Alexander McClew Farm House · National Register of Historic Places
Forest Township’s story
171 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 maps from 1920 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1855Forest Township is settled
Forest TownshipMI
32% more nonprofits per person than the typical Michigan town.
4 bordering townsMap →
Alexander McClew Farm House · Photo: Matthew Lampe · Public domain
Population
4,354
2025 Census estimate · −2.2% since 2020
Median home value
$201K
Census ACS
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
45.8
years
Jobs based here
332
A commuter town
TownGrade
C
#545 of 697 in MI
Is Forest Township a good place to live?
Forest Township is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, 545th among Michigan's 697 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is cost of living: a typical home costs about $201K, 3.2 years of the Flint metro’s $62K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in health: CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 70% of the country. Forest Township’s average trip to work is 34 minutes, where Michigan’s towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Forest Township has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Alexander McClew Farm House. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 79% of U.S. towns.
What makes Forest Township stand out
Where Forest Township beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Forest Township4.1
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MI town3.1
Civic lifeA−
32% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Michigan town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Natural hazardsA−
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Alexander McClew Farm HouseHistory
Settled in 1855
3 places on the National Register
A history going back 171 years.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Forest Township for work
Where Forest Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
332jobs based in Forest Township
4%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
How Forest Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Forest Township is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 22% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.8 of 20; 2.3% of households have no car; 2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →HealthMclaren Lapeer Region 13.2 miles awayCOpen →SchoolsC+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →Jobs & income$71K median household incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 5% conserved landB−Open →History3 places on the National RegisterB+Open →Civic life4.1 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 Forest Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Forest Township, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOrchard Cove water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers81% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Forest 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 hereForest Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes48463, 48746, 48464, 4845848463 82% · 48746 10% · 48464 4% · 48458 3%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 Forest Township.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most working residents commute out of Forest Township
Forest Township has 332 jobs for its 1,768 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 34.1 minutes, against 24.2 across Michigan.
Most working residents leave Forest Township for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2011, Forest Township has added 118 jobs, to 332 in 2021. 6.4% of workers work from home in Forest Township.
4%work in town
| Forest Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 6.4% | 10% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.4% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Forest Township4%
Flint9%
Flint Township5%
Burton5%
Lapeer4%
25 mi
median commute distance
332
jobs based in Forest Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 21% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
SchoolsC+
Public schools in Forest Township fall behind 60% of Michigan districts
Its public schools are run by the LakeVille Community School District. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is LakeVille High School, with 354 students.
40%of MI districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| LakeVille Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 298 | C− |
| LakeVille High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 354 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Forest Township faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
22risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC
For health, Forest Township earns a C
16% of Forest Township adults report frequent physical distress. Forest Township beats the Michigan average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 28% of Forest Township adults have been diagnosed with depression.
31%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Forest Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 36% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
1 better23 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Forest Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 73% | 69% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.6% | 10.2% |
Mclaren Lapeer Region
13.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
29th
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Forest Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Forest Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 16° and about 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–32°
Spring35–56°
Summer58–80°
Fall41–60°
Oct 14
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB−
Forest Township has set aside 4.6% of its land for conservation
2.7 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The trail density in Forest Township is 0.1 miles per square mile.
#507for trails in MI
| Forest Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.6% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
4.6%
conserved · 1,053 of 22,991 acres
2.7 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pettit Park | — | 15 |
| 2. Griswold Park | 0.1 mi | 7 |
| 3. Murphy Lake State Game Area | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 31 attractions →USS Edson and 9 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Forest Township. Close and well known come first.
35 mi MuseumUSS Edson
13 mi MuseumSloan Museum9 mi MuseumCrossroads Village (Michigan)
13 mi MuseumFlint Institute of Arts
35 mi MuseumSaginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum
13 mi MuseumRobert J. Whaley HouseSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
USS Edson: U.S. Navy, Public domain · Sloan Museum: Amancour, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Flint Institute of Arts: Blueskiesfalling at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum: John McCullough, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Robert J. Whaley House: kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Forest Township
18pages on Forest Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Forest Township
Mott Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Flint13.1 mi$6,845 in-state tuitionUniversity of Michigan-FlintUniversity or college · Public · Flint13.7 mi$14,704 in-state tuitionKettering UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Flint14.7 mi$48,470 tuition
About 3 of every 100 Forest Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Landmarks
3 places in Forest Township on the National Register of Historic Places.
_underway_off_Long_Beach,_California_(USA),_circa_in_the_mid-1960s.jpg){kind=link}
About Forest Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Forest Township is a civil township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Survey township designation is 9 north and 8 east. The population was 4,447 at the 2020 census, which makes Forest Township the least populated township in Genesee County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,211 ft
- Area code
- 810
Forest Township’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Forest Township.
Richfield Township next door grades higher for schools (A− to Forest Township’s C+) and lower for cost of living (C− to B).
Thetford TownshipMarathon TownshipRichfield TownshipMillington TownshipForest Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Township | #545 | C | B | — | C+ | C |
| Thetford Township | #659 | D | B | — | C | C− |
| Marathon Township | #530 | C | A | — | C+ | C+ |
| Richfield Township | #427 | B− | C− | A− | A− | C+ |
| Millington Township | #473 | C+ | A− | — | B | C− |
Forest Township, Thetford Township, Marathon Township and Millington Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Forest Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Forest Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Forest Township, MI a good place to live?
Forest Township grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #545 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C for health and C+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Forest Township, MI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.