Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,394, platted in 1836. A regional job hub with 1,923 jobs.
Litchfield’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and an A− for safety and civic life; its weakest is a D− for walkability. On cost of living, just 57 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better. Litchfield's public schools trail 87% of Michigan towns on state tests and graduation. Only 92 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score lower on walkability. Litchfield has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Litchfield beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Litchfield is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,029 in 1880, a low of 601 in 1890, 1,399 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2022 and 2 maps from 1948 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Litchfield, 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 Litchfield.
Most working residents leave Litchfield for work: only 16% work in town. At 18 minutes, Litchfield’s average trip to work is below both Michigan’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Litchfield’s median household income is $53,000.
| Litchfield | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Litchfield Community Schools. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Litchfield Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 110 | D− |
| Litchfield High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 143 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
At 2.9 per 1,000 residents, Litchfield’s property crime rate is below both the Michigan town median (7.9) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9).
| Litchfield | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 7.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
30% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Litchfield. Litchfield beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 39% of adults have high blood pressure in Litchfield.
| Litchfield | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 27% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Litchfield | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More smokers | 19.1% | 14.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.5% | 8.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.4% | 7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 79% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Litchfield home is worth about $191,000, up 3.4% in a year, 28% below the Michigan typical home. The median rent in Litchfield is $734 a month.
| Litchfield | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $734 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 84% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Litchfield has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 16° and about 44 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1.8 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Litchfield | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.9% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fireman's Park | 0.1 mi | 7 |
| 2. Town Square Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Litchfield. Close and well known come first.
19 mi MuseumAmerican Museum of Magic25 mi Zoo & aquariumBinder Park Zoo29 mi Theme parkFun Spot Amusement Park & Zoo
33 mi GardenHidden Lake Gardens
6 mi MuseumE.O. Grosvenor House
10 mi GardenSlayton ArboretumAmerican Museum of Magic: rossograph, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hidden Lake Gardens: Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0 · E.O. Grosvenor House: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Slayton Arboretum: Brother Atticus, CC0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Litchfield
About 4 of every 100 Litchfield residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Where Litchfield’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
City in Michigan, United States
Litchfield is a city in Hillsdale County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,399 at the 2020 census. The city is surrounded by Litchfield Township, but the two are administered autonomously.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. That is 3 years of the area's median household income ($64,242 across the Hillsdale, MI 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.
Litchfield was platted in 1836. 2 notable people were born here, including Solomon Robert Dresser and Marion Babcock Baxter.
