Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Public schools that outperform most of Michigan.
China Township gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $386K for a typical one, or 5 years of the Detroit metro’s $77K median household income. It grades B overall, 293rd among Michigan's 697 graded towns. On the plus side, its public schools beat 75% of Michigan towns on state tests and graduation. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. China Township’s average trip to work is 30 minutes, against 25 minutes in Michigan’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Indian Trail Road-Belle River Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where China Township beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far China Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 maps from 1928 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in China 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 China Township.
China Township pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
Homes are within reach (about $386K for the typical one, B for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 26 miles.
93% of households own their home in China Township. Typical home values rose 5.4% in the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A− for schools comes with a B for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $386K.
Its public schools are run by the East China School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine River Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 335 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
China Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 19° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here grew from 738 in 2011 to 2,289.
Most working residents leave China Township for work: only 5% work in town. 3.7% of China Township residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in China Township grew to 2,289 in 2021, 1,551 more than in 2011.
| China Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.7% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $99,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Against the 8,759 U.S. towns with household incomes like China Township’s, it is less healthy than 60%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
China Township beats the Michigan average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
| China Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 80% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 27% | 23% |
| What stands out | China Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.9% | 8.7% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.5% | 15.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.5% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in China Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around China Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaFord Field
23 mi LakeLake Saint Clair
39 mi Stadium & arenaComerica Park
39 mi TheatreFox Theatre
37 mi GardenBelle Isle Park
38 mi MuseumDetroit Institute of ArtsFord Field: Unknown, CC BY 2.5 · Lake Saint Clair: Copernicus Sentinel-2, ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 igo · Comerica Park: City of Detroit, Public domain · Fox Theatre: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Belle Isle Park: WMrapids, CC0 · Detroit Institute of Arts: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
None within 15 miles of China Township; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 China Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Charter township in Michigan, United States
China Township is a charter township of St. Clair County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,509 at the 2020 Census. It is named after China, Maine.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with China Township.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China Township | #293 | B | B | — | A− | B |
| East China Township | #510 | C+ | C+ | — | A− | B |
| Casco Township | #433 | B− | C+ | — | A− | B− |
| St. Clair Township | #320 | B | C | — | A− | B |
| St. Clair | #114 | A | B− | B+ | A− | B+ |
| Marine City | #244 | B+ | B+ | B | A− | C+ |
| Cottrellville Township | #223 | B+ | B | — | A− | B− |
China Township, East China Township, Casco Township, St. Clair Township and Cottrellville Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare China Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. China Township grades B overall, better than 62% of U.S. towns and #293 of 697 in Michigan. It grades B for health and A− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
2 notable people were born here, including Theobald Otjen and Riley Brengman.
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
