Hotel Sieting, 2017
Kalkaska’s story
153 years in pictures
Census counts: 496 in 1880, a low of 496 in 1880, 2,132 in 2020. The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2017 and 2 maps from 1956 on.
- 1873Kalkaska is settled
KalkaskaMI
A town of 2,258, settled in 1873. A typical home costs 2.6 years of the Traverse City metro’s $81K median household income.
Population
2,258
2025 Census estimate · +3.4% since 2020
Typical home
$213K
−0.7% in a year
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
43.5
years
Jobs based here
2,003
A job hub
Is Kalkaska a good place to live?
The best of Kalkaska’s subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A− for walkability and civic life; the weakest is a C− for health. Only 1 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on cost of living. Kalkaska’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile, above both Michigan’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest park or preserve is Mill Pond Park, at 37 acres. Kalkaska has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Kalkaska stand out
Where Kalkaska beats most towns.
Typical home value
Kalkaska$213K
Michigan$264K
Cost of livingA+
More affordable than 99% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Natural hazardsA+
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here2,003
Residents who work778
Work
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 97% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,835 people come to Kalkaska for work
Where Kalkaska’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,003jobs based in Kalkaska
22%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
How Kalkaska grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Kalkaska is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 4% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA+Open →HealthKalkaska Memorial Health Center 0.5 miles awayC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.6 of 20; 10.6% of households have no car; 5.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA−Open →Jobs & incomeCOpen →SafetyBOpen →SchoolsBehind 59% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors4 miles of trails; 1% conserved landB+Open →History2 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life3.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 43.5; 19% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Kalkaska: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Kalkaska, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Kalkaska water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Kalkaska’s trash rules yet
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 hereKalkaska Township ClerkKalkaska Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4964649646 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 Kalkaska.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
With 2.6 jobs for every working resident, Kalkaska draws in 1,835 commuters
About one in 5 of Kalkaska’s working residents works in town. Since 2011, Kalkaska has added 1,026 jobs, to 2,003 in 2021. Kalkaska’s median household income is $57,000, below both the Michigan town median ($77,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000).
22%work in town
| Kalkaska | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Kalkaska22%
Kalkaska Township28%
Traverse City13%
Garfield Township6%
East Bay Township3%
20 mi
median commute distance
2,003
jobs based in Kalkaska
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 82% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Very low risk in Kalkaska, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 96% of U.S. communities.
4risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthC−
On CDC estimates, Kalkaska is less healthy than 83% of U.S. towns
Kalkaska beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 17% of Kalkaska adults report frequent physical distress.
17%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Kalkaska | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better22 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Kalkaska | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11.3% | 8.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.8% | 10.2% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.2% | 7% |
Kalkaska Memorial Health Center
0.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Kalkaska, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Kalkaska has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Kalkaska’s July high is 80°F.
132″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–30°
Spring30–54°
Summer54–78°
Fall38–57°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 24
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A+
The median rent in Kalkaska is lower than in the typical Michigan or U.S. town
The median rent in Kalkaska is $633 a month. The typical Kalkaska home is worth about $213,000, down 0.7% in a year, 19% below the Michigan typical home. 67% of households own their home in Kalkaska.
$213KZillow home value
| Kalkaska | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $633 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 84% | 73% |
Typical home value
Kalkaska$213K
Michigan$264K
−0.7%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
60%of U.S. towns report more crimeBSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Kalkaska0.9
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Kalkaska8.8
Michigan13
U.S.15.5
60th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
20
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsB+
Kalkaska has set aside 0.6% of its land for conservation
3.9 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves.
0.6%conserved
0.6%
conserved · 10 of 1,710 acres
3.9 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mill Pond Park | — | 37 |
| 2. Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit | — | 6 |
| 3. Chalker Park | 0.1 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kalkaska
20pages on Kalkaska
The big questions
SchoolsC+Behind 59% of MI districtsSafetyB0.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than MI on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA+$213K typical home · down 0.7% in a yearWork & commuteC$57K median household income · 2,003 jobs hereNatural hazardsA+FEMA risk higher than 4% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Kalkaska; the nearest are
Northwestern Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Traverse City19.8 mi$5,860 in-state tuitionKirtland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Grayling25.1 mi$5,190 in-state tuitionFerris State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Big Rapids73.6 mi$14,778 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Kalkaska residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Kalkaska
Village in Michigan, United States
Kalkaska ( kal-KASS-kə) is a village in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Kalkaska County. The village had a population of 2,132 at the 2020 census. Kalkaska is located within Kalkaska Township and is part of the Traverse City metropolitan area. The village has hosted the National Trout Festival since 1935.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,033 ft
- ZIP code
- 49646
- Area code
- 231
Questions about Kalkaska
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kalkaska, MI expensive?
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+.
What is Kalkaska, MI known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Emil Frisk and Steven Damman.