Bass Lake Town on Culver, 2017
Long Lake Township’s story
153 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2017 and a map from 1983 on.
- 1873Long Lake Township is settled
Long Lake TownshipMI
A town of 10,101, settled in 1873.
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Phoenix-Five · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
10,101
2025 Census estimate · +1.6% since 2020
Median home value
$411K
Census ACS
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
45.0
years
Jobs based here
721
A commuter town
TownGrade
B
#313 of 697 in MI
Is Long Lake Township a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Long Lake Township grades B overall, 313th of 697 graded towns in Michigan. Its schools outperform 80% of the state's and the median household earns $96K. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $411K for a typical one and 5.1 times the Traverse City metro’s $81K median household income. Long Lake Township’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, above both Michigan’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 89% of U.S. towns. On history, just 106 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do worse.
What makes Long Lake Township stand out
Where Long Lake Township beats most towns.
A growing town
Long Lake Township has grown 17% since 2010
8,662 counted in 2010 and 9,956 in 2020; an estimated 10,101 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Long Lake Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Long Lake Township is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.9 of 20; 0.4% of households have no car; 0.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 17% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →Jobs & incomeA−Open →Cost of livingC−Open →HealthMunson Medical Center 6.2 miles awayB+Open →
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.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Long Lake Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Long Lake Township, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCountry Eden L.l.c. water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Long 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 hereLong Lake Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes49685, 4968449685 84% · 49684 16%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 Long Lake Township.
Long Lake Township gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to Traverse City and beyond.
OutdoorsA−
Conserved land covers 3.2% of Long Lake Township
45 miles of trail in 29 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is South Long Lake Forest Natural Area, 263 acres with 4.7 miles of trail.
#111for trails in MI
3.2%
conserved · 717 of 22,677 acres
45 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit | 20.4 mi | 1,790 |
| 2. Timbers Recreation Area | 5.6 mi | 256 |
| 3. South Long Lake Forest Natural Area | 4.7 mi | 263 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA−
Long Lake Township earns an A− for schools
Its public schools are run by the Traverse City Area Public Schools. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
80%of MI districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westwoods Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 365 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Long Lake Township faces a very low natural-hazard risk, led by cold waves
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 83% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Long Lake Township since 2014.
17risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingWinter weather
1
paid flood claims since 2014
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
About two in five of Long Lake Township’s working residents commute to Traverse City
Long Lake Township has 721 jobs for its 4,252 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 2,982 in 2011 to 721.
Most working residents leave Long Lake Township for work: only 3% work in town. 3.6% of residents live below the poverty line in Long Lake Township, against 8.9% in Michigan’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Long Lake Township fell to 721 in 2021, 2,261 fewer than in 2011.
3%work in town
| Long Lake Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.6% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 14% | 10% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Long Lake Township3%
Traverse City41%
Garfield Township16%
Green Lake Township3%
East Bay Township3%
8 mi
median commute distance
721
jobs based in Long Lake Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 11% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
HealthB+
Long Lake Township is healthier than 71% of U.S. towns
Long Lake Township beats the Michigan average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 32% of Long Lake Township adults sleep under 7 hours.
71%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Long Lake Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 27% | 23% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 19% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
9 better22 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Long Lake Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.6% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.2% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.2% | 8.9% |
Munson Medical Center
6.2 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
73rd
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Long Lake Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
The Traverse City Munson weather station, 6 miles away, records that 101 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Long Lake Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Long Lake Township is 80°F.
101″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–30°
Spring31–53°
Summer55–78°
Fall39–57°
Oct 15
typical first frost
May 9
typical last frost
+2.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Long Lake Township
18pages on Long Lake Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Long Lake Township
Northwestern Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Traverse City8.7 mi$5,860 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Long Lake Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Long Lake Township for work
Where Long Lake Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
721jobs based in Long Lake Township
3%of working residents work in town
8 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Long Lake Township
Charter township in Michigan, United States
Long Lake Township, officially the Charter Township of Long Lake, is a charter township of Grand Traverse County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,956 at the 2020 census, an increase from 8,662 at the 2010 census. Long Lake Township is one of three charter townships in Grand Traverse County, the others being East Bay Township and neighboring Garfield Township. Long Lake, from which the township takes its name, is the largest lake entirely within Grand Traverse County. Much of Long Lake Township is suburban due to its proximity to Traverse City.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 879 ft
Long Lake Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Long Lake Township.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its B; Almira Township (B) is closest. Almira Township next door grades lower for schools (C+ to Long Lake Township’s A−) and higher for cost of living (B to C−).
Green Lake TownshipGarfield TownshipAlmira TownshipSolon TownshipInland TownshipLong Lake Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Lake Township | #313 | B | C− | — | A− | B+ |
| Green Lake Township | #255 | B+ | B | — | A− | B− |
| Garfield Township | #258 | B+ | C− | — | A− | B+ |
| Almira Township | #287 | B | B | — | C+ | B+ |
| Solon Township | — | — | B | — | A− | A− |
| Inland Township | — | — | B+ | — | C+ | B |
Solon Township and Inland Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Long Lake Township, Green Lake Township, Garfield Township, Almira Township, Solon Township and Inland Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Long Lake Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Long Lake Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Long Lake Township, MI a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Long Lake Township grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns and #313 of 697 in Michigan. It grades B+ for health and A− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Long 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−.