Custer TownshipMI
A town of 1,213. 2.3 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Michigan town.
Is Custer Township a good place to live?
Custer Township’s best subject grades are an A− for cost of living and an A+ for civic life; its weakest is a C− for walkability. On hazard risk, just 120 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better. Custer Township’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile, above both the Michigan town median (0.3) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Only 29 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score lower on history. The biggest park or preserve is Grass River Natural Area, at 196 acres. Custer Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Custer Township stand out
Where Custer Township beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
1,213 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Custer Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Custer Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Custer Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Custer 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Custer Township.
Very low risk in Custer Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 94% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Custer Township’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Custer Township for work: only 1% work in town. Since 2011, Custer Township has added 98 jobs, to 109 in 2021. The top destinations are Kearney Township (17%), Traverse City (6%) and Mancelona Township (5%).
| Custer Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.8% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $84,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Fewer young adults than Michigan overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 11% of residents (22% statewide); people 65 and older are 29% of residents (19% statewide). Custer Township’s median age is 53.5 years, where Michigan’s towns sit at 42.5 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. 15% of residents are under 18 in Custer Township.
| Custer Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53.5 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 29% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 15% | 21% | 22% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
44% women, 56% men
About 125 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.5 points). Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Custer Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.9% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.4% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.3% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.4% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.2% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 21.6% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.3% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.8% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.3% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.9% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.3% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.8% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.8% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
In Custer Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Custer Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Custer Township’s July high is 80°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Custer Township is less healthy than 60% of U.S. towns
Custer Township beats the Michigan average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 40% of Custer Township adults have high blood pressure.
| Custer Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Custer Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.6% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.2% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit | 0.6 mi | 78 |
| 2. Grass River Natural Area | — | 196 |
| 3. Simpson Road Forest Area | — | 157 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Custer Township
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Custer Township; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Custer Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
99% of working residents leave Custer Township for work
Where Custer Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
About Custer Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Custer Township is a civil township of Antrim County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,150 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 35 sq mi
- Elevation
- 892 ft
Questions about Custer Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Custer Township, MI a good place to live?
2.3 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Michigan town.
Is Custer 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−.