Dafter Township (6 Mile), MI, 2018
Dafter Township’s story
133 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2018 and 2 maps from 1951 on.
- 1893Dafter Township is settled
Dafter TownshipMI
A town of 1,333, settled in 1893.
Population
1,333
2025 Census estimate · +0.8% since 2020
Typical home
$227K
+9.2% in a year
Household income
$66K
median
Median age
44.7
years
Jobs based here
201
A commuter town
Is Dafter Township a good place to live?
Dafter Township’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. Dafter Township’s average trip to work is 15 minutes, against 25 minutes in Michigan’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. On hazard risk, just 44 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better. The biggest park or preserve is Little Leaf Nature Preserve, at 36 acres. Dafter Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Dafter Township stand out
Where Dafter Township beats most towns.
Natural hazardsA+
Lower risk than 97% of U.S. communities
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Dafter Township5
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MI town3.1
Civic lifeA
62% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Michigan town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Typical home value
Dafter Township$227K
Michigan$264K
Cost of livingA
3.6 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 91% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Small town
1,333 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Bruce TownshipSuperior TownshipKinross TownshipSoo TownshipDafter Township
How Dafter Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Dafter Township is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listA+Open →Cost of livingAOpen →Jobs & income$66K median household incomeDOpen →SchoolsB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.7 of 20; 9.7% of households have no car; 2.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →HealthChippewa County War Memorial Hospital 10.4 miles awayC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landCOpen →HistoryCOpen →Civic life5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
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 Dafter Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dafter Township, and how to reach them.
PowerCloverland Electric Co-op14.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Dafter Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsBrimley Area SchoolsSault Ste. Marie Area SchoolsRudyard Area Schools3 districts serve Dafter 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 hereDafter Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes49724, 49783, 4971549724 45% · 49783 38% · 49715 17%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 Dafter Township.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Dafter Township stands out in Michigan and nationally, with the FEMA risk score lower than most
At 3 of 100, Dafter Township’s FEMA risk score is below both the Michigan town median (25 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100).
3risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB+
Dafter Township’s public schools outperform 69% of Michigan districts
Its one school is below.
69%of MI districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Superior AcademyLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 93 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Dafter Township’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Dafter Township for work: only 2% work in town. 16% of residents live below the poverty line in Dafter Township. Since 2011, Dafter Township has lost 1,637 jobs, to 201 in 2021.
2%work in town
| Dafter Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Dafter Township2%
Sault Ste. Marie38%
Kinross Township11%
Bay Mills Township7%
Soo Township5%
10 mi
median commute distance
201
jobs based in Dafter Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 33% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Climate
In Dafter Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Dafter Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Dafter Township’s July high is 78°F.
120″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–26°
Spring28–50°
Summer52–76°
Fall36–54°
Oct 11
typical first frost
May 9
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Michigan overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 46% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). 15% of Dafter Township residents are 65 or older. 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan.
44.7median age · MI 40.2
| Dafter Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 44.7 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 22% | 21% | 22% |
Dafter TownshipMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma11%
High school30%
Some college23%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s16%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.2 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Dafter Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.3% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 13.4% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 3.9% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.9% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.1% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.6% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.9% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.7% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 23% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.2% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.2% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
HousingCost of living grade A
Compared with most of Michigan and the rest of the country, the median rent in Dafter Township is lower
The median rent in Dafter Township is $621 a month. Typical home values rose 9.2% in the year to September 2026.
$227KZillow home value
| Dafter Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $621 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 91% | 84% | 73% |
Typical home value
Dafter Township$227K
Michigan$264K
+9.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthC+
Dafter Township is less healthy than 60% of U.S. towns
Dafter Township tracks Michigan closely on all 32 CDC measures.
40%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Dafter Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better32 too close to call0 worse
Chippewa County War Memorial Hospital
10.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.4%conserved
| Dafter Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.4% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
1.4%
conserved · 433 of 30,462 acres
6.0 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lake Superior State Forest - Sault Ste. Marie Unit | 3.2 mi | 4,483 |
| 2. Little Leaf Nature Preserve | — | 36 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 15 attractions →Soo Locks and 9 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dafter Township. Close and well known come first.
11 mi DamSoo Locks35 mi Park & preserveMackinac National Park
36 mi LandmarkFort Mackinac
11 mi MuseumSS Valley Camp
37 mi MuseumGreat Lakes Shipwreck Museum
11 mi MuseumTower of HistorySources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Soo Locks: USGS, Public domain · Fort Mackinac: P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0 · SS Valley Camp: Cason at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum: Doug Coldwell, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tower of History: P199, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Dafter Township
18pages on Dafter Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Dafter Township
Lake Superior State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Sault Ste Marie9.8 mi$14,890 in-state tuitionBay Mills Community CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Brimley10.2 mi$3,480 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Dafter Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Dafter Township for work
Where Dafter Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
201jobs based in Dafter Township
2%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Dafter Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Dafter Township is a civil township of Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,327 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 48 sq mi
- Elevation
- 666 ft
Questions about Dafter Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Dafter Township, MI expensive?
Not for the area. Marie, MI 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.