Muir Church of Christ · National Register of Historic Places
Lyons Township’s story
190 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 maps from 1978 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1836Lyons Township is settled
Lyons TownshipMI
6 bordering townsMap →
Muir Church of Christ · Photo: kennethaw88 · CC BY 4.0
Population
3,580
2025 Census estimate · +1.8% since 2020
Typical home
$261K
+7.8% in a year
Household income
$75K
median
Median age
37.2
years
Jobs based here
318
A commuter town
TownGrade
B
#327 of 697 in MI
Is Lyons Township a good place to live?
Lyons Township gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $261K, 3.1 years of the Grand Rapids metro’s $83K median household income. It grades B overall, 327th among Michigan's 697 graded towns. 31% of residents are under 18 in Lyons Township, against 21% in Michigan’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 93% of U.S. towns. Muir Church of Christ is on the National Register of Historic Places.
What makes Lyons Township stand out
Where Lyons Township beats most towns.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Lyons Township for work
Where Lyons Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
318jobs based in Lyons Township
7%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
How Lyons Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Lyons Township is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.2 of 20; 3.9% of households have no car; 0.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →Jobs & income$75K median household incomeC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →HealthSparrow Ionia Hospital 9.8 miles awayB−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 45% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 2% conserved landB−Open →History1 place on the National RegisterA−Open →Civic life2.4 library visits per resident; 2.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−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 37.2; 15% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lyons Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lyons Township, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLyons water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet9 providers91% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Lyons Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsIonia Public SchoolsPewamo-Westphalia Community School District2 districts serve Lyons Township; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereLyons Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes48851, 48873, 48860, 4889448851 39% · 48873 31% · 48860 28% · 48894 2%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 Lyons Township.
Lyons Township trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and sends most of its workers to Ionia and beyond.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Most working residents commute out of Lyons Township
Lyons Township has 318 jobs for its 1,362 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 436 in 2011 to 318.
Most working residents leave Lyons Township for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2011, Lyons Township has lost 118 jobs, to 318 in 2021. The average trip to work in Lyons Township is 28 minutes.
7%work in town
| Lyons Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.2% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Lyons Township7%
Ionia14%
Grand Rapids5%
Lansing4%
Ionia Township4%
23 mi
median commute distance
318
jobs based in Lyons Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 7% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
SchoolsB
Lyons Township’s public schools outperform 58% of Michigan districts
Its public schools are run by the Pewamo-Westphalia Community Schools. One of its 3 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
58%of MI districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| PewamoWestphalia Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 249 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Climate
Lyons Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Lyons Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 16° and about 54 inches of snow falls in a winter.
54″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–33°
Spring35–57°
Summer58–81°
Fall40–60°
Oct 12
typical first frost
May 3
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB−
1.8% of Lyons Township is conserved land
2.4 miles of trail in 11 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Maple River State Game Area, at 226 acres. Lyons Township’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
#522for trails in MI
| Lyons Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.8% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
1.8%
conserved · 429 of 23,467 acres
2.4 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Maple River State Game Area | 0.4 mi | 226 |
| 2. Hazel Devore Park | 0.3 mi | 8 |
| 3. Portland State Game Area | — | 125 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Lyons Township
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities.
45risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB−
Lyons Township is healthier than 53% of U.S. towns
Lyons Township beats the Michigan average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 27% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Lyons Township.
53%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Lyons Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
5 better27 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Lyons Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.8% | 8.7% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.3% | 15.4% |
Sparrow Ionia Hospital
9.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
54th
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade A
For cost of living, Lyons Township earns an A
Homes are within reach (about $261K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 23 miles.
Typical home values rose 7.8% in the year to September 2026.
$261KZillow home value
| Lyons Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $971 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Lyons Township$261K
Michigan$264K
+7.8%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lyons Township
18pages on Lyons Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lyons Township; the nearest are
Montcalm Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sidney20.7 mi$4,662 in-state tuitionMichigan State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · East Lansing27.9 mi$16,458 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Lyons Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Lyons Township
Township in Michigan, United States
Lyons Township is a civil township of Ionia County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,513 at the 2020 census. The village of Lyons is mostly within the township. The villages of Muir and Pewamo are also within the township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 37 sq mi
- Elevation
- 761 ft
Lyons Township’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Lyons Township.
Ionia TownshipDallas TownshipNorth Plains TownshipPewamoPortland TownshipLebanon TownshipLyons Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyons Township | #327 | B | A | — | B | B− |
| Ionia Township | #544 | C | A− | — | B− | C |
| Dallas Township | — | — | A | — | A+ | B+ |
| North Plains Township | — | — | A | — | B− | C |
| Pewamo | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Portland Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lebanon Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Dallas Township and North Plains Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Lyons Township, Ionia Township, Dallas Township and North Plains Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Pewamo, Portland Township and Lebanon Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Lyons Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Lyons Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lyons Township, MI a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Lyons Township grades B overall, better than 58% of U.S. towns and #327 of 697 in Michigan. It grades B− for health and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Lyons Township, 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.