Putnam Township Hall, Michigan, 2010
Putnam Township’s story
Putnam Township in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1895 and 5 maps from 1902 on.
Explore the history →Putnam TownshipMI
A town of 7,797.
Population
7,797
2025 Census estimate · −1% since 2020
Median home value
$345K
Census ACS
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
45.6
years
Jobs based here
1,017
A commuter town
TownGrade
B+
#248 of 697 in MI
Is Putnam Township a good place to live?
Putnam Township grades B+ overall, 248th among Michigan's 697 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is healthier than 81% of U.S. towns and it has 36 miles of trail and 28% conserved land. It also does better than most on schools: its schools rank ahead of 72% of Michigan towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $345K for a typical one and 4.5 times the Detroit metro’s $77K median household income. 28% of the land in Putnam Township is conserved, where Michigan’s towns sit at 4.4% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Pinckney State Recreation Area, at 2,362 acres with 25.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Only 111 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score lower on history.
What makes Putnam Township stand out
Where Putnam Township beats most towns.
Get outside
36 miles of trails in Putnam Township
28.4% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
3
Church Park6 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Putnam Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Putnam Township is from typical.
HealthTrinity Health Livingston Hospital 10.4 miles awayA−Open →SchoolsB+Open →Jobs & income$96K median household incomeB+Open →Cost of livingCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 34% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.3 of 20; 3.5% of households have no car; 1.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 73 attractions →Michigan Stadium and 28 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Putnam Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw18 mi Stadium & arenaMichigan Stadium
39 mi MuseumThe Henry Ford1.8M visitors a year
18 mi Park & preserveDomino's Farms31 mi MuseumMarvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum
23 mi LandmarkYpsilanti Water Tower
32 mi MuseumEli and Edythe Broad Art Museum150K visitors a yearSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Michigan Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · The Henry Ford: Alvintrusty, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Domino's Farms: Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0 · Ypsilanti Water Tower: Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0 · Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum: Dj1997, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Putnam Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Putnam Township, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Pinckney water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Putnam Township’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 herePutnam Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4816948169 99%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 Putnam Township.
Putnam Township has less food insecurity than most of Michigan and sends most of its workers to Ann Arbor and beyond.
OutdoorsA
Conserved land covers nearly a quarter of Putnam Township
36 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. At 1.0 miles per square mile, Putnam Township’s trail density is against 0.3 in Michigan’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns.
#140for trails in MI
28.4%
conserved · 6,420 of 22,636 acres
36 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pinckney State Recreation Area | 25.9 mi | 2,362 |
| 2. Gregory State Game Area | 2.6 mi | 1,103 |
| 3. Church Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB+
Putnam Township earns a B+ for schools
Its public schools are run by the Pinckney Community Schools. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Pinckney Community High School, with 619 students.
72%of MI districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farley Hill Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 233 | A− |
| Pinckney Community High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 619 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
Putnam Township earns an A− for health
Its widest gap with Michigan is food insecurity: 8.7% of its 17,442 adults worry about having enough food, against 15.4% statewide.
29% of adults feel lonely in Putnam Township. Putnam Township beats the Michigan average on 18 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 31% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Putnam Township.
81%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Putnam Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 34% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
18 better13 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Putnam Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.7% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7% | 11.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 8.9% |
Trinity Health Livingston Hospital
10.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
87th
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Most working residents commute out of Putnam Township
Putnam Township has 1,017 jobs for its 3,544 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 35 minutes, against 24.2 across Michigan.
Most working residents leave Putnam Township for work: only 5% work in town. Putnam Township’s average trip to work is 35 minutes. Since 2011, Putnam Township has added 189 jobs, to 1,017 in 2021.
5%work in town
| Putnam Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 16% | 10% | 11% |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Putnam Township5%
Ann Arbor14%
Pittsfield Township4%
Hamburg Township3%
Scio Township3%
19 mi
median commute distance
1,017
jobs based in Putnam Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 35% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Putnam Township
Putnam Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 16° and about 33 inches of snow falls in a winter.
33″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–33°
Spring36–57°
Summer58–80°
Fall40–60°
Oct 14
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Putnam Township faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 2006, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Putnam Township.
34risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
4
paid flood claims since 2006
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Michigan overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (22% statewide). The median age in Putnam Township is 45.6 years. 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan.
45.6median age · MI 40.2
| Putnam Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 45.6 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 26% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 21% | 22% |
Putnam TownshipMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school30%
Some college23%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s24%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.8 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Putnam Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.4% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.3% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.8% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.3% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.8% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.5% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.4% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.8% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.7% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.8% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.9% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.5% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.3% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Putnam Township
18pages on Putnam Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Putnam Township
About 4 of every 100 Putnam Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Putnam Township for work
Where Putnam Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,017jobs based in Putnam Township
5%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Putnam Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Putnam Township is a civil township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,890 at the 2020 census, down from 8,248 at the 2010 census. The village of Pinckney is located within the township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 909 ft
Putnam Township’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Putnam Township.
All 4 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its B+; Marion Township (B+) is closest.
Unadilla TownshipHamburg TownshipMarion TownshipDexter TownshipPutnam Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam Township | #248 | B+ | C | — | B+ | A− |
| Unadilla Township | #122 | A− | B | A | B+ | A− |
| Hamburg Township | #58 | A | C+ | A | B+ | A− |
| Marion Township | #210 | B+ | C | — | A− | A− |
| Dexter Township | #146 | A− | D | — | A | A+ |
Putnam Township, Marion Township and Dexter Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Putnam Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Putnam Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Putnam Township, MI a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Putnam Township grades B+ overall, better than 69% of U.S. towns and #248 of 697 in Michigan. It grades A− for health and B+ for schools.
Is Putnam Township, MI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.