Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Somerset Township grades B overall, ranked 292nd of 697 in Michigan, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It reports less crime per resident than 85% of U.S. towns and natural-hazard risk is low. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $89K. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $251K, 3.9 years of the Hillsdale area’s $64K median household income. Somerset Township’s average trip to work is 36 minutes, above both Michigan’s towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). The biggest park or preserve is Somerset State Game Area, at 743 acres. Only 5 of the 272 Michigan towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Somerset Township.
Where Somerset Township beats most towns.
W. H. L. McCourtie EstateWhere Somerset Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Somerset Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper and 2 maps from 1935 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Somerset Township, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Somerset Township.
Somerset Township is a second-home town, is healthier than Liberty Township and its other neighbors and sends most of its workers to Jackson and beyond.
Reported crimes fell from 30 to 19 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 0 reported in 2025, 0 per 1,000 residents.
Somerset Township’s property crime rate is 4.1 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Somerset Township has 229 jobs for its 1,856 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 35.5 minutes, against 24.2 across Michigan.
Most working residents leave Somerset Township for work: only 3% work in town. 6.7% of residents live below the poverty line in Somerset Township. The top destinations are Jackson (15%), Blackman Township (6%) and Summit Township (5%).
| Somerset Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 6.7% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.9% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 12% | 10% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 78% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Somerset Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.5% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Somerset State Game Area | 0.6 mi | 743 |
| 2. McCourtie Park | 0.1 mi | 43 |
| 3. Kathe & Cali Memorial Park | — | 19 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Somerset Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Somerset Township is 82°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
17.5% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, against 5.5% statewide, which helps explain the older median age.
People 65 and older are 26% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (22% statewide). 17% of Somerset Township residents are under 18. 34% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan.
| Somerset Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 50.7 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 26% | 19% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 17% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 26% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.9 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Somerset Township | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.4% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.4% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.7% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.6% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.3% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.3% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 20.7% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.7% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.3% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.6% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.6% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.7% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.9% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 4,600, single groups can be off by several points
Its B for health tops all 4 graded neighbors; Liberty Township (C+) comes closest.
Somerset Township beats the Michigan average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| Somerset Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 36% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 80% | 79% |
| What stands out | Somerset Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.2% | 8.7% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.1% | 15.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.8% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Somerset Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaMichigan Stadium
39 mi TheatreMichigan Theater
39 mi MuseumUniversity of Michigan Museum of Art
32 mi MuseumAmerican Museum of Magic
40 mi GardenNichols Arboretum40 mi Theme parkFun Spot Amusement Park & ZooMichigan Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Michigan Theater: mrkumm, CC BY 2.0 · University of Michigan Museum of Art: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · American Museum of Magic: rossograph, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nichols Arboretum: Pentawing , CC BY-SA 3.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Somerset Township
About 4 of every 100 Somerset Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Somerset Township is a civil township of Hillsdale County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,532 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Somerset Township.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset Township | #292 | B | C+ | A | B− | B |
| Moscow Township | — | — | A− | — | B− | C |
| Woodstock Township | #520 | C | C+ | — | B | C+ |
| Liberty Township | #304 | B | B+ | — | B+ | C+ |
| Wheatland Township | — | — | A− | — | C+ | C |
Moscow Township and Wheatland Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Moscow Township, Woodstock Township, Liberty Township and Wheatland Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Somerset Township with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Somerset Township grades B overall, better than 63% of U.S. towns and #292 of 697 in Michigan. It grades B for health, A for safety and B− for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
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