Plat book of Osceola County, Michigan, 1900
Highland Township’s story
Highland Township in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and a map from 1957 on.
Explore the history →Highland TownshipMI
A town of 1,190.
Population
1,190
2025 Census estimate · +2.6% since 2020
Median home value
$190K
Census ACS
Household income
$77K
median
Median age
37.9
years
Jobs based here
81
A commuter town
Is Highland Township a good place to live?
The best of Highland Township’s subject grades is an A− for schools; the weakest is a D for health. Only 107 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score lower on health. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 71% of U.S. towns. Only 45 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score lower on the outdoors. Highland Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Highland Township stand out
Where Highland Township beats most towns.
Small town
1,190 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Hartwick TownshipSherman TownshipMarion TownshipRichland TownshipHighland Township
How Highland Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Highland Township is from typical.
HealthMunson Healthcare Cadillac Hospital 10.7 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 22% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →Jobs & income$77K median household incomeC−Open →SchoolsBeat 78% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.1 of 20; 9.5% of households have no car; 3.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $190K, 3.3 years of the county’s $58K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors6 miles of trails; 0% conserved landDOpen →HistoryB−Open →Civic life2.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+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 Highland Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Highland Township, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet4 providers59% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Highland Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsMarion Public SchoolsMcBain Rural Agricultural Schools2 districts serve Highland Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereHighland Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes49665, 4968849665 78% · 49688 22%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 Highland Township.
HealthD
Health in Highland Township trails 87% of U.S. towns
Highland Township beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 18% of Highland Township adults report frequent physical distress, above both the Michigan town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (14%). 19% of adults smoke cigarettes in Highland Township.
13%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Highland Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 36% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better19 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Highland Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.8% | 10.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.7% | 8.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.4% | 7% |
Munson Healthcare Cadillac Hospital
10.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Most of Highland Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Highland Township for work: only 2% work in town. 15% of Highland Township residents live below the poverty line, against 8.9% in Michigan’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Since 2011, Highland Township has added 36 jobs, to 81 in 2021.
2%work in town
| Highland Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.2% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Highland Township2%
Cadillac15%
Evart10%
Marion Township10%
McBain3%
15 mi
median commute distance
81
jobs based in Highland Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 29% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Highland Township
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities. Since 2011, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Highland Township.
22risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesStrong wind
3
paid flood claims since 2011
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Highland Township
Highland Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Highland Township is 81°F.
74″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–30°
Spring30–54°
Summer53–79°
Fall37–57°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 19
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsD
Conserved land covers 0.4% of Highland Township
5.5 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
0.4%conserved
| Highland Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
0.4%
conserved · 97 of 23,797 acres
5.5 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Highland Township
18pages on Highland Township
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Highland Township; the nearest are
Mid Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Harrison26.7 mi$6,132 in-state tuitionFerris State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Big Rapids32.2 mi$14,778 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Highland Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Highland Township for work
Where Highland Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
81jobs based in Highland Township
2%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Highland Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Highland Township is a civil township of Osceola County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,148 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 37 sq mi
- Elevation
- 630 ft
Questions about Highland Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Highland Township, MI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.