Roscommon Township Offices (Michigan), 2019
Roscommon Township’s story
Roscommon Township in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2019 and 2 maps from 1954 on.
Explore the history →Population
4,520
2025 Census estimate · +3% since 2020
Typical home
$208K
+1.2% in a year
Household income
$53K
median
Median age
48.7
years
Jobs based here
2,270
A job hub
TownGrade
C−
#607 of 697 in MI
Is Roscommon Township a good place to live?
Roscommon Township gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $208K for a typical one, or 3.8 years of the county’s $55K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 607th of 697 in Michigan. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 78% of the country, and the median household income is $53K, and 12% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, it has 250 miles of trail. Roscommon Township’s trail density is 2.3 miles per square mile, above both Michigan’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). Houghton Lake Wildlife Research Area, at 5,211 acres with 3 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. On history, just 23 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns do worse.
What makes Roscommon Township stand out
Where Roscommon Township beats most towns.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here2,270
Residents who work1,254
Work
1.8 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 91% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Roscommon Township6.1
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical MI town3.1
Civic lifeA
2 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Michigan town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
A job hub
Every workday, about 2,042 people come to Roscommon Township for work
Where Roscommon Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,270jobs based in Roscommon Township
18%of working residents work in town
29 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2021
How Roscommon Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Roscommon Township is from typical.
HealthMymichigan Medical Center Gladwin 21.4 miles awayC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.5 of 20; 10.7% of households have no car; 0.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Jobs & incomeC−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →SchoolsCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 33% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors12% conserved landAOpen →HistoryDOpen →Civic life6.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
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 48.7; 13% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Roscommon Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Roscommon Township, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterKing Nursing & Rehabilitation Community water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpMondayTrash dayTown site
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 hereRoscommon Township ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP codes48629, 4863048629 94% · 48630 5%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 Roscommon Township.
Roscommon Township trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is a second-home town, but it is a long drive from an emergency room.
#32for trails in MI
12.4%
conserved · 8,541 of 68,862 acres
250 mi
of trails · 2.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Au Sable State Forest - Roscommon Unit | 238.6 mi | 47,100 |
| 2. Houghton Lake Wildlife Research Area | 3 mi | 5,211 |
| 3. Pere Marquette State Forest - Cadillac Unit | 0.2 mi | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsC
Public schools in Roscommon Township fall behind 73% of Michigan districts
Its public schools are run by the Houghton Lake Community Schools. Its one school is below.
27%of MI districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton Lake Community EducationLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 103 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
About one in six working residents works right in Roscommon Township
2,270 jobs are based in Roscommon Township, 1.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 1,337 in 2011 to 2,270.
Most working residents leave Roscommon Township for work: only 18% work in town. Roscommon Township’s median household income is $53,000, where Michigan’s towns sit at $77,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. Since 2011, Roscommon Township has added 933 jobs, to 2,270 in 2021.
18%work in town
| Roscommon Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Roscommon Township18%
Denton Township12%
Grayling3%
Higgins Township3%
Mount Pleasant2%
29 mi
median commute distance
2,270
jobs based in Roscommon Township
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 23% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
HealthC−
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in Roscommon Township than in most of Michigan or the rest of the country
The nearest emergency room, Mymichigan Medical Center Gladwin, is 21.4 miles away in a straight line. Against the 6,828 U.S. towns with household incomes like Roscommon Township’s, it is less healthy than 55%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
45% of Roscommon Township adults have high blood pressure. Roscommon Township beats the Michigan average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 16% of Roscommon Township adults have diabetes.
22%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Roscommon Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 36% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
3 better17 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Roscommon Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.8% | 11.9% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 83.1% | 77.6% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.8% | 7% |
Mymichigan Medical Center Gladwin
21.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
17th
percentile among MI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade B+
For cost of living, Roscommon Township earns a B+
Homes are within reach (about $208K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 29 miles. The median property tax bill is $1,315, against $2,904 across Michigan, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Roscommon Township’s median rent is $868 a month. The typical Roscommon Township home is worth about $208,000, up 1.2% in a year, 21% below the Michigan typical home.
$208KZillow home value
| Roscommon Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $868 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 84% | 84% | 73% |
Typical home value
Roscommon Township$208K
Michigan$264K
+1.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Roscommon Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
The Houghton Lk Roscommon Ap weather station, 10 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 125 days, shorter than in 96% of U.S. towns.
Roscommon Township has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Roscommon Township is 81°F.
66″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter14–30°
Spring31–55°
Summer54–79°
Fall37–58°
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 B+
Low risk in Roscommon Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 67% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Roscommon Township since 2026.
33risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 2026
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Roscommon Township
18pages on Roscommon Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Roscommon Township; the nearest are
Mid Michigan CollegeCommunity college · Public · Harrison17.8 mi$6,132 in-state tuitionCentral Michigan UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Mount Pleasant44 mi$14,760 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Roscommon Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Get outside
250 miles of trails in Roscommon Township
12.4% of the town is conserved land, across 4 parks and preserves.
2
Houghton Lake Wildlife Research Area3 mi of trails · 5,211 acres
3
Pere Marquette State Forest - Cadillac Unit0.2 mi of trails · 7 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Roscommon Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Roscommon Township is a civil township of Roscommon County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,397 at the 2020 census. The village of Roscommon is located to the northeast in Higgins Township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 108 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,122 ft
Roscommon Township’s neighbors
7 towns share a border with Roscommon Township.
Denton TownshipButterfield TownshipNester TownshipHolland TownshipLake TownshipFranklin TownshipFrost TownshipRoscommon Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roscommon Township | #607 | C− | B+ | — | C | C− |
| Denton Township | #576 | C− | B− | A− | C | C− |
| Butterfield Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nester Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Holland Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lake Township | — | — | C+ | — | C | C |
| Franklin Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Frost Township | — | — | B | — | C+ | D |
Lake Township and Frost Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Roscommon Township, Lake Township and Frost Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Butterfield Township, Nester Township, Holland Township and Franklin Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Roscommon Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Roscommon Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Roscommon Township, MI a good place to live?
Roscommon Township grades C− overall, better than 17% of U.S. towns and #607 of 697 in Michigan. It grades C− for health and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Roscommon Township, 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 B+.