Plat book of Mecosta County, Michigan, 1900
Colfax Township’s story
Colfax Township in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1900 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
Explore the history →Colfax TownshipMI
A town of 2,036.
Population
2,036
2025 Census estimate · +4% since 2020
Median home value
$215K
Census ACS
Household income
$88K
median
Median age
47.3
years
Jobs based here
69
A commuter town
Is Colfax Township a good place to live?
Colfax Township’s best subject grade is an A− for civic life; its weakest is a C− for hazard risk. Only 29 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score lower on hazard risk. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 71% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Haymarsh Lake State Game Area, at 458 acres. Colfax Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Colfax Township for work
Where Colfax Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
69jobs based in Colfax Township
2%of working residents work in town
27 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
How Colfax Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Colfax Township is from typical.
Hazard riskstrong wind tops the listC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.6 of 20; 3.3% of households have no car; 2.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $215K, 3.5 years of the Big Rapids area’s $61K median household incomeC+Open →HealthCorewell Health Big Rapids Hospital 5 miles awayC+Open →Jobs & income$88K median household incomeB−Open →SchoolsBehind 52% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trailsB−Open →HistoryC+Open →Civic life3.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Colfax Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Colfax Township, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet6 providers86% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offRecycle of Mecosta County, 4 miOpenStreetMap
SchoolsBig Rapids Public SchoolsMorley Stanwood Community SchoolsChippewa Hills School District3 districts serve Colfax Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereColfax Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes49307, 4934249307 71% · 49342 29%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 Colfax Township.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Most of Colfax Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.1 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Colfax Township for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Colfax Township grew to 69 in 2021, 41 more than in 2011. At 23 minutes, Colfax Township’s average trip to work is below both Michigan’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes).
2%work in town
| Colfax Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Work from home | 8.2% | 10% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $88,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Colfax Township2%
Big Rapids22%
Grand Rapids9%
Big Rapids Township6%
Reed City5%
27 mi
median commute distance
69
jobs based in Colfax Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 29% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Michigan overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 42% of residents (38% statewide). At 47.3 years, Colfax Township’s median age is above both the Michigan town median (42.5 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). 24% of residents are under 18 in Colfax Township.
47.3median age · MI 40.2
| Colfax Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.3 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 24% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 26% | 29% |
Colfax TownshipMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school31%
Some college21%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.5 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Colfax Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.2% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.5% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.2% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.1% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.8% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.9% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.1% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.1% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.8% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.4% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.4% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.3% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,000, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Colfax Township
Colfax Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Colfax Township’s July high is 82°F.
61″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–31°
Spring32–55°
Summer54–79°
Fall38–58°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 13
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Compared with most of Michigan and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Colfax Township is higher
The FEMA risk score in Colfax Township is 67 of 100.
67risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Strong windInland floodingTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC+
Residents of Colfax Township are less healthy than 56% of U.S. towns
Colfax Township beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 30% of Colfax Township adults have been diagnosed with depression.
44%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Colfax Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 32% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Colfax Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.6% | 10.2% |
| Fewer adults getting cholesterol checked | 84.5% | 87.4% |
Corewell Health Big Rapids Hospital
5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
6%conserved
| Colfax Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 6% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
6%
conserved · 1,366 of 22,789 acres
2.5 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Haymarsh Lake State Game Area | 0.7 mi | 458 |
| 2. Clear Lake Public Access | — | 2 |
| 3. Hillview Lake Public Access | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Colfax Township
18pages on Colfax Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Colfax Township
About 2 of every 100 Colfax Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Colfax Township
Township in Michigan, United States
Colfax Township is a civil township of Mecosta County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,962 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,083 ft
Colfax Township’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Colfax Township.
Big Rapids TownshipGrant TownshipAustin TownshipMartiny TownshipColfax Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colfax Township | — | — | C+ | — | B− | C+ |
| Big Rapids Township | #608 | C− | C− | — | B | C+ |
| Grant Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Austin Township | — | — | A− | — | C+ | C |
| Martiny Township | — | — | B+ | — | B− | C |
Colfax Township, Austin Township and Martiny Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Colfax Township, Big Rapids Township, Austin Township and Martiny Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Grant Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Colfax Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Colfax Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Colfax Township, MI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.