Population
987
2025 Census estimate · +5.2% since 2020
Typical home
$344K
+4.9% in a year
Household income
$63K
median
Median age
35.4
years
Jobs based here
237
Balanced
Is Central Lake a good place to live?
Central Lake’s July high is 79°F, where Michigan’s towns sit at 82°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. Central Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
987 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Central Lake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Central Lake, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Central Lake water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Central Lake’s trash rules yet
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 hereCentral Lake Township ClerkCentral Lake Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4962249622 100%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 Central Lake.
Housing
Homes in Central Lake are worth about $344K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Central Lake home is worth about $344,000, up 4.9% in a year, 30% above the Michigan typical home.
$344KZillow home value
| Central Lake | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 75% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,008 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Central Lake$344K
Michigan$264K
+4.9%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Central Lake
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
27risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
More children than Michigan overall
Children under 18 are 31% of residents (21% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 28% of residents (38% statewide). At 35.4 years, Central Lake’s median age is below both the Michigan town median (42.5 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Central Lake has grown 5.2% since 2020, to 987 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
35.4median age · MI 40.2
| Central Lake | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.4 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 26% | 29% |
Central LakeMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school36%
Some college21%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 29% and 60% women
The Census survey reached too few of Central Lake’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±15.4 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Central Lake | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.3% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 16.8% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.6% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.3% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.3% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.9% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.1% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 36.4% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.4% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.9% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.7% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.5% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Central Lake
Central Lake has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Central Lake’s January low is 15°F.
122″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–30°
Spring31–52°
Summer55–78°
Fall40–57°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 23
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
With 0.9 jobs for every working resident, most of Central Lake’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Central Lake for work: only 10% work in town. Since 2011, Central Lake has added 127 jobs, to 237 in 2021. The median household income in Central Lake is $63,000.
10%work in town
| Central Lake | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Central Lake10%
Kearney Township17%
Central Lake Township12%
East Jordan10%
Traverse City4%
15 mi
median commute distance
237
jobs based in Central Lake
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Health
How healthy Central Lake is
Central Lake beats the Michigan average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 29% of adults feel lonely in Central Lake.
| Central Lake | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 80% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 36% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
4 better26 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Central Lake | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.5% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.2% | 15.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.7% | 8.9% |
Charlevoix Area Hospital
14.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Central Lake has set aside 1.2% of its land for conservation
0.3 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
1.2%conserved
| Central Lake | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
1.2%
conserved · 9 of 739 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Thurston Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Central Lake
18pages on Central Lake
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Central Lake; the nearest are
North Central Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Petoskey25.1 mi$5,430 in-state tuitionFerris State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Big Rapids96.1 mi$14,778 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Central Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Central Lake
Village in Michigan, United States
Central Lake is a village in Antrim County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 960 at the 2020 census. The village is located within Central Lake Township. Central Lake is situated on a lake which is in the center of a chain of lakes and rivers in the county, hence the name.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 646 ft
- ZIP code
- 49622
Questions about Central Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Central Lake, MI a good place to live?
Central Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.