End of Grace Road - panoramio (1), 2013
Gilmore Township’s story
Gilmore Township in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 2 maps from 1956 on.
Explore the history →Gilmore TownshipMI
A town of 814.
Population
814
2025 Census estimate · +2.9% since 2020
Median home value
$301K
Census ACS
Household income
$103K
median
Median age
55.0
years
Jobs based here
245
Balanced
Is Gilmore Township a good place to live?
35% of residents are 65 or older in Gilmore Township, where Michigan’s towns sit at 19% and U.S. towns at 18%. 13% of the land in Gilmore Township is conserved, against 4.4% in Michigan’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Betsie River State Game Area, at 442 acres. Gilmore Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
814 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
ElbertaFrankfortCrystal Lake TownshipBlaine TownshipGilmore Township
Nearby attractions
All 6 attractions →Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and 2 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Gilmore Township. Close and well known come first.
6 mi National LakeshoreSleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore1.6M visitors a year
25 mi TheatreRamsdell Theatre11 mi MuseumMichigan Legacy Art ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore: en:User:Grod028, Public domain · Ramsdell Theatre: Doug Coldwell, CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Gilmore Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gilmore Township, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Elberta water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers67% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Gilmore 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 hereGilmore Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes49635, 49628, 4961649635 54% · 49628 42% · 49616 5%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 Gilmore Township.
Who lives here
Older than Michigan overall
The median age in Gilmore Township is 55 years. Gilmore Township has grown 2.9% since 2020, to 814 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 14% of Gilmore Township residents are under 18.
55median age · MI 40.2
| Gilmore Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 14% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 26% | 29% |
Gilmore TownshipMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school31%
Some college21%
Associate’s5%
Bachelor’s23%
Graduate18%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.8 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Gilmore Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.1% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.5% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.5% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.7% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.1% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.1% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.3% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 17.3% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.3% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.5% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 21% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.2% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.2% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.8% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazards
Gilmore Township faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 79% of U.S. communities.
21risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Gilmore Township
Gilmore Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Gilmore Township’s July high is 78°F.
93″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–30°
Spring33–51°
Summer57–76°
Fall41–56°
Oct 26
typical first frost
May 2
typical last frost
+2.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
12.5%conserved
12.5%
conserved · 597 of 4,772 acres
2.8 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Elbert Dunes South Natural Area | 1.6 mi | 62 |
| 2. Betsie River State Game Area | — | 442 |
| 3. Historic Elberta Waterfront Park | 0.1 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commute
Gilmore Township has 0.9 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Gilmore Township for work: only 5% work in town. 3.3% of residents live below the poverty line in Gilmore Township. The top destinations are Benzonia Township (14%), Frankfort (11%) and Traverse City (7%).
5%work in town
| Gilmore Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.3% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $103,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.3% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Gilmore Township5%
Benzonia Township14%
Frankfort11%
Traverse City7%
Homestead Township6%
14 mi
median commute distance
245
jobs based in Gilmore Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Health
More of Gilmore Township’s adults had a checkup this year than in the typical Michigan or U.S. town
Among 702 Michigan towns, just 5 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Gilmore Township. Gilmore Township beats the Michigan average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
| Gilmore Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 34% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 36% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 85% | 80% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
13 better11 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Gilmore Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.1% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.4% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 14.5% | 8.9% |
Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital
3.8 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gilmore Township
17pages on Gilmore Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Gilmore Township; the nearest are
Northwestern Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Traverse City32 mi$5,860 in-state tuitionWest Shore Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Scottville41.2 mi$4,470 in-state tuitionFerris State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Big Rapids72 mi$14,778 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Gilmore Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Gilmore Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Gilmore Township is a civil township of Benzie County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 813 at the 2020 census. The L-shaped township contains the village of Elberta and is bordered on the north by the city of Frankfort. The narrow township is located between Crystal Lake Township to the north and Blaine Township to the south, as well as a short boundary with Benzonia Township to the east.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 584 ft
Questions about Gilmore Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gilmore Township, MI a good place to live?
Gilmore Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.