MarkeyTownshipRoscommonMI, 2009
Markey Township’s story
121 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2009.
- 1905Markey Township is settled
Markey TownshipMI
A town of 2,452, settled in 1905.
Population
2,452
2025 Census estimate · +2.3% since 2020
Median home value
$166K
Census ACS
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
59.9
years
Jobs based here
199
A commuter town
Is Markey Township a good place to live?
Markey Township’s best subject grade is an A− for the outdoors; its weakest is a D− for walkability. 40% of residents are 65 or older in Markey Township, against 19% in Michigan’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. On walkability, just 69 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do worse. The median household income is $52K, and 12% of residents live below the poverty line. On history, just 4 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do worse. The biggest park or preserve is South Higgins Lake State Park, at 642 acres. Markey Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Markey Township for work
Where Markey Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
199jobs based in Markey Township
3%of working residents work in town
43 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
How Markey Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Markey Township is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.2 of 20; 5% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →Jobs & incomeDOpen →SchoolsBehind 73% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationCOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $166K, 3 years of the county’s $55K median household incomeB+Open →HealthMunson Healthcare Grayling Hospital 20.1 miles awayC+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors7% conserved landA−Open →HistoryDOpen →Civic life3.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+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 Markey Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Markey Township, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBrook of Houghton Lake water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers88% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Markey 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 hereMarkey Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes48653, 4862948653 56% · 48629 44%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 Markey Township.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Markey Township has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Markey Township for work: only 3% work in town. Markey Township’s median household income is $52,000, below both Michigan’s towns ($77,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Since 2011, Markey Township has added 175 jobs, to 199 in 2021.
3%work in town
| Markey Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.2% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Markey Township3%
Denton Township8%
Roscommon Township7%
Grayling5%
Grayling Township5%
43 mi
median commute distance
199
jobs based in Markey Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 4% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Climate
Markey Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Markey Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Markey Township’s July high is 81°F.
66″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–30°
Spring31–54°
Summer53–79°
Fall37–57°
Sep 23
typical first frost
May 19
typical last frost
+2.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Markey Township is less healthy than 63% of U.S. towns
Markey Township beats the Michigan average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 43% of Markey Township adults have high blood pressure.
37%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Markey Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 36% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 80% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
9 better14 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Markey Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.7% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.6% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13% | 8.9% |
Munson Healthcare Grayling Hospital
20.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
7.3%conserved
| Markey Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.3% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
7.3%
conserved · 1,668 of 22,959 acres
16 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Au Sable State Forest - Roscommon Unit | 8.5 mi | 7,871 |
| 2. South Higgins Lake State Park | 0.4 mi | 642 |
| 3. Markey Park | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Markey Township
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 2019, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Markey Township.
52risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
2
paid flood claims since 2019
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Markey Township
18pages on Markey Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Markey Township; the nearest are
Kirtland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Grayling15.5 mi$5,190 in-state tuitionCentral Michigan UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Mount Pleasant54.6 mi$14,760 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Markey Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Markey Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Markey Township is a civil township of Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,401 at the 2020 census. The township was created from Gerrish Township on April 21, 1887.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,148 ft
Markey Township’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Markey Township.
Lake TownshipGerrish TownshipHiggins TownshipDenton TownshipLyon TownshipMarkey Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Markey Township | — | — | B+ | — | C | C+ |
| Lake Township | — | — | C+ | — | C | C |
| Gerrish Township | #448 | C+ | C+ | B+ | B | C+ |
| Higgins Township | — | — | A | — | B | C− |
| Denton Township | #576 | C− | B− | A− | C | C− |
| Lyon Township | — | — | C | — | B | C+ |
Markey Township, Lake Township, Higgins Township and Lyon Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Markey Township, Lake Township, Higgins Township and Lyon Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Markey Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Markey Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Markey 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 B+.