Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,752.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Chikaming Township grades B+ overall, 264th among Michigan's 697 graded towns. It has 34 miles of trail. The median household earns $84K. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $367K for a typical one and 5.6 times the Niles metro’s $65K median household income. 8.2% of residents are under 18 in Chikaming Township, below both the Michigan town median (21%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). On history, just 112 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better. Chikaming Township's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 86% of U.S. towns.
Where Chikaming Township beats most towns.
Lakeside Inn3,100 counted in 2010 and 2,778 in 2020; an estimated 2,752 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Chikaming Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,678 in 2000, 2,778 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 2 maps from 1930 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Chikaming 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 Chikaming Township.
Chikaming Township is a second-home town, sends many workers across the state line and sees little violent crime.
Chikaming Township’s trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Warren Woods State Park, 307 acres with 1.7 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Harbert Road Preserve | 1.9 mi | 88 |
| 2. Robinson Woods Preserve | 1.8 mi | 78 |
| 3. Warren Woods State Park | 1.7 mi | 307 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the River Valley School District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Valley Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 195 | B |
| River Valley MiddleHigh SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 265 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 82% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Chikaming Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
The violent crime rate in Chikaming Township is 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Chikaming Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.3 per 1,000 residents | 8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Chikaming Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 19° and about 62 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
26% of working residents cross a state line to work. Jobs based here grew from 496 in 2011 to 794.
Most working residents leave Chikaming Township for work: only 18% work in town. Since 2011, Chikaming Township has added 298 jobs, to 794 in 2021. 5.5% of residents live below the poverty line in Chikaming Township.
| Chikaming Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.5% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $84,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Chikaming Township beats the Michigan average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 42% of Chikaming Township adults have high blood pressure.
| Chikaming Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 16% |
| What stands out | Chikaming Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.9% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.8% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.8% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Chikaming Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaNotre Dame Stadium
18 mi National ParkIndiana Dunes National Park2.6M visitors a year
4 mi State parkWarren Dunes State Park
22 mi CaveGrotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame
19 mi Ancient siteFort St. Joseph
22 mi MuseumStudebaker National MuseumNotre Dame Stadium: Tysto, Public domain · Indiana Dunes National Park: J. Crocker, Attribution · Warren Dunes State Park: hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame: Know1one1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort St. Joseph: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Studebaker National Museum: Unknown, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Chikaming Township; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Chikaming Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
12.2% of the town is conserved land, across 19 parks and preserves.
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Chikaming Township is a civil township of Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township population was 2,778. The township is located in the west central portion of the county. Lake Michigan lies to the northwest, Lake Township is to the north and northeast, Weesaw Township is to the east, Three Oaks Township is to the south, and New Buffalo Township is to the southwest.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Chikaming Township.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chikaming Township | #264 | B+ | C− | B+ | B+ | B |
| Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Weesaw Township | — | — | B | — | B+ | C+ |
| Three Oaks Township | — | — | C+ | — | B+ | B− |
| Lake Township | #312 | B | C− | — | A | B |
| New Buffalo Township | #333 | B | C− | — | A+ | B |
Weesaw Township and Three Oaks Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Weesaw Township, Three Oaks Township, Lake Township and New Buffalo Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Chikaming Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Chikaming Township grades B+ overall, better than 67% of U.S. towns and #264 of 697 in Michigan. It grades B for health, B+ for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
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