Platte TownshipMI
A town of 353, settled in 1868.
Is Platte Township a good place to live?
Platte Township’s trail density is 1.9 miles per square mile, above both Michigan’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, at 1,412 acres with 1.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Platte Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
353 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and 2 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Platte Township. Close and well known come first.
3 mi National LakeshoreSleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore1.6M visitors a year
37 mi TheatreRamsdell Theatre14 mi MuseumMichigan Legacy Art ParkPhoto credits
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore: en:User:Grod028, Public domain · Ramsdell Theatre: Doug Coldwell, CC BY-SA 4.0
Moving to Platte Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Platte 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 Platte Township.
Platte Township has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
The top destinations are Benzonia Township (18%), Traverse City (14%) and Homestead Township (10%). The middle household income for Platte Township comes to $91,000. The median commute is under 17 miles.
| Platte Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $91,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Platte Township stands out in Michigan and nationally: a smaller share of its residents are under 18
Among residents in Platte Township, 29% are 65 or older, above both the Michigan town median (19%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%), and the town’s age of the median resident stands at 59.9 years. It has grown 2.9% since 2020, to 353 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. Just over a third of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more here.
| Platte Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 8.6% | 21% | 22% |
| Median age | 59.9 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 29% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 35% | 26% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
46% women, 54% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.9 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women. Median age: women 59.4, men 62.2.
| Platte Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 3.6% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.1% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.3% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.4% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.7% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 31.4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.5% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.1% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.2% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.9% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.4% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.9% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.4% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.2% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
Top of a low hazard risk in Platte Township: inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in Platte Township, 60% come from inland flooding and 30% from cold waves. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. Paid flood insurance claims locally since 2020: one.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Expect snowy winters and pleasant summers in Platte Township
Platte Township’s July high comes in at 79°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Platte Township is
In Platte Township, 29% of adults sleep under 7 hours. CDC measures, 32 in all: Platte Township beats Michigan on 10 and trails on 3. Two figures for adults locally: 29% feel lonely, 15% report frequent mental distress.
| Platte Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 34% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 80% | 79% |
| What stands out | Platte Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.6% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.6% | 11.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.7% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
8.2% of Platte Township is conserved land
In 4 parks and preserves, walkers have 69 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit | 56.3 mi | 12,379 |
| 2. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore | 1.8 mi | 1,412 |
| 3. Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness | 0.8 mi | 417 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Platte Township
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Platte Township; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Platte Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
100% of working residents leave Platte Township for work
Where Platte Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
About Platte Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Platte Township () is a rural civil township of Benzie County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Its population was 343 at the 2020 census. It is located in the north central portion of the county.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 37 sq mi
- Elevation
- 738 ft
Questions about Platte Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Platte Township, MI a good place to live?
Platte Township has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.