McKinley TownshipMI
A town of 1,285.
Is McKinley Township a good place to live?
The best of McKinley Township’s subject grades are an A for cost of living and the outdoors; the weakest is a D for incomes. Only 31 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on cost of living. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 72% of U.S. towns. On hazard risk, just 56 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do worse. 13% of the land in McKinley Township is conserved, above both Michigan’s towns (4.4%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, at 7,125 acres with 6.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Only 113 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score higher on the outdoors. McKinley Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
1,285 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How McKinley Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far McKinley Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to McKinley Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in McKinley Township, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in McKinley Township.
Most of McKinley Township’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave McKinley Township for work: only 8% work in town. At $54,000, McKinley Township’s median household income is below both the Michigan town median ($77,000) and the median of U.S. towns ($80,000). Jobs based in McKinley Township grew to 269 in 2021, 92 more than in 2011.
| McKinley Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Public schools in McKinley Township beat 62% of Michigan districts
Its public schools are run by the Pellston Public Schools. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pellston Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 220 | C+ |
| Pellston MiddleHigh SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 258 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
In McKinley Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
McKinley Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in McKinley Township is 79°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Conserved land covers 13.4% of McKinley Township
23 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. McKinley Township’s trail density is 0.7 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit | 6.5 mi | 7,125 |
| 2. University of Michigan Biological Station | 5.5 mi | 2,873 |
| 3. Bryan Wildlife Nature Preserve | — | 167 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Inland flooding leads a high hazard risk in McKinley Township
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 64% of U.S. communities. Since 1986, 9 flood insurance claims have been paid out in McKinley Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Residents of McKinley Township are less healthy than 62% of U.S. towns
McKinley Township beats the Michigan average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 40% of McKinley Township adults have high blood pressure.
| McKinley Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 36% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | McKinley Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.1% | 11.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.3% | 10.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Lake Michigan–Huron and 7 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around McKinley Township. Close and well known come first.
16 mi LakeLake Michigan–Huron
14 mi Ancient siteFort Michilimackinac21 mi Park & preserveMackinac National Park
20 mi LandmarkFort Mackinac
20 mi MuseumSt. Ignace Mission
20 mi MuseumRobert Stuart HousePhoto credits
Lake Michigan–Huron: ChongDae, Public domain · Fort Michilimackinac: WMrapids, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Mackinac: P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0 · St. Ignace Mission: Andrew Jameson, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Robert Stuart House: Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
Everything we know about McKinley Township
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of McKinley Township; the nearest are
About 6 of every 100 McKinley Township residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
92% of working residents leave McKinley Township for work
Where McKinley Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
About McKinley Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
McKinley Township is a civil township of Emmet County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,294 at the 2020 census. McKinley Township is home to Pellston Regional Airport.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 35 sq mi
- Elevation
- 738 ft
Questions about McKinley Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is McKinley 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.