Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,091.
Hastings Township gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $242K for a typical one, or 2.9 years of the Grand Rapids metro’s $83K median household income. It grades B+ overall, ranked 229th of 697 in Michigan. 26% of residents are under 18 in Hastings Township, above both Michigan’s towns (21%) and U.S. towns (22%). The biggest place to walk is Historic Charlton Park, 280 acres with 3.2 miles of trail. Hastings Township's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 82% of U.S. towns.
Where Hastings Township beats most towns.
Where Hastings Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Hastings Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,793 in 1870, 7,514 in 2020. The archive holds 21 old photos and papers going back to 1892 and 2 maps from 1950 on.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Hastings 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 Hastings Township.
Jobs based here grew from 341 in 2011 to 628.
Most working residents leave Hastings Township for work: only 5% work in town. Jobs based in Hastings Township grew to 628 in 2021, 287 more than in 2011. Hastings Township’s average trip to work is 22 minutes.
| Hastings Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5% | 5.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Hastings Area School District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Star Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 287 | B |
| Barry County Christian School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 225 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
6.3 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
| Hastings Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.2% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Historic Charlton Park | 3.2 mi | 280 |
| 2. McKeown Bridge Park | 0.4 mi | 23 |
| 3. Carter Lake Preserve | — | 59 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 59 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hastings Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Hastings Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 16° and about 68 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Hastings Township has grown 2.5% since 2020, to 3,091 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 23% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan.
| Hastings Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 23% | 26% | 29% |
| Median age | 40.5 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
47% women, 53% men
About 115 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.4 points). Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Hastings Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.7% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.3% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.9% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.6% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.9% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.1% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.9% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.7% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.2% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 46.2% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.8% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.3% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 12.9% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.5% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,100, single groups can be off by several points
Hastings Township beats the Michigan average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 27% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Hastings Township.
| Hastings Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 34% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Hastings Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.9% | 8.7% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.7% | 11.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.2% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
None within 15 miles of Hastings Township; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Hastings Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
5 towns share a border with Hastings Township.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings Township | #229 | B+ | A− | — | B+ | B− |
| Hastings | #315 | B | A− | C | B+ | B− |
| Baltimore Township | — | — | A | — | B+ | B− |
| Castleton Township | #528 | C | A− | — | C+ | C |
| Rutland Township | #289 | B | B+ | — | B+ | B− |
| Carlton Township | — | — | A | — | B+ | B− |
Baltimore Township and Carlton Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Hastings Township, Baltimore Township, Castleton Township, Rutland Township and Carlton Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Hastings Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Hastings Township grades B+ overall, better than 71% of U.S. towns and #229 of 697 in Michigan. It grades B− for health and B+ for schools.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.