Lake General Store (Lake, MI), 2022
Lake Township’s story
Lake Township in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 2 maps from 1930 on.
Explore the history →Lake TownshipBerrien County, MI
A town of 3,348. Public schools that outperform most of Michigan.
Population
3,348
2025 Census estimate · +0.8% since 2020
Typical home
$370K
+6.5% in a year
Household income
$83K
median
Median age
43.7
years
Jobs based here
1,848
Balanced
TownGrade
B
#312 of 697 in MI
Is Lake Township a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Lake Township grades B overall, 312th of 697 graded towns in Michigan. Its public schools beat 93% of Michigan towns on state tests and graduation. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $370K for a typical one and 5.7 times the Niles metro’s $65K median household income. 17% of the land in Lake Township is conserved, where Michigan’s towns sit at 4.4% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Warren Dunes State Park, at 1,092 acres with 11.4 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 69% of U.S. towns.
What makes Lake Township stand out
Where Lake Township beats most towns.
A growing town
Lake Township has grown 13% since 2010
2,972 counted in 2010 and 3,316 in 2020; an estimated 3,348 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 11.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Lake Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Lake Township is from typical.
SchoolsAOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 14% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listAOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.3 of 20; 2.9% of households have no car; 0.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Jobs & income$83K median household incomeBOpen →HealthLakeland Hospital, St. Joseph 12.2 miles awayBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market$370K typical home, up 6.5% in a year–Open →Who lives here27% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lake Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lake Township, and how to reach them.
PowerMidwest Energy Cooperative19.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSouthwest Michigan Regional Sanitary Sew water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Lake 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 hereLake Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes49106, 49101, 49127, 4912549106 82% · 49101 7% · 49127 7% · 49125 4%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 Lake Township.
Lake Township pairs an A for schools with high home prices and has more than doubled its jobs in ten years.
SchoolsA
Lake Township’s grade for schools is an A
That grade comes with a C− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $370K.
Its public schools are run by the Bridgman Public Schools. Enrollment at Lake Township’s public school: 261 students.
93%of MI districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| FC Reed Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 261 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsA−
Conserved land covers 17.3% of Lake Township
Lake Township’s trail density stands at 0.7 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Michigan’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. 13 miles of trail wind through 4 parks and preserves.
#208for trails in MI
17.3%
conserved · 2,053 of 11,881 acres
13 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Warren Dunes State Park | 11.4 mi | 1,092 |
| 2. Lake Township Park | — | 53 |
| 3. Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Very low risk in Lake Township, with inland flooding at the top
55% of Lake Township’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 15%. Compared with 86% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is lower.
14risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade C−
Lake Township’s grade for cost of living is a C−
Lake Township: nearly nine in ten households own their home. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 6.5% in value. Its rent at the middle of the market is $1,234 a month.
$370KZillow home value
| Lake Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 89% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,234 a month | $1,045 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Lake Township$370K
Michigan$264K
+6.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Lake Township
Expect July afternoons of 83° and January nights of 19°, with about 63 inches of snow a winter.
63″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–35°
Spring38–58°
Summer61–81°
Fall44–62°
Oct 17
typical first frost
May 4
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Young adults are less common in Lake Township than in Michigan
Michigan has nearly a third of adults 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree or more; here it is 27%. Adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (22% statewide). Lake Township’s age of the median resident is 43.7 years.
43.7median age · MI 40.2
| Lake Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.7 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 27% | 26% | 29% |
Lake TownshipMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school28%
Some college22%
Associate’s20%
Bachelor’s15%
Graduate12%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.2 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Lake Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.1% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.5% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.7% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.3% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.7% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.7% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.3% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.8% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.6% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 20% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 15% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.6% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,300, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
A job hub: Lake Township has 1.3 jobs for every working resident and draws in 1,723 commuters
Jobs based here grew from 588 in 2011 to 1,848.
The top destinations are St. Joseph (9%), Benton Township (6%) and Lincoln Township (6%). Jobs in Lake Township grew by 1,260 from 2011 to 2021, reaching 1,848. The average trip to work for Lake Township comes to 27 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 13 miles.
9%work in town
| Lake Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 8.9% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $83,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Lake Township9%
St. Joseph9%
Benton Township6%
Lincoln Township6%
Bridgman6%
13 mi
median commute distance
1,848
jobs based in Lake Township
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 31% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
HealthB
On CDC estimates, Lake Township is healthier than three in five U.S. towns
The share of adults in Lake Township who have high blood pressure: 39%. Of 32 CDC measures, Lake Township beats the Michigan average on 8 and trails it on 2.
61%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Lake Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 36% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
8 better22 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Lake Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.6% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.4% | 11.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.4% | 8.9% |
Lakeland Hospital, St. Joseph
12.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
63rd
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 133 attractions →Notre Dame Stadium and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lake Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw22 mi Stadium & arenaNotre Dame Stadium
24 mi National ParkIndiana Dunes National Park2.6M visitors a year
in town State parkWarren Dunes State Park
22 mi CaveGrotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame
16 mi Ancient siteFort St. Joseph
22 mi MuseumStudebaker National MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Notre Dame Stadium: Tysto, Public domain · Indiana Dunes National Park: J. Crocker, Attribution · Warren Dunes State Park: hakkun, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame: Know1one1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort St. Joseph: Chris Light (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Studebaker National Museum: Unknown, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lake Township
18pages on Lake Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Lake Township
Andrews UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Berrien Springs10 mi$35,056 tuitionLake Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Benton Harbor14.4 mi$5,445 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Lake Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Lake Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Lake Township.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its B; Chikaming Township (B+) is closest.
BridgmanLincoln TownshipBaroda TownshipShorewood-Tower Hills-HarbertChikaming TownshipLake Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Township | #312 | B | C− | — | A | B |
| Bridgman | — | — | C | A− | A | B |
| Lincoln Township | #208 | B+ | C | B+ | A | A− |
| Baroda Township | #226 | B+ | C+ | — | A | B |
| Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chikaming Township | #264 | B+ | C− | B+ | B+ | B |
Bridgman has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Lake Township and Baroda Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Shorewood-Tower Hills-Harbert isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Lake Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Lake Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lake Township, MI a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Lake Township grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns and #312 of 697 in Michigan. It grades B for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Lake Township, MI expensive?
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−.