American Crow migrating north, Sand Lake, MI March 6,2012, 2012
Sand Lake’s story
157 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1897.
- 1869Sand Lake is settled
Sand LakeMI
A town of 480, settled in 1869.
Population
480
2025 Census estimate · +2.3% since 2020
Typical home
$312K
+7.6% in a year
Household income
$34K
median
Median age
49.5
years
Jobs based here
179
Balanced
Is Sand Lake a good place to live?
51% of households own their home in Sand Lake, below both the Michigan town median (84%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). Only 5 of the 667 Michigan towns we compare have a lower median rent than Sand Lake. 36% of the land in Sand Lake is conserved, where Michigan’s towns sit at 4.4% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Sand Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
480 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Sand Lake: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sand Lake, and how to reach them.
PowerDTE20.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSand Lake water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Sand Lake’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 hereNelson Township ClerkNelson Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4934349343 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 Sand Lake.
Outdoors
Nearly a third of Sand Lake is conserved land
1.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Sand Lake’s trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile.
36.1%conserved
36.1%
conserved · 170 of 471 acres
1.1 mi
of trails · 1.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Salisbury Park | 0.1 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Sand Lake
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 89% of U.S. communities.
11risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesStrong wind
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Sand Lake
Sand Lake has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Sand Lake is 82°F.
48″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–32°
Spring34–56°
Summer56–80°
Fall39–59°
Sep 29
typical first frost
May 14
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
Sand Lake’s typical home value is about $312K
The typical Sand Lake home is worth about $312,000, up 7.6% in a year, 18% above the Michigan typical home.
$312KZillow home value
Typical home value
Sand Lake$312K
Michigan$264K
+7.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
With 0.9 jobs for every working resident, most of Sand Lake’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Sand Lake for work: only 1% work in town. 14% of residents live below the poverty line in Sand Lake. The top destinations are Grand Rapids (16%), Kentwood (7%) and Wyoming (6%).
1%work in town
| Sand Lake | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Sand Lake1%
Grand Rapids16%
Kentwood7%
Wyoming6%
Plainfield Township5%
25 mi
median commute distance
179
jobs based in Sand Lake
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Health
How healthy Sand Lake is
Sand Lake beats the Michigan average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 29% of Sand Lake adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Sand Lake | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 34% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
0 better31 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Sand Lake | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with depression | 29.4% | 25.7% |
Spectrum Health
23.1 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sand Lake
18pages on Sand Lake
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Sand Lake; the nearest are
Kuyper CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Grand Rapids18.7 mi$27,660 tuitionMontcalm Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Sidney21.5 mi$4,662 in-state tuitionFerris State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Big Rapids27.7 mi$14,778 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Sand Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Sand Lake
Village in Michigan, United States
Sand Lake is a village in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Nelson Township. The population was 522 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1869
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 915 ft
- ZIP code
- 49343
Questions about Sand Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sand Lake, MI a good place to live?
Sand Lake has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.