Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Hancock's standout: it has 12 miles of trail. Overall it grades A−, 143rd among Michigan's 697 graded towns. Its public schools beat 80% of Michigan towns on state tests and graduation and it is more walkable than 92% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 5 places on the National Register. Hancock’s average trip to work is 11 minutes, against 25 minutes in Michigan’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 30 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on history.
Where Hancock beats most towns.
Old Main, Suomi College10.2% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Hancock is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,783 in 1880, a peak of 8,981 in 1910, 4,501 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1898 and 4 maps from 1915 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hancock, 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 Hancock.
Hancock pairs an A− overall with homes cheaper than the Michigan norm, draws workers from Calumet Township and beyond and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #6 of 701 in Michigan.
The trail density in Hancock is 4.1 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hancock Beach Park | 0.1 mi | 5 |
| 2. Laurn Grove Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Terrace Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Hancock Public Schools. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barkell Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 257 | A |
| Hancock MiddleHigh SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 292 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
2,469 jobs are based in Hancock, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 11.1 minutes, against 24.2 across Michigan.
About one in 4 of Hancock’s working residents works in town. 19% of Hancock residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Hancock grew to 2,469 in 2021, 246 more than in 2011.
| Hancock | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 27% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 81% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Violent crime is rare: 4 reported in 2025, 0.9 per 1,000 residents.
Hancock’s property crime rate is 4.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Hancock | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.7 per 1,000 residents | 8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
July afternoons average 76.9°, cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 8.1°.
Hancock has cold winters and pleasant summers.
| Hancock | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 77°F | 82°F | 85°F |
| January low | 8°F | 16°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 8,784 U.S. towns with household incomes like Hancock’s, it is healthier than 89%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Hancock beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 29% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Hancock.
| Hancock | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 34% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 36% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
| What stands out | Hancock | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults getting cholesterol checked | 83.5% | 87.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Hancock grades A− overall with a typical home of about $230K, below the Michigan typical value; only 13 of the 103 Michigan towns graded A− or better can say that.
The typical Hancock home is worth about $230,000, up 9.5% in a year, 13% below the Michigan typical home.
| Hancock | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $835 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hancock. Close and well known come first.
34 mi MountainMount Arvon
in town National Historical ParkKeweenaw National Historical Park35K visitors a year
3 mi MuseumA. E. Seaman Mineral Museum32 mi Ski areaMount Bohemia21 runs · 814 ft vertical
2 mi MuseumCarnegie Museum of the KeweenawMount Arvon: Yinan Chen, Public Domain · Keweenaw National Historical Park: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum: Chris857, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Carnegie Museum of the Keweenaw: Chris857, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Hancock
College town 19 of every 100 Hancock residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Where Hancock’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
5 places in Hancock on the National Register of Historic Places.
15 notable people were born in Hancock.
City in Michigan, United States
Hancock is a city in Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,501 at the 2020 census. Located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, Hancock is along on the northside of the Keweenaw Waterway opposite of the city of Houghton, and the two are connected by the Portage Lake Lift Bridge. Hancock is the northernmost city in the state of Michigan. Hancock is considered a "cultural capital" for Finnish Americans. The city is home to the Finnish American Heritage Center and was home to Finlandia University from 1896 to 2023. In 2015, The Weather Channel ranked Hancock as the third-snowiest city in the nation with an average yearly snowfall of 211.9 inches (538.2 cm).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Hancock.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock · Hancock Township | #143 | A− | C+ | B+ | A− | B |
| Quincy Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Franklin Township | — | — | B+ | — | A− | B− |
| Portage Township | #145 | A− | B− | — | A+ | B |
Franklin Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Franklin Township and Portage Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Quincy Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Hancock Township and Hancock are one community, graded once. Compare Hancock with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Hancock grades A− overall, better than 81% of U.S. towns and #143 of 697 in Michigan. It grades B for health, B+ for safety and A− for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
15 notable people were born here, including Verna Hillie and Rodney Paavola.
