Skidway LakeMI
The town has 3,008 residents and lies in Michigan.
Is Skidway Lake a good place to live?
38% of residents live below the poverty line in Skidway Lake, above both Michigan’s towns (8.9%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 5 of the 702 Michigan towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Skidway Lake. 12% of the land in Skidway Lake is conserved, where Michigan’s towns sit at 4.4% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest park or preserve is Elbow Lake Township Park, at 31 acres. We don’t grade Skidway Lake yet; the figures below are still real.
95% of working residents leave Skidway Lake for work
Where Skidway Lake’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
Moving to Skidway Lake: who provides what
Skidway Lake is unincorporated, so Ogemaw County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Skidway Lake.
In Skidway Lake, the median household income runs lower than in the typical Michigan or U.S. town
The top destinations are West Branch (9%), Standish (6%) and West Branch Township (5%). Skidway Lake’s mean commuting time stands at 31 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 39 miles.
| Skidway Lake | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $39,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.8% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Natural hazards: low risk in Skidway Lake, mostly inland flooding
Just over two fifths of Skidway Lake’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 16%. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage locally than in just over two thirds of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
12.1% of Skidway Lake is conserved land
Trails total 5.6 miles in 4 parks and preserves. The density of trails for Skidway Lake comes to 0.5 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Au Sable State Forest - Roscommon Unit | — | 35 |
| 2. Elbow Lake Township Park | 0.1 mi | 31 |
| 3. Newman Park | — | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Skidway Lake stands out in Michigan and nationally: a larger share of its adults report frequent physical distress
The share of adults 18 to 64 in Skidway Lake who have no health insurance: 9.9%. Among 702 Michigan towns, just 5 have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Skidway Lake.
| Skidway Lake | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 19% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Skidway Lake | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.8% | 10.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 15.7% | 8.1% |
| More smokers | 25.5% | 14.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes in Skidway Lake sell for about $115K
Among households in Skidway Lake, 87% are owner-occupiers.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Skidway Lake
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Skidway Lake; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Skidway Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Skidway Lake’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Skidway Lake.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skidway Lake | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mills Township | #627 | C− | A | — | C+ | D |
| Richland Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Mills Township reports no FBI crime data of its own. Skidway Lake and Richland Township aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Skidway Lake with a neighbor →
Questions about Skidway Lake
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Skidway Lake, MI a good place to live?
We don’t grade Skidway Lake yet; the figures below are still real.