Indian River (community), MI location2, 2019
Indian River’s story
147 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2019.
- 1879Indian River is settled
Indian RiverMI
The town, settled in 1879, counts 2,039 residents.
Population
2,039
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$329K
+5.9% in a year
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
62.7
years
Jobs based here
697
Balanced
Is Indian River a good place to live?
8.4% of residents are under 18 in Indian River, against 21% in Michigan’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Of the 702 Michigan towns we compare, none has a higher age of the median resident than Indian River. Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, at 1,215 acres with 5.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. We don’t grade Indian River yet; the figures below are still real.
Getting set up
Moving to Indian River: who provides what
Indian River is unincorporated, so Cheboygan County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSouth Pointe I Apartments water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesCheboygan CountyCheboygan County provides services here
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 hereTuscarora Township ClerkTuscarora Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4974949749 100%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 Indian River.
Natural hazards
Indian River stands out in Michigan and nationally, with the FEMA risk score higher than most
FEMA puts 91% of Indian River’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 6% to cold waves. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 73% of U.S. communities.
73risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Housing
Homes in Indian River are worth about $329K, by Zillow’s estimate
Typical home values rose 5.9% in the year to September 2026. On the market in Indian River: a median 45 days to sell. In Indian River, 25% of sales closed above the list price.
$329KZillow home value
Typical home value
Indian River$329K
Michigan$264K
Market temperature
45
days on market
99.5%
sale-to-list price
+5.9%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in September
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Indian River, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Indian River’s typical July afternoon high is 80°F.
87″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–29°
Spring30–53°
Summer53–78°
Fall38–57°
Sep 18
typical first frost
May 31
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
A job hub: Indian River has 1.1 jobs for every working resident and draws in 632 commuters
Employers in Indian River added 547 jobs between 2011 and 2021, to 697. Only a tenth of working residents stay in Indian River for work; the rest commute out. The average trip to work for Indian River comes to 33 minutes. The top destinations are Petoskey (8%), Tuscarora Township (8%) and Bear Creek Township (5%).
10%work in town
| Indian River | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $62,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Indian River10%
Petoskey8%
Tuscarora Township8%
Bear Creek Township5%
Gaylord4%
21 mi
median commute distance
697
jobs based in Indian River
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Health
Compared with most of Michigan and the rest of the country, more of Indian River’s adults had a checkup this year
17% of adults report frequent physical distress in Indian River. The town beats the Michigan average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. Two figures for adults locally: 13% binge drink, 15% have diabetes.
| Indian River | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 36% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 80% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
5 better18 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Indian River | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.3% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.1% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.1% | 8.9% |
Mclaren Northern Michigan
17.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Indian River has set aside 3.2% of its land for conservation
The density of trails in Indian River is 0.7 miles per square mile. 15 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. Parks and preserves locally: 10, covering 1,342 acres.
3.2%conserved
| Indian River | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.2% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
3.2%
conserved · 412 of 12,901 acres
15 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit | 5.4 mi | 1,215 |
| 2. Seven Springs Nature Preserve | 1.7 mi | 73 |
| 3. Waubun Nature Preserve | 0.6 mi | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Indian River
16pages on Indian River
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Indian River; the nearest are
North Central Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Petoskey16.8 mi$5,430 in-state tuitionBay Mills Community CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Brimley71 mi$3,480 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Indian River residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Indian River
Census-designated place & unincorporated community in Michigan, United States
Indian River is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Cheboygan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,950 at the 2020 census. The CDP is located in Tuscarora Township between Burt Lake and Mullett Lake. As an unincorporated community, Indian River has no legal autonomy of its own but does have its own post office with the 49749 ZIP Code, which also serves small portions of several surrounding townships.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 20 sq mi
- Elevation
- 610 ft
- ZIP code
- 49749
Indian River’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Indian River.
Tuscarora TownshipKoehler TownshipBurt TownshipEllis TownshipMentor TownshipMullett TownshipIndian River
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian River | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tuscarora Township | #652 | D | C | B | C | C+ |
| Koehler Township | — | — | A | — | C | C− |
| Burt Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ellis Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mentor Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mullett Township | — | — | C+ | — | B | C |
Koehler Township and Mullett Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Koehler Township and Mullett Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Indian River, Burt Township, Ellis Township and Mentor Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Indian River with a neighbor →
Questions about Indian River
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Indian River, MI a good place to live?
We don’t grade Indian River yet; the figures below are still real.