St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Complex · National Register of Historic Places
North Plains Township’s story
180 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1846North Plains Township is settled
North Plains TownshipMI
4 bordering townsMap →
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Complex · Photo: kennethaw88 · CC BY 4.0
Population
1,200
2025 Census estimate · +1.3% since 2020
Median home value
$184K
Census ACS
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
40.7
years
Jobs based here
41
A commuter town
Is North Plains Township a good place to live?
North Plains Township’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and history and an A− for civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. On history, just 67 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do better. North Plains Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes North Plains Township stand out
Where North Plains Township beats most towns.
Small town
1,200 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Ronald TownshipLebanon TownshipLyons TownshipBloomer TownshipNorth Plains Township
How North Plains Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far North Plains Township is from typical.
Jobs & income41 jobs based hereDOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $184K, 2.2 years of the Grand Rapids metro’s $83K median household incomeAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.9 of 20; 5.8% of households have no car; 1.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →HealthUniversity of Michigan Health-Sparrow Carson 8.1 miles awayCOpen →SchoolsBehind 54% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationB−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.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 0% conserved landC−Open →History1 place on the National RegisterAOpen →Civic life3.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−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 North Plains Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in North Plains Township, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet7 providers83% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have North Plains Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsCarson City-Crystal Area School DistrictIonia Public Schools2 districts serve North Plains 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 hereNorth Plains Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes48845, 48860, 48846, 4883448845 59% · 48860 26% · 48846 7% · 48834 6%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 North Plains Township.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Compared with most of Michigan and the rest of the country, fewer of North Plains Township’s working residents work locally
The top destinations are Ionia (12%), Grand Rapids (5%) and Lansing (4%). The share of residents in North Plains Township who live below the poverty line: 23%. The town’s typical journey to work stands at 27 minutes, above both Michigan’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Its middle household income comes in at $61,000.
1%work in town
| North Plains Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 23% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 5.4% | 10% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.6% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $61,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In North Plains Township1%
Ionia12%
Grand Rapids5%
Lansing4%
Cascade Township4%
27 mi
median commute distance
41
jobs based in North Plains Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 15% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
HealthC
North Plains Township is less healthy than 68% of U.S. towns
The share of adults in North Plains Township who smoke cigarettes is 18%, against 15% in Michigan’s towns and 14% across U.S. towns. North Plains Township: 19% of adults report frequent mental distress.
32%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| North Plains Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 37% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better30 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | North Plains Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.1% | 10.2% |
| More smokers | 17.5% | 14.6% |
University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Carson
8.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in North Plains Township
In July, afternoons reach 83°; in January, nights fall to 16°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a winter.
54″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–33°
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
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Moderate risk in North Plains Township, with inland flooding at the top
Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 55% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 54% of North Plains Township’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 18% to tornadoes.
45risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC−
Less of North Plains Township is set aside as conserved land than in the typical Michigan or U.S. town
Across 2 parks and preserves: 1.1 miles of trail.
0.1%conserved
0.1%
conserved · 28 of 22,869 acres
1.1 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mill Pond Park | — | 3 |
| 2. Commons Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about North Plains Township
18pages on North Plains Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of North Plains Township; the nearest are
Montcalm Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sidney16 mi$4,662 in-state tuitionMichigan State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · East Lansing31.9 mi$16,458 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 North Plains Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave North Plains Township for work
Where North Plains Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
41jobs based in North Plains Township
1%of working residents work in town
27 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About North Plains Township
Township in Michigan, United States
North Plains Township is a large civil township of Ionia County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,191 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 771 ft
Questions about North Plains Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is North Plains 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.