East tawas newman, 2015
East Tawas’s story
159 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,086 in 1880, 2,663 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and a map from 1989 on.
- 1867East Tawas is settled
East TawasMI
A town of 2,662, settled in 1867. 2.8 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Michigan town.
Population
2,662
2025 Census estimate · −0.1% since 2020
Typical home
$201K
+6.2% in a year
Household income
$42K
median
Median age
57.9
years
Jobs based here
567
A commuter town
TownGrade
B−
#357 of 697 in MI
Is East Tawas a good place to live?
East Tawas gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $201K for a typical one, or 4 years of the county’s $50K median household income. It grades B− overall, 357th among Michigan's 697 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $42K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. East Tawas’ midpoint age is 57.9 years, above both Michigan’s towns (42.5 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). On walkability, just 101 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better. East Tawas's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 96% of U.S. towns.
What makes East Tawas stand out
Where East Tawas beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
East Tawas8.6
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MI town3.1
Civic lifeA+
2.8 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Michigan town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Natural hazardsA
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
WalkabilityA−
More walkable than 81% of U.S. towns
13.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
A commuter town
91% of working residents leave East Tawas for work
Where East Tawas’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
567jobs based in East Tawas
9%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
How East Tawas grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far East Tawas is from typical.
Jobs & incomeDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 8% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.1 of 20; 17.6% of households have no carA−Open →SchoolsB+Open →HealthLess healthy than 73% of U.S. towns; Tawas St. Joseph Hospital 2.5 miles awayCOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 3% conserved landB+Open →History1 notable person born hereCOpen →Civic life8.6 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 East Tawas: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in East Tawas, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of East Tawas water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have East Tawas’ trash rules yet
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 hereEast Tawas City ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4873048730 100%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 East Tawas.
East Tawas is a second-home town, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has commutes shorter than most of Michigan.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
East Tawas faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Since 1985, East Tawas has seen 13 flood insurance claims paid out. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 92% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 59% come from inland flooding and 18% from cold waves. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2026.
8risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
13
paid flood claims since 1985
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
73%of MI districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Family School PrivateLargest elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 106 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsB+
Conserved land covers 2.7% of East Tawas
The biggest park or preserve is Dewey Durant Park, at 63 acres. Across 7 parks and preserves: 1.3 miles of trail.
#315for trails in MI
| East Tawas | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.7% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
2.7%
conserved · 55 of 2,081 acres
1.3 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Robert Bolen Memorial Park | 0.3 mi | 14 |
| 2. Dewey Durant Park | 0.2 mi | 63 |
| 3. East Tawas City Park | 0.2 mi | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With only 0.7 jobs per working resident, most people in East Tawas work out of town
The average commute for its 835 working residents takes 16.6 minutes, against 24.2 across Michigan.
The top destinations are Tawas City (16%), Baldwin Township (8%) and Tawas Township (5%). Commuting out is the norm in East Tawas: 9% of working residents work locally. Since 2011, East Tawas has added 70 jobs, to 567 in 2021. In East Tawas, the typical journey to work is 17 minutes.
9%work in town
| East Tawas | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 9.2% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In East Tawas9%
Tawas City16%
Baldwin Township8%
Tawas Township5%
Oscoda Township4%
19 mi
median commute distance
567
jobs based in East Tawas
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 81% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
HealthC
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in East Tawas than in most of Michigan or the rest of the country
Against the 3,173 U.S. towns with household incomes like East Tawas’s, it is healthier than 77%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
Two figures for adults in East Tawas: 13% binge drink, 17% report frequent physical distress. Against the Michigan average, East Tawas comes out ahead on 5 CDC measures out of 32, and behind on 9. 15% of adults have diabetes locally.
27%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| East Tawas | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 36% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
5 better18 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | East Tawas | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.5% | 11.9% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.9% | 15.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.1% | 8.9% |
Tawas St. Joseph Hospital
In Tawas City · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
24th
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade B+
East Tawas stands out in Michigan and nationally, with the median rent lower than most
Zillow values the typical East Tawas home at about $201,000, up 6.2% in a year, 24% below the Michigan typical home. Among households in the town, 68% are owner-occupiers.
$201KZillow home value
| East Tawas | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $608 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 84% | 73% |
Typical home value
East Tawas$201K
Michigan$264K
+6.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in East Tawas
East Tawas’ July high comes in at 80°F.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–32°
Spring33–52°
Summer56–78°
Fall40–58°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 8
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about East Tawas
18pages on East Tawas
The big questions
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of East Tawas; the nearest are
Alpena Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Alpena54.7 mi$5,250 in-state tuitionDelta CollegeCommunity college · Public · University Center56.4 mi$4,820 in-state tuitionSaginaw Valley State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · University Center58.9 mi$12,930 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 East Tawas residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About East Tawas
City in Michigan, United States
East Tawas is a city in Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,663 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 584 ft
- ZIP code
- 48730
- Area code
- 989
East Tawas’s neighbors
One town shares a border with East Tawas.
Baldwin TownshipEast Tawas
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Tawas | #357 | B− | B+ | — | B+ | C |
| Baldwin Township | — | — | B− | — | B+ | C |
Baldwin Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. East Tawas and Baldwin Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare East Tawas with a neighbor →
Questions about East Tawas
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is East Tawas, MI a good place to live?
East Tawas grades B− overall, better than 55% of U.S. towns and #357 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C for health and B+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Is East Tawas, 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 B+.