Petrieville Road Bridge, Spanning Grand River, Petrieville, Eaton County, MI
Eaton Township’s story
Eaton Township in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 2 maps from 1949 on.
Explore the history →Eaton TownshipMI
A town of 4,009. 41% more nonprofits per person than the typical Michigan town.
Population
4,009
2025 Census estimate · +0.3% since 2020
Median home value
$216K
Census ACS
Household income
$97K
median
Median age
47.3
years
Jobs based here
404
A commuter town
TownGrade
B
#281 of 697 in MI
Is Eaton Township a good place to live?
Eaton Township gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $216K, 3 years of the Lansing metro’s $73K median household income. It grades B overall, ranked 281st of 697 in Michigan. On the plus side, the median household earns $97K. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. Eaton Township's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 87% of U.S. towns. 96% of households own their home in Eaton Township, above both Michigan’s towns (84%) and U.S. towns (73%).
What makes Eaton Township stand out
Where Eaton Township beats most towns.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Eaton Township for work
Where Eaton Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
404jobs based in Eaton Township
2%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
How Eaton Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Eaton Township is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.4 of 20; 6.2% of households have no car; 0.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Jobs & income404 jobs based hereA−Open →Cost of livingA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 34% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →HealthUniversity of Michigan Health - Sparrow Eaton 3.5 miles awayC+Open →SchoolsBeat 52% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landC+Open →HistoryCOpen →Civic life4.3 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 Eaton Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Eaton Township, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterEaton Green Estates Subdivision water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Eaton Township’s 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 hereEaton Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes48813, 4882748813 87% · 48827 13%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 Eaton Township.
Eaton Township sends most of its workers to Lansing and beyond, but it trails even towns with similar incomes on health.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Most people working in Eaton Township commute elsewhere
Eaton Township has 404 jobs for its 1,633 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
The top destinations are Lansing (18%), Charlotte (18%) and Delta Township (8%). For most workers, Eaton Township is a place to come home to: only 2% work in town. Also worth knowing: the share of workers in Eaton Township who work from home: 7.5%. The median commute is under 17 miles.
2%work in town
| Eaton Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $97,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 10% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Eaton Township2%
Lansing18%
Charlotte18%
Delta Township8%
East Lansing4%
17 mi
median commute distance
404
jobs based in Eaton Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 8% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Climate
Eaton Township: four seasons and pleasant summers
Expect July afternoons of 82° and January nights of 17°, with about 38 inches of snow a winter.
38″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–33°
Spring36–57°
Summer58–80°
Fall41–60°
Oct 15
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC+
Eaton Township has set aside 1.4% of its land for conservation
Crandell Park, at 424 acres with 3.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. In 2 parks and preserves, walkers have 4.4 miles of trail. Eaton Township’s trail density stands at 0.1 miles per square mile.
#454for trails in MI
| Eaton 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 · 279 of 20,435 acres
4.4 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Crandell Park | 3.1 mi | 424 |
| 2. Charlotte State Game Area | — | 39 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Top of a low hazard risk in Eaton Township: inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in Eaton Township, 53% come from inland flooding and 21% from tornadoes. Compared with 66% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is lower.
34risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC+
On CDC estimates, Eaton Township is less healthy than three in five U.S. towns
Against the 8,942 U.S. towns with household incomes like Eaton Township’s, it is less healthy than 82%, so it trails even them.
In Eaton Township, two in five adults have obesity. CDC measures, 32 in all: Eaton Township beats Michigan on 4 and trails on 1.
40%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Eaton Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 34% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
4 better27 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Eaton Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.2% | 8.7% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.8% | 15.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.9% | 8.9% |
University of Michigan Health - Sparrow Eaton
3.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
41st
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 41 attractions →North Country Trail and 17 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Eaton Township. Close and well known come first.
40 mi Park & preserveNorth Country Trail
20 mi MuseumEli and Edythe Broad Art Museum150K visitors a year
18 mi Zoo & aquariumPotter Park Zoo
21 mi MuseumAmerican Museum of Magic
34 mi MuseumGilmore Car Museum87K visitors a year28 mi Zoo & aquariumBinder Park ZooSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
North Country Trail: Huron-Manistee National Forests, Public domain · Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum: Dj1997, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Potter Park Zoo: Dj1997, CC BY-SA 3.0 · American Museum of Magic: rossograph, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gilmore Car Museum: Kevin S. Forsyth, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Eaton Township
18pages on Eaton Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Eaton Township
About 2 of every 100 Eaton Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Eaton Township
Township in Michigan, United States
Eaton Township is a civil township of Eaton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,007 at the 2020 United States census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 34 sq mi
- Elevation
- 873 ft
Eaton Township’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Eaton Township.
It grades higher overall than all 4 graded towns on its borders; Eaton Rapids Township (B−) comes closest.
CharlotteCarmel TownshipEaton Rapids TownshipBenton TownshipBrookfield TownshipWalton TownshipEaton Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eaton Township | #281 | B | A− | — | B− | C+ |
| Charlotte | #422 | B− | B+ | C− | B− | C |
| Carmel Township | #456 | C+ | B | — | B− | C+ |
| Eaton Rapids Township | #383 | B− | B+ | — | B− | B− |
| Benton Township | #441 | C+ | B− | — | B− | C+ |
| Brookfield Township | — | — | B | — | B | C+ |
| Walton Township | — | — | A− | — | B+ | B |
Brookfield Township and Walton Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Eaton Township, Carmel Township, Eaton Rapids Township, Benton Township, Brookfield Township and Walton Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Eaton Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Eaton Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Eaton Township, MI a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Eaton Township grades B overall, better than 64% of U.S. towns and #281 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C+ for health and B− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Eaton 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−.