Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
2.4 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Michigan town.
Port Austin Township’s best subject grade is an A+ for civic life; its weakest is a D for incomes. 40% of residents are 65 or older in Port Austin Township, against 19% in Michigan’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. Only 90 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score lower on incomes. The biggest park or preserve is Thumb Area Underwater Preserve, at 33,336 acres. On civic life, just 43 of Michigan’s 1,265 towns do better. Port Austin Township has 6 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Grindstone City Historic District and Charles G. Learned House. Port Austin Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Port Austin Township beats most towns.
Grindstone City Historic DistrictIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Port Austin Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1871.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Port Austin 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Port Austin Township.
7.9% of residents are under 18 in Port Austin Township, below both the Michigan town median (21%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). The median age in Port Austin Township is 59.9 years. Port Austin Township has lost 2.5% of its people since 2020, down to 1,347 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Port Austin Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 7.9% | 21% | 22% |
| Median age | 59.9 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 26% | 29% |
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.7 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Port Austin Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.5% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.4% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.8% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.6% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 5.4% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.2% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.2% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 27.5% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.4% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.8% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.6% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.1% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.6% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.9% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 89% of U.S. communities. Since 1987, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Port Austin Township.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Port Austin Township for work: only 12% work in town. Port Austin Township’s median household income is $54,000. The top destinations are Bad Axe (12%), Winsor Township (9%) and Colfax Township (9%).
| Port Austin Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 7% | 10% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 5.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
46% of adults have high blood pressure in Port Austin Township. Port Austin Township beats the Michigan average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 16% of adults have diabetes in Port Austin Township.
| Port Austin Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 36% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Port Austin Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.8% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.7% | 8.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.9% | 7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Port Austin Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 78°, January nights drop to 17° and about 47 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
3.8 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bird Creek Park | 0.3 mi | 7 |
| 2. Thumb Area Underwater Preserve | — | 33,336 |
| 3. Port Austin Conservation Club | — | 46 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Port Austin Township; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Port Austin Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Where Port Austin Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
6 places in Port Austin Township on the National Register of Historic Places.
Village in Michigan, United States
Port Austin is a village in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, Port Austin had a population of 622. The village is within Port Austin Township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.4 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Michigan town.
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+.
