RichfieldTownshipRoscommonMI, 2009
Richfield Township’s story
Richfield Township in pictures
The archive holds 7 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
Explore the history →Richfield TownshipRoscommon County, MI
A town of 3,575.
Population
3,575
2025 Census estimate · +0.7% since 2020
Median home value
$110K
Census ACS
Household income
$47K
median
Median age
57.6
years
Jobs based here
174
A commuter town
TownGrade
C+
#488 of 697 in MI
Is Richfield Township a good place to live?
Richfield Township gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $110K for a typical one, or 2 years of the county’s $55K median household income. It grades C+ overall, ranked 488th of 697 in Michigan. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $47K, and 30% of residents live below the poverty line, and residents are less healthy than 95% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, crime is low: it reports less per resident than 85% of U.S. towns. 34% of residents are 65 or older in Richfield Township, above both Michigan’s towns (19%) and U.S. towns (18%). Only 17 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score lower on history. The biggest park or preserve is Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area, at 40 acres.
What makes Richfield Township stand out
Where Richfield Township beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Get outside
167 miles of trails in Richfield Township
4.6% of the town is conserved land, across 5 parks and preserves.
2
Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area0.3 mi of trails · 40 acres
3
Richfield Township Park16 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Richfield Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Richfield Township is from typical.
Its grades run from A for cost of living (better than 88% of comparable towns) to D− for jobs and income (better than 1%), so the C+ overall blends very different results.
Jobs & incomeD−Open →HealthMymichigan Medical Center West Branch 10.7 miles awayDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →SafetyAOpen →SchoolsC+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.3 of 20; 2.2% of households have no car; 3.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors5% conserved landA−Open →HistoryDOpen →Civic life1.7 library visits per resident; 4.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
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 Richfield Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Richfield Township, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOgemaw Township water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Richfield Township’s trash rules yet
SchoolsHoughton Lake Community School DistrictRoscommon Area Public Schools2 districts serve Richfield 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 hereRichfield Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4865648656 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 Richfield Township.
Richfield Township is a second-home town, has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to Higgins Township and beyond.
OutdoorsA−
Richfield Township has set aside 4.6% of its land for conservation
167 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The trail density in Richfield Township is 2.3 miles per square mile.
#34for trails in MI
| Richfield Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.6% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
4.6%
conserved · 2,147 of 46,402 acres
167 mi
of trails · 2.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Au Sable State Forest - Roscommon Unit | 154.9 mi | 32,084 |
| 2. Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area | 0.3 mi | 40 |
| 3. Richfield Township Park | — | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC+
Richfield Township’s public schools trail 62% of Michigan districts
Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Charlton Heston Academy, with 716 students.
38%of MI districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlton Heston AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 716 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
HealthD
Compared with most of Michigan and the rest of the country, more of Richfield Township’s adults report frequent physical distress
20% of adults report frequent physical distress in Richfield Township. Richfield Township beats the Michigan average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 29% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Richfield Township.
5%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Richfield Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 36% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 19% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
1 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Richfield Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 82.8% | 77.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 15.4% | 8.1% |
Mymichigan Medical Center West Branch
10.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
3rd
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SafetyA
Richfield Township earns an A for safety
Richfield Township’s property crime rate is 2.2 per 1,000 residents.
85%of U.S. towns report more crimeASafety Grade
| Richfield Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.2 per 1,000 residents | 8 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Richfield Township1.9
Michigan4.3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Richfield Township2.2
Michigan13
U.S.15.5
85th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
88th
percentile among MI towns
7
violent crimes reported in 2025
8
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Most working residents commute out of Richfield Township
Richfield Township has 174 jobs for its 1,019 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Richfield Township for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2011, Richfield Township has lost 22 jobs, to 174 in 2021. The top destinations are Higgins Township (6%), West Branch (5%) and Denton Township (4%).
7%work in town
| Richfield Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Richfield Township7%
Higgins Township6%
West Branch5%
Denton Township4%
West Branch Township4%
48 mi
median commute distance
174
jobs based in Richfield Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 44% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Climate
Richfield Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers
The Houghton Lk Roscommon Ap weather station, 11 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 125 days, shorter than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Richfield Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 80°, January nights drop to 11° and about 66 inches of snow falls in a winter.
66″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–30°
Spring30–54°
Summer54–78°
Fall37–57°
Sep 23
typical first frost
May 19
typical last frost
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Moderate risk in Richfield Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities.
52risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Richfield Township
19pages on Richfield Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Richfield Township; the nearest are
Kirtland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Grayling21.9 mi$5,190 in-state tuitionCentral Michigan UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Mount Pleasant54.3 mi$14,760 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Richfield Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
A commuter town
93% of working residents leave Richfield Township for work
Where Richfield Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
174jobs based in Richfield Township
7%of working residents work in town
48 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
About Richfield Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Richfield Township is a civil township of Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,545 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 73 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,263 ft
Richfield Township’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Richfield Township.
Backus TownshipAu Sable TownshipOgemaw TownshipFoster TownshipNester TownshipHiggins TownshipRichfield Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richfield Township | #488 | C+ | A | A | C+ | D |
| Backus Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Au Sable Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ogemaw Township | — | — | B− | — | B+ | C− |
| Foster Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nester Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Higgins Township | — | — | A | — | B | C− |
Ogemaw Township and Higgins Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Ogemaw Township and Higgins Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Backus Township, Au Sable Township, Foster Township and Nester Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Richfield Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Richfield Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Richfield Township, MI a good place to live?
Richfield Township grades C+ overall, better than 38% of U.S. towns and #488 of 697 in Michigan. It grades D for health, A for safety and C+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.