Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,552.
Escanaba Township gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $174K, 3 years of the Escanaba area’s $58K median household income. It grades B+ overall, ranked 220th of 697 in Michigan. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. On history, just 52 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do worse. Escanaba Township’s July high is 79°F, against 82°F in Michigan’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. Escanaba Township's public schools beat 73% of Michigan towns on state tests and graduation.
Where Escanaba Township beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Escanaba Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 3,026 in 1880, 12,450 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1867 and 3 maps from 1932 on.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Escanaba 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Escanaba Township.
52 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The trail density in Escanaba Township is 0.9 miles per square mile.
| Escanaba Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Escanaba River State Forest - Escanaba Unit | 0.4 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 81% of U.S. communities. Since 1996, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Escanaba Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Adults 18 to 34 are 11% of residents (22% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 42% of residents (38% statewide). Escanaba Township’s median age is 45.9 years. 28% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan.
| Escanaba Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.9 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 28% | 26% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.6 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Escanaba Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.4% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.8% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.2% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.7% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.7% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.6% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.6% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.7% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.9% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.4% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 21.7% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4.3% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,600, single groups can be off by several points
Escanaba Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 79°, January nights drop to 9° and about 43 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Escanaba Township for work: only 8% work in town. Since 2011, Escanaba Township has added 770 jobs, to 853 in 2021. 4.6% of Escanaba Township residents live below the poverty line.
| Escanaba Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.6% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Escanaba Township beats the Michigan average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Escanaba Township.
| Escanaba Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 36% | 35% |
| What stands out | Escanaba Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.3% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.3% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1 within 15 miles of the center of Escanaba Township
About 2 of every 100 Escanaba Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
City in Michigan, United States
Escanaba ( ES-kə-NAH-bə), commonly shortened to Esky, is a port city in and the county seat of Delta County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on Little Bay de Noc in the state's Upper Peninsula. The population was 12,450 at the 2020 census, making it the third-largest city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie. There is also Escanaba Township, which is north of the city and is not adjacent to it, although a portion of the urban area around the city extends into the township. Both are named for the Escanaba River, which flows into the Little Bay de Noc of Lake Michigan just north of the city. The names are derived from the Ojibwa language.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Escanaba Township.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escanaba Township | #220 | B+ | B | — | B+ | C+ |
| Gladstone | #164 | A− | B | A | B+ | C+ |
| Cornell Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wells Township | #489 | C+ | B+ | — | B | C− |
| Brampton Township | — | — | B+ | — | B+ | C+ |
| Harris Township | — | — | A | — | A− | C |
| Bark River Township | — | — | A− | — | A− | B− |
| Baldwin Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Brampton Township, Harris Township and Bark River Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Escanaba Township, Wells Township, Brampton Township, Harris Township and Bark River Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Cornell Township and Baldwin Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Escanaba Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Escanaba Township grades B+ overall, better than 72% of U.S. towns and #220 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C+ for health and B+ for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.