Main Street, 2011
Onsted’s story
143 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2011.
- 1883Onsted is settled
OnstedMI
A town of 1,002, settled in 1883.
Population
1,002
2025 Census estimate · +0.2% since 2020
Typical home
$272K
+1.3% in a year
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
35.5
years
Jobs based here
232
A commuter town
Is Onsted a good place to live?
Onsted’s best subject grade is an A− for cost of living. Onsted’s average trip to work is 31 minutes, against 25 minutes in Michigan’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Onsted Park, at 20 acres. Onsted has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Onsted stand out
Where Onsted beats most towns.
Small town
1,002 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Onsted grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Onsted is from typical.
Cost of livingA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 25% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.8 of 20; 5% of households have no car; 1.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →HealthPromedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital 9.9 miles awayBOpen →SchoolsBeat 61% of Michigan districts on tests and graduationBOpen →Jobs & income$67K median household incomeC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsC+Open →History1 notable person born hereB−Open →Civic life2.9 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 35.5; 20% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Onsted: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Onsted, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOnsted water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Onsted’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 hereCambridge Township ClerkCambridge Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4926549265 100%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 Onsted.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Onsted has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Onsted for work: only 4% work in town. Jobs based in Onsted fell to 232 in 2021, 102 fewer than in 2011. 6.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Onsted, below both Michigan’s towns (8.9%) and U.S. towns (9.6%).
4%work in town
| Onsted | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.9% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Onsted4%
Adrian11%
Cambridge Township9%
Jackson9%
Ann Arbor3%
22 mi
median commute distance
232
jobs based in Onsted
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 34% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Low risk in Onsted, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 75% of U.S. communities.
25risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Onsted, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
Onsted has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 16° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
33″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter19–34°
Spring36–58°
Summer59–81°
Fall41–61°
Oct 10
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB
Onsted is healthier than 63% of U.S. towns
Onsted beats the Michigan average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 29% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Onsted.
63%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Onsted | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 12% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 19% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
7 better25 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Onsted | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.3% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.1% | 8.7% |
Promedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital
9.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade A−
The typical home in Onsted is valued at about $272K
The typical Onsted home is worth about $272,000, up 1.3% in a year, close to the Michigan typical home. Onsted’s median rent is $828 a month.
$272KZillow home value
| Onsted | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $828 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 84% | 73% |
Typical home value
Onsted$272K
Michigan$264K
+1.3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 678 acres
0.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Onsted Park | — | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Onsted
19pages on Onsted
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Onsted
Adrian CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Adrian9.9 mi$41,684 tuitionSiena Heights UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Adrian11.2 mi$30,778 tuition
About 4 of every 100 Onsted residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Onsted for work
Where Onsted’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
232jobs based in Onsted
4%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Onsted
Village in Michigan, United States
Onsted is a village within Lenawee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The village had a population of 988 at the 2020 census. Located within the Irish Hills region, the village is part of Cambridge Township. Onsted was first settled in 1883 and named after early settler John Onsted. The community incorporated as a village in 1907.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,010 ft
- ZIP code
- 49265
Questions about Onsted
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Onsted, 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−.