South BoardmanMI
With 553 residents, this town was settled in 1875.
Is South Boardman a good place to live?
South Boardman’s typical journey to work is 31 minutes, against 25 minutes in Michigan’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only one of the 702 Michigan towns we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than South Boardman. South Boardman’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, where Michigan’s towns sit at 0.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. The biggest park or preserve is Boardman Township Park, at 88 acres. South Boardman has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
553 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to South Boardman: who provides what
South Boardman is unincorporated, so Kalkaska 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 South Boardman.
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of South Boardman’s workers commute out
6.4% of workers work from home in South Boardman. Only 1% of working residents stay in South Boardman for work; the rest commute out. Jobs in South Boardman grew by 64 from 2011 to 2021, reaching 96. The top destinations are Kalkaska Township (22%), Traverse City (15%) and Garfield Township (5%).
| South Boardman | Typical Michigan town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 6.4% | 10% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $84,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Natural hazards: low risk in South Boardman, mostly inland flooding
The risk rating from FEMA for South Boardman is 24 of 100. 52% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 29%. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in just over three quarters of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
South Boardman has snowy winters and pleasant summers
South Boardman’s peak summer temperature works out to 81°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Zillow puts the typical South Boardman home at about $219K
Among households in South Boardman, 87% live in a home they own.
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
How healthy South Boardman is
In South Boardman, 28% of adults get no exercise outside work. Two figures for adults here: 30% have been diagnosed with depression, 21% report frequent mental distress.
| South Boardman | Typical Michigan town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 27% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | South Boardman | MI |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.3% | 10.2% |
| More smokers | 19.8% | 14.6% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.6% | 8.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
A younger population than Michigan as a whole
People 65 and older are 14% of residents (19% statewide); children under 18 are 26% of residents (21% statewide). South Boardman’s midpoint age is 33.6 years. Four-year graduates account for a quarter of adults 25 and older here, against 32% across Michigan.
| South Boardman | Typical Michigan town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.6 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 26% | 21% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 26% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.3 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| South Boardman | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.3% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 13.4% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.7% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 23% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 16.1% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.4% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.9% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 1.8% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.8% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 40.7% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 12.4% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.4% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.4% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.3% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 600, single groups can be off by several points
South Boardman keeps 0.7% of its land conserved
Trails run 3.2 miles in 3 parks and preserves. Between them, the parks and preserves give South Boardman 248 acres of open land.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit | 0.8 mi | 75 |
| 2. South Boardman Preserve | 0.6 mi | 85 |
| 3. Boardman Township Park | 0.5 mi | 88 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about South Boardman
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of South Boardman; the nearest are
About 10 of every 100 South Boardman residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
99% of working residents leave South Boardman for work
Where South Boardman’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
Questions about South Boardman
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Boardman, MI a good place to live?
South Boardman has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.