Torch Lake TownshipMI
A town of 1,270, settled in 1866.
Is Torch Lake Township a good place to live?
Torch Lake Township’s best subject grade is an A− for schools; its weakest is a D for cost of living. Torch Lake Township’s median age is 62.5 years, against 42.5 years in Michigan’s towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns. Only 8 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score lower on cost of living. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. Barnes County Park, at 162 acres with 2.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Torch Lake Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Torch Lake Township stand out
Where Torch Lake Township beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Torch Lake Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.4% | 15.4% |
1,270 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How Torch Lake Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Torch Lake Township is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Torch Lake Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Torch Lake 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Torch Lake Township.
Very low risk in Torch Lake Township, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 90% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Torch Lake Township has 0.3 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Torch Lake Township for work: only 3% work in town. 15% of residents live below the poverty line in Torch Lake Township, where Michigan’s towns sit at 8.9% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Torch Lake Township’s average trip to work is 29 minutes.
| Torch Lake Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 18% | 10% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 8.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 5.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Fewer of Torch Lake Township’s adults feel lonely than in the typical Michigan or U.S. town
27% of adults feel lonely in Torch Lake Township. Torch Lake Township beats the Michigan average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 14% of adults report frequent mental distress in Torch Lake Township.
| Torch Lake Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 80% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 16% |
| What stands out | Torch Lake Township | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.4% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.5% | 11.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.6% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Torch Lake Township has snowy winters and pleasant summers
Torch Lake Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Torch Lake Township is 78°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Conserved land covers 2.9% of Torch Lake Township
7.7 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
| Torch Lake Township | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Barnes County Park | 2.7 mi | 162 |
| 2. Torch Bay Beach | 0.6 mi | 38 |
| 3. Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve | — | 17 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Torch Lake Township
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Torch Lake Township; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Torch Lake Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
97% of working residents leave Torch Lake Township for work
Where Torch Lake Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2021
About Torch Lake Township
Civil township in Michigan, United States
Torch Lake Township is a civil township of Antrim County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located in the Northern Lower Peninsula, the township comprises an isthmus between the eponymous Torch Lake and Grand Traverse Bay, a bay of Lake Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the township population was 1,212, a slight increase from 1,194 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 21 sq mi
- Elevation
- 673 ft
Questions about Torch Lake Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Torch Lake Township, MI expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.