SydneyTSmithHouseGrassLakeMI, 1936
Grass Lake’s story
195 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1936.
- 1831Grass Lake is settled
Grass LakeMI
Photo: Dwight Burdette · CC BY 3.0
Population
1,098
2025 Census estimate · −1.3% since 2020
Median home value
$205K
Census ACS
Household income
$81K
median
Median age
35.6
years
Jobs based here
274
Balanced
Is Grass Lake a good place to live?
Grass Lake’s best subject grades are an A for history and an A− for civic life. Grass Lake’s average trip to work is 29 minutes, above both the Michigan town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Grass Lake's schools outperform 72% of the state's. Only 45 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on history. Grass Lake has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Grass Lake stand out
Where Grass Lake beats most towns.
0historic places
HistoryA
Settled in 1831
A long history
A history going back 195 years.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Grass Lake3.9
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MI town3.1
Civic lifeA−
28% 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.
Small town
1,098 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Grass Lake grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Grass Lake is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 25% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →HealthHenry Ford Allegiance Health 9.6 miles awayB+Open →SchoolsB+Open →Jobs & income$81K median household income; 274 jobs based hereB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $205K, 3.1 years of the Jackson metro’s $66K median household incomeC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.6 of 20; 0.6% of households have no car; 3.7% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landC−Open →History2 notable people born hereAOpen →Civic life3.9 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 Grass Lake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Grass Lake, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGrass Lake water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Grass Lake’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 hereGrass Lake Township ClerkGrass Lake Charter Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4924049240 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 Grass Lake.
HealthB+
On CDC estimates, Grass Lake is healthier than 73% of U.S. towns
On this, Grass Lake is where Michigan’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 14%. Grass Lake beats the Michigan average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 9.8% of Grass Lake adults have diabetes.
73%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Grass Lake | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.8% | 12% | 12% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
13 better19 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Grass Lake | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.1% | 10.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.4% | 15.4% |
Henry Ford Allegiance Health
9.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Grass Lake faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 75% of U.S. communities.
25risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Grass Lake
Grass Lake has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 16° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
33″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–33°
Spring36–57°
Summer58–80°
Fall40–60°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer middle-aged adults than Michigan overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 30% of residents (38% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 30% of residents (22% statewide). The median age in Grass Lake is 35.6 years. 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan.
35.6median age · MI 40.2
| Grass Lake | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.6 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 26% | 29% |
Grass LakeMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school29%
Some college24%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s23%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.1 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Grass Lake | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.1% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.2% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.6% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 19.1% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.3% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.1% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.6% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.9% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.1% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.8% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.7% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.9% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.2% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.3% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Grass Lake has 0.8 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Grass Lake for work: only 3% work in town. 5.6% of residents live below the poverty line in Grass Lake. The top destinations are Jackson (11%), Chelsea (10%) and Leoni Township (7%).
3%work in town
| Grass Lake | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 5.6% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Grass Lake3%
Jackson11%
Chelsea10%
Leoni Township7%
Scio Township7%
17 mi
median commute distance
274
jobs based in Grass Lake
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 62% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
OutdoorsC−
Conserved land covers 0.8% of Grass Lake
0.8%conserved
0.8%
conserved · 5 of 597 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Grass Lake Park | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade C+
The median home in Grass Lake sells for about $322K
Grass Lake’s median rent is $961 a month.
$322Kmedian sale price
| Grass Lake | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 75% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $961 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Grass Lake
19pages on Grass Lake
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Grass Lake
About 3 of every 100 Grass Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Grass Lake
Village in Michigan, United States
Grass Lake is a village in Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,105 at the 2020 census. The village is located just south of Interstate 94 in Grass Lake Township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1842
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 991 ft
- ZIP code
- 49240
Questions about Grass Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Grass Lake, MI expensive?
The typical home is worth about $205,000, 22% below the Michigan typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
What is Grass Lake, MI known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Donald T. Campbell and Maritta Wolff.