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Michigan›Arenac County
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Clayton TownshipMI

A town of 1,014.

Population
1,014
2025 Census estimate · +1.3% since 2020
Median home value
$113K
Census ACS
Household income
$51K
median
Median age
48.3
years
Jobs based here
127
A commuter town

Is Clayton Township a good place to live?

The best of Clayton Township’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D for incomes. Clayton Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.

StrongestACost of livingA−Hazard riskA−SchoolsWeakestDJobs & incomeC−Health

What makes Clayton Township stand out

Where Clayton Township beats most towns.

24Low riskLowerHigher
Natural hazardsA−
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Small town

1,014 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Moffatt Township · 6 miDeep River Township · 6 miPrescott · 6 miSterling · 6 miMills Township · 7 miMason Township · 7 mi
Deep River TownshipMoffatt TownshipMason TownshipArenac TownshipDeep River TownshipMoffatt TownshipMason TownshipArenac TownshipClayton Township

How Clayton Township grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Clayton Township is from typical.

How grading works

Jobs & incomeDOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $113K, 1.9 years of the county’s $59K median household incomeAOpen →HealthSaint Mary's Standish Community Hospital 9.6 miles awayC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 24% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →SchoolsBeat 76% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 2.9 of 20; 8.3% of households have no car; 16.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3% conserved landBOpen →HistoryB−Open →Civic life2.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 48.3; 8% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Clayton Township: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Clayton Township, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet5 providers89% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Clayton Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsStandish-Sterling Community School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereClayton Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes48659, 48766, 48749, 4861048659 75% · 48766 14% · 48749 5% · 48610 5%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 Clayton Township.

HealthC−

On CDC estimates, Clayton Township is less healthy than four in five U.S. towns

The share of adults in Clayton Township who report frequent mental distress: 19%. Clayton Township: 17% of adults report frequent physical distress, above both Michigan’s towns (14%) and U.S. towns (14%).

19%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
Clayton TownshipMichigan townsU.S. towns
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)19%15%14%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)17%14%14%
Depression (CDC PLACES)28%27%23%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)40%36%35%
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better23 too close to call9 worse
What stands outClayton TownshipMI
More adults with COPD10.9%8.1%
More smokers19%14.6%
More older adults who have lost all their teeth12.6%10.2%
Saint Mary's Standish Community Hospital
9.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
Full pageClayton Township’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore smokersHospitals & doctors nearby9.6 miles to an ER · Saint Mary's Standish Community HospitalHow adults are doingMore adults in frequent physical distressEvery CDC estimateBetter than MI on 0 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Work & commuteJobs & income grade D

Most of Clayton Township’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.4 jobs for each of them

Clayton Township’s median household income stands at $51,000, where Michigan’s towns sit at $77,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. Most working residents leave Clayton Township for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Clayton Township grew to 127 in 2021, 36 more than in 2011. The median commute is under 34 miles.

6%work in town
Clayton TownshipMichigan townsU.S. towns
Median household income$51,000$77,000$80,000
Below the poverty line13%8.9%9.6%
Average trip to work27 minutes25 minutes25 minutes

Where working residents work

In Clayton Township6%
Standish11%
Deep River Township7%
Saginaw3%
West Branch Township3%
34 mi
median commute distance
127
jobs based in Clayton Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 50% of U.S. towns
Full pageClayton Township’s work & commute pageOpen the page
The jobs here127 jobs based here · A commuter townWhere people work6% work in Clayton TownshipCommute times27 minutes · The average commuteHow far they goHalf commute less than 34 miles

Census LEHD 2021 · ACS

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−

Natural hazards: low risk in Clayton Township, mostly inland flooding

Expected losses in Clayton Township break down as 62% from inland flooding and 16% from cold waves. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in the town than in 76% of U.S. communities.

24risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
24Low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingCold wavesStrong wind
Full pageClayton Township’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesLow riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters9 disaster declarations · Declared for the countyGet ready0.5 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

Clayton Township: snowy winters and pleasant summers

The midsummer high for Clayton Township comes to 81°F.

53″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter16–31°
Spring33–55°
Summer56–79°
Fall39–59°
Oct 10
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pageClayton Township’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 81°, January lows 13°Rain & snow53″ of snow a winter · 32 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingMostly a heating billThen and now+1.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

OutdoorsB

Clayton Township keeps 3.1% of its land conserved

Trails run 18 miles in 2 parks and preserves. Clayton Township’s concentration of trails comes in at 0.6 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves here: 2, covering 1,277 acres.

3.1%conserved
Clayton TownshipMichigan townsU.S. towns
Miles of trail per square mile0.6 miles per square mile0.30.4
Conserved land3.1%4.4%4.3%
3.1%
conserved · 629 of 20,459 acres
18 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Au Sable State Forest - Gladwin Unit4.3 mi1,260
2. Moffatt Bridge Boating Access Site—17
Full pageClayton Township’s outdoors pageOpen the page
Trail map18 miles of trail, mappedPick a walk4.3 miles of trail · Au Sable State Forest - Gladwin UnitConserved land3.1% conserved · 629 acres protectedQuestions“Where can I hike in Clayton Township?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Clayton Township

17pages on Clayton Township
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 76% of MI districtsHealthC−Better than MI on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingAWork & commuteD$51K median household income · 127 jobs hereNatural hazardsA−FEMA risk higher than 24% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
OutdoorsB18 mi of trails · 3% conserved landPlacesAttractions13 nearby · Plymouth Park 35 miLibraryBSkidway Lake Branch LibraryColleges
The story
Town Hall & politicsClimate81° summer highs · 53″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookTown SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Clayton Township; the nearest are

Northwood UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Midland36.7 mi$34,400 tuitionDelta CollegeCommunity college · Public · University Center38.8 mi$4,820 in-state tuitionSaginaw Valley State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · University Center42.1 mi$12,930 in-state tuition

About 1 of every 100 Clayton Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

94% of working residents leave Clayton Township for work

Where Clayton Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

11% → Standish Standish 11% 7% → Deep River Township Deep River Township 7% 3% → Saginaw Saginaw 3% 3% → West Branch Township West Branch Township 3% 3% → West Branch West Branch 3% 3% → Bay City Bay City 3% Clayton Township · 6% stay
127jobs based in Clayton Township
6%of working residents work in town
34 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2021

About Clayton Township

Civil township in Michigan, United States

Clayton Township is a civil township of Arenac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,001 at the 2020 census.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
32 sq mi
Elevation
837 ft

Questions about Clayton Township

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Clayton 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 A.