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Michigan›Kalkaska County
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Excelsior TownshipMI

A town of 1,034, established in 1875.

Population
1,034
2025 Census estimate · +4.2% since 2020
Median home value
$212K
Census ACS
Household income
$66K
median
Median age
35.3
years
Jobs based here
55
A commuter town

Is Excelsior Township a good place to live?

The best of Excelsior Township’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for civic life and the outdoors; the weakest is a D for walkability. On walkability, just 102 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do worse. 14% of the land in Excelsior Township is conserved, against 4.4% in Michigan’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Excelsior Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.

StrongestAHazard riskACost of livingA−Civic lifeWeakestDWalkabilityC−Jobs & incomeC−Health

What makes Excelsior Township stand out

Where Excelsior Township beats most towns.

12Very low riskLowerHigher
Natural hazardsA
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Small town

1,034 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Oliver Township · 6 miColdsprings Township · 6 miBear Lake Township · 7 miOrange Township · 7 miKalkaska · 7 miRapid River Township · 9 mi
Oliver TownshipKalkaska TownshipColdsprings TownshipBear Lake TownshipOrange TownshipOliver TownshipKalkaska TownshipColdsprings TownshipBear Lake TownshipOrange TownshipExcelsior Township

How Excelsior Township grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Excelsior Township is from typical.

How grading works

WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.6 of 20; 2.4% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 12% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $212K, 2.6 years of the Traverse City metro’s $81K median household incomeAOpen →Jobs & income$66K median household income; 55 jobs based hereC−Open →HealthKalkaska Memorial Health Center 7.1 miles awayC−Open →SchoolsC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsA−Open →HistoryEstablished 1875C−Open →Civic life3.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.3; 14% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Excelsior Township: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Excelsior Township, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet6 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Excelsior Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsExcelsior Township School District 1Kalkaska Public Schools2 districts serve Excelsior 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.gov
Who runs elections hereExcelsior Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2021
ZIP code4964649646 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 Excelsior Township.

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A

Very low risk in Excelsior Township, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities.

12risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
12Very low riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
Full pageExcelsior Township’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesVery low riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters5 disaster declarations · Declared for the countyGet ready0.1 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

SchoolsC+

Public schools in Excelsior Township fall behind 60% of Michigan districts

Its public schools are run by the Excelsior Township S/D #1 school district. Its one school is below.

40%of MI districts it outscoresC+School Grade
SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Crawford SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8Grades K–846D
Full pageExcelsior Township’s schools pageOpen the page
The districtsExcelsior Township S/D #1Vs. the neighborsBehind its 3 graded neighborsEvery school1 school · Crawford SchoolQuestions“Are Excelsior Township’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation

HealthC−

Health in Excelsior Township trails 79% of U.S. towns

Excelsior Township beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 17% of adults report frequent physical distress in Excelsior Township, above both the Michigan town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 41% of Excelsior Township adults have high blood pressure.

21%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
Excelsior TownshipMichigan townsU.S. towns
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)17%14%14%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)41%36%35%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)18%15%14%
Depression (CDC PLACES)28%27%23%
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better22 too close to call10 worse
What stands outExcelsior TownshipMI
More older adults who have lost all their teeth14.7%10.2%
More adults with COPD10.9%8.1%
More adults with heart disease8.9%7%
Kalkaska Memorial Health Center
7.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
Full pageExcelsior Township’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore smokersHospitals & doctors nearby7.1 miles to an ER · Kalkaska Memorial Health CenterHow adults are doingMore adults in frequent physical distressEvery CDC estimateBetter than MI on 0 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−

Most of Excelsior Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them

Most working residents leave Excelsior Township for work: only 1% work in town. The average trip to work in Excelsior Township is 31 minutes. The top destinations are Kalkaska Township (27%), Traverse City (9%) and Garfield Township (5%).

1%work in town
Excelsior TownshipMichigan townsU.S. towns
Average trip to work31 minutes25 minutes25 minutes
Working residents who work in town0.6%5.9%8%
Below the poverty line13%8.9%9.6%
Median household income$66,000$77,000$80,000

Where working residents work

In Excelsior Township1%
Kalkaska Township27%
Traverse City9%
Garfield Township5%
Grayling2%
27 mi
median commute distance
55
jobs based in Excelsior Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 5% of U.S. towns
Full pageExcelsior Township’s work & commute pageOpen the page
The jobs here55 jobs based here · A commuter townWhere people work1% work in Excelsior TownshipCommute times31 minutes · The average commuteHow far they goHalf commute less than 27 miles

Census LEHD 2021 · ACS

Climate

Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Excelsior Township

Excelsior Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Excelsior Township’s July high is 80°F.

132″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter14–29°
Spring30–53°
Summer53–78°
Fall37–56°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 24
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pageExcelsior Township’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 80°, January lows 12°Rain & snow132″ of snow a winter · 35 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingMostly a heating billThen and now+1.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

OutdoorsA−

Excelsior Township has set aside 13.7% of its land for conservation

42 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.

13.7%conserved
13.7%
conserved · 3,160 of 23,029 acres
42 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit26 mi8,204
2. Upper Manistee Headwaters: The Milock Family Preserve5 mi1,297
3. Parade Field—1
Full pageExcelsior Township’s outdoors pageOpen the page
Trail map42 miles of trail, mappedPick a walk26 miles of trail · Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City UnitConserved land13.7% conserved · 3,160 acres protectedQuestions“Where can I hike in Excelsior Township?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Excelsior Township

18pages on Excelsior Township
The big questions
SchoolsC+Behind 60% of MI districts · 1 schoolHealthC−Better than MI on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingAWork & commuteC−$66K median household income · 55 jobs hereNatural hazardsAFEMA risk higher than 12% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
OutdoorsA−42 mi of trails · 14% conserved landPlacesAttractions4 nearby · Edward E. Hartwick Memorial Building 19 miLibraryA−Kalkaska County LibraryColleges
The story
HistoryC−Established 1875Town Hall & politicsClimate80° summer highs · 132″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookTown SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Excelsior Township; the nearest are

Kirtland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Grayling18.2 mi$5,190 in-state tuitionFerris State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Big Rapids74.7 mi$14,778 in-state tuition

About 4 of every 100 Excelsior Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

99% of working residents leave Excelsior Township for work

Where Excelsior Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

27% → Kalkaska Township Kalkaska Township 27% 9% → Traverse City Traverse City 9% 5% → Garfield Township Garfield Township 5% 2% → Grayling Grayling 2% 2% → Suttons Bay Township Suttons Bay Township 2% 2% → Rapid River Township Rapid River Township 2% Excelsior Township · 1% stay
55jobs based in Excelsior Township
1%of working residents work in town
27 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2021

About Excelsior Township

Civil township in Michigan, United States

Excelsior Township is a civil township of Kalkaska County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 991 at the 2020 census. The township was established in 1875. Portions of the township are served by the Excelsior Township School District 1, which is one of the last remaining one-room schoolhouses in the state. The current township hall also served as a high school in the past and is listed as a state historic site.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
36 sq mi
Elevation
1,165 ft

Questions about Excelsior Township

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Excelsior 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.