Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,732.
Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 95% of U.S. towns. Overall it grades C+, 445th of 697 graded towns in Michigan. Natural-hazard risk is low and it has 31 miles of trail. 37% of residents are 65 or older in Hamlin Township, against 19% in Michigan’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. Ludington State Park, at 4,643 acres with 24.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Hamlin Township's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 89% of U.S. towns.
Where Hamlin Township beats most towns.
23.9% of the town is conserved land, across 7 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Hamlin Township is from typical.
Its grades run from A for hazard risk (better than 93% of comparable towns) to D− for walkability (better than 5%), so the C+ overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1935 and 3 maps from 1931 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Hamlin 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 Hamlin Township.
Hamlin Township is a second-home town and sends most of its workers to Ludington and beyond.
Hamlin Township’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ludington State Park | 24.9 mi | 4,643 |
| 2. Powell Memorial Park | — | 16 |
| 3. Manistee National Forest - Manistee Ranger District | 0.1 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
30.9% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, against 5.5% statewide, which helps explain the older median age.
The median age in Hamlin Township is 58.4 years. 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan. 12% of residents are under 18 in Hamlin Township.
| Hamlin Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 58.4 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 12% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 26% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.1 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 62% are men (MI 42%). Median age: women 57.9, men 59.1.
| Hamlin Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.9% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.9% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.9% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.9% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.9% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 5.5% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 24.2% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 21.7% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.2% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.9% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.6% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.9% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.2% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.1% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.3% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,700, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 87% of U.S. communities. Since 2018, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hamlin Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Hamlin Township has 174 jobs for its 1,447 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Hamlin Township for work: only 1% work in town. Since 2011, Hamlin Township has lost 26 jobs, to 174 in 2021. The top destinations are Ludington (22%), Pere Marquette Township (11%) and Grand Rapids (6%).
| Hamlin Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Work from home | 14% | 10% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Hamlin Township beats the Michigan average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 41% of Hamlin Township adults have high blood pressure.
| Hamlin Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 36% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 12% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Hamlin Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 80.9% | 77.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.6% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Hamlin Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 79°, January nights drop to 17° and about 79 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1 within 15 miles of the center of Hamlin Township
About 4 of every 100 Hamlin Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Where Hamlin Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Hamlin Township is a civil township of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,711 at the 2020 census, up from 3,408 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Hamlin Township.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamlin Township | #445 | C+ | B | — | B | C |
| Pere Marquette Township | — | — | B− | — | B | C |
| Victory Township | — | — | B− | — | B− | C |
| Grant Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Pere Marquette Township and Victory Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Hamlin Township, Pere Marquette Township and Victory Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Grant Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Hamlin Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hamlin Township grades C+ overall, better than 44% of U.S. towns and #445 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C for health and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.