Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 37,725, settled in 1837.
Few places in the country grade higher. Independence Township earns an A, ranked 51st of 697 in Michigan. The median household earns $115K, it is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, and its public schools beat 87% of Michigan towns on state tests and graduation. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $382K for a typical one and 5 times the Detroit metro’s $77K median household income. 13% of the land in Independence Township is conserved, above both the Michigan town median (4.4%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest place to walk is Independence Oaks County Park, 1,273 acres with 10.5 miles of trail. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 72% of U.S. towns.
Where Independence Township beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Independence Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.2% | 15.4% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Bailey Lake Elementary School | K–5 | 522 |
| Pine Knob Elementary School | PK–5 | 487 |
| Independence Elementary School | PK–5 | 446 |
Where Independence 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 Independence Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2018 and 4 maps from 1943 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Independence 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 Independence Township.
Independence Township has less food insecurity than most of Michigan, has seen reported crime fall by about half and has household incomes well above the Michigan norm.
Its widest gap with Michigan is food insecurity: 9.2% of its 18,949 adults worry about having enough food, against 15.4% statewide.
30% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Independence Township, below both Michigan’s towns (34%) and U.S. towns (36%). 18% of adults get no exercise outside work in Independence Township. Independence Township beats the Michigan average on 23 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
| Independence Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 25% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 19% | 19% |
| What stands out | Independence Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.2% | 15.4% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.3% | 10.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Clarkston Community School District. Three of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sashabaw Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 933 | B+ |
| Clarkston High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 1,552 | A |
| Clarkston Junior High SchoolTop results in townGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 1,007 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
19 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Independence Oaks County Park | 10.5 mi | 1,273 |
| 2. Clintonwood Park | 2.9 mi | 121 |
| 3. Bay Court Park | 0.6 mi | 43 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 88% of U.S. communities. Since 2013, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Independence Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 237 to 132 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 29 reported in 2025, 0.8 per 1,000 residents.
Independence Township’s property crime rate is 2.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Independence Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.7 per 1,000 residents | 8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Most working residents leave Independence Township for work: only 8% work in town. The average trip to work in Independence Township is 29 minutes. The top destinations are Auburn Hills (9%), Troy (7%) and Waterford Township (6%).
| Independence Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $115,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 18% | 10% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Independence Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 16° and about 36 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
4 within 15 miles of the center of Independence Township
About 5 of every 100 Independence Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
Charter township in Michigan, United States
Independence Township is a charter township of Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 36,686 at the 2020 census. Independence Township was first organized in 1834. The township surrounds the city of Clarkston, but the two are administered autonomously after Clarkston incorporated as a city in 1992. The township is home to the Pine Knob Music Theatre and the Pine Knob Ski Resort.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Independence Township.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Township | #51 | A | C− | A− | A | A |
| Waterford Township | #346 | B | C+ | B− | B− | B+ |
| Springfield Township | #102 | A | C− | A | A− | A− |
| Orion Township | #24 | A+ | C− | A | A | A |
| Brandon Township | #60 | A | C | A | A− | A− |
| Auburn Hills | #603 | C− | C− | C− | D | A− |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Independence Township grades A overall, better than 92% of U.S. towns and #51 of 697 in Michigan. It grades A for health, A− for safety and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.