Antrim County Courthouse · National Register of Historic Places
Kearney Township’s story
150 years in pictures
The archive holds a map from 1956 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1876Kearney Township is settled
Kearney TownshipMI
A town of 1,866, settled in 1876. 2.7 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Michigan town.
5 bordering townsMap →
Antrim County Courthouse · Photo: Dkanaris · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,866
2025 Census estimate · +4.8% since 2020
Median home value
$241K
Census ACS
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
57.1
years
Jobs based here
1,124
A job hub
Is Kearney Township a good place to live?
The best of Kearney Township’s subject grades are an A+ for civic life and an A− for the outdoors; the weakest is a C− for incomes. 9.6% of residents are under 18 in Kearney Township, against 21% in Michigan’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Only 33 of Michigan’s 1,265 towns score higher on civic life. Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, at 1,328 acres with 2.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Kearney Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Kearney Township stand out
Where Kearney Township beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Kearney Township8.2
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MI town3.1
Civic lifeA+
2.7 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Michigan town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here1,124
Residents who work562
Work
2 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 93% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021.
Natural hazardsA
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,009 people come to Kearney Township for work
Where Kearney Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,124jobs based in Kearney Township
20%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
How Kearney Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Kearney Township is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 23% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →Jobs & income$72K median household incomeC−Open →Cost of livingBOpen →HealthHealthier than 58% of U.S. townsBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.7 of 20; 5.9% of households have no car; 1.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →SchoolsBeat 56% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors10% conserved landA−Open →History1 place on the National RegisterB−Open →Civic life8.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+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 Kearney Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Kearney Township, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Bellaire water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers84% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Kearney Township’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 hereKearney Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes49615, 49622, 49659, 4972749615 91% · 49622 6% · 49659 3% · 49727 1%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 Kearney Township.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
A job hub: Kearney Township has 2.0 jobs for every working resident and draws in 1,009 commuters
About one in 5 of Kearney Township’s working residents works in town. At 18 minutes, Kearney Township’s average trip to work is below both the Michigan town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Since 2011, Kearney Township has lost 263 jobs, to 1,124 in 2021.
20%work in town
| Kearney Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 20% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $72,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Kearney Township20%
Central Lake Township6%
East Jordan5%
Traverse City4%
Forest Home Township4%
16 mi
median commute distance
1,124
jobs based in Kearney Township
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 43% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Who lives here
The median age in Kearney Township is higher than in most of Michigan or the rest of the country
Kearney Township’s median age is 57.1 years. Kearney Township has grown 4.8% since 2020, to 1,866 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 32% of Kearney Township residents are 65 or older.
57.1median age · MI 40.2
| Kearney Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 57.1 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 32% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 26% | 29% |
Kearney TownshipMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
23%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school32%
Some college24%
Associate’s9%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
55% women, 45% men
About 82 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.4 points). Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Kearney Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 3.7% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.8% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 12.5% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.5% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.1% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.2% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 22.7% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.2% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.4% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.3% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.2% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.6% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.6% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.4% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.9% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,900, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Kearney Township faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 77% of U.S. communities.
23risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Kearney Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Kearney Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Kearney Township is 81°F.
122″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–30°
Spring31–53°
Summer55–79°
Fall39–57°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 23
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsA−
Conserved land covers 10.4% of Kearney Township
30 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves.
10.4%conserved
10.4%
conserved · 2,332 of 22,394 acres
30 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit | 2.2 mi | 1,328 |
| 2. Cedar River Natural Area | 2.1 mi | 186 |
| 3. Craven Park | 0.9 mi | 59 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB
More of Kearney Township’s adults had a checkup this year than in the typical Michigan or U.S. town
84% of adults had a checkup this year in Kearney Township. Kearney Township beats the Michigan average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 5.3% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Kearney Township.
58%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Kearney Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 36% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 80% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
11 better14 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Kearney Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.7% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 5.7% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.2% | 8.9% |
Kalkaska Memorial Health Center
18 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kearney Township
18pages on Kearney Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Kearney Township; the nearest are
North Central Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Petoskey26.7 mi$5,430 in-state tuitionFerris State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Big Rapids92.1 mi$14,778 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Kearney Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
About Kearney Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Kearney Township is a civil township of Antrim County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,780 at the 2020 census. A portion of the village of Bellaire is located within the township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 35 sq mi
- Elevation
- 699 ft
Kearney Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Kearney Township.
Forest Home TownshipBellaireEcho TownshipCuster TownshipChestonia TownshipKearney Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kearney Township | — | — | B | — | B | B |
| Forest Home Township | — | — | B− | — | B | B |
| Bellaire | — | — | B | — | B | B+ |
| Echo Township | — | — | B | — | B | B− |
| Custer Township | — | — | A− | — | B | C+ |
| Chestonia Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Kearney Township, Forest Home Township, Bellaire, Echo Township and Custer Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Kearney Township, Forest Home Township, Bellaire, Echo Township and Custer Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Chestonia Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Kearney Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Kearney Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kearney Township, MI a good place to live?
2.7 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Michigan town.
Is Kearney Township, MI expensive?
The typical home is worth about $241,000. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.