Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,810, settled in 1871. Public schools that outperform most of Michigan.
Williamston grades A− overall, ranked 150th of 697 in Michigan, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its public schools beat 90% of Michigan towns on state tests and graduation and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 79% of the country. It also does better than most on safety: it reports less crime per resident than 69% of U.S. towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $326K, 4.5 years of the Lansing metro’s $73K median household income. Only 61 of Michigan’s 1,279 towns score lower on hazard risk. Williamston’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Michigan’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Williamston's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 87% of U.S. towns.
Where Williamston beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Williamston Discovery Elementary School | PK–2 | 428 |
| Williamston Explorer Elementary School | 3–5 | 387 |
| St. Mary Elementary School | PK–8 | 141 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Michigan), ordered by how far Williamston is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 982 in 1880, 3,819 in 2020. The archive holds 21 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 3 maps from 1909 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Williamston, 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 Williamston.
Williamston is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Michigan (mostly inland flooding) and has many renters stretched by housing costs.
2.4 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Memorial Park, at 20 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Red Cedar River Plant Preserve | 0.5 mi | 17 |
| 2. McCormick Park | 0.3 mi | 7 |
| 3. Memorial Park | — | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Williamston Community Schools. Three of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Williamston High School, with 609 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williamston Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 440 | A− |
| Williamston High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 609 | A |
| Williamston Explorer Elementary SchoolTop results in townGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 387 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MI on state tests and graduation
Against the 10,620 U.S. towns with household incomes like Williamston’s, it is healthier than 94%, so its A− isn’t only a matter of income. Its widest gap with Michigan is tooth loss: 5.1% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 10.2% statewide.
20% of adults get no exercise outside work in Williamston, where Michigan’s towns sit at 25% and U.S. towns at 25%. 15% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Williamston. Williamston beats the Michigan average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
| Williamston | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 25% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 36% |
| What stands out | Williamston | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.1% | 10.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.9% | 15.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Williamston’s violent crime rate is 2.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Williamston | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.7 per 1,000 residents | 8 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
64.1% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 50.4% across Michigan.
66% of Williamston households own their home. The typical Williamston home is worth about $326,000, up 2.7% in a year, 24% above the Michigan typical home. The median rent in Williamston is $900 a month.
| Williamston | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 66% | 84% | 73% |
| Median rent | $900 a month | $1,047 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Williamston has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 16° and about 46 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Williamston for work: only 8% work in town. The top destinations are Lansing (19%), East Lansing (9%) and Meridian Township (6%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
| Williamston | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $71,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 96% of Michigan towns; that rating is what its C for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1985, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Williamston.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the Michigan average. 41% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 32% across Michigan.
| Williamston | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 26% | 29% |
| Median age | 40.9 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
55% women, 45% men
About 81 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±4.7 points). Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Williamston | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 16.3% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.8% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.3% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.3% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.3% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.2% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.1% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.1% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 13.2% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 32.6% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.2% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.1% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.8% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,800, single groups can be off by several points
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Williamston. Close and well known come first.
Big draw40 mi Stadium & arenaMichigan Stadium
10 mi MuseumEli and Edythe Broad Art Museum150K visitors a year
40 mi Park & preserveDomino's Farms
13 mi Zoo & aquariumPotter Park Zoo
39 mi TheatreMichigan Theater
14 mi MuseumR. E. Olds Transportation MuseumMichigan Stadium: Lectrician2, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum: Dj1997, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Domino's Farms: Dwight Burdette, CC BY 3.0 · Potter Park Zoo: Dj1997, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Michigan Theater: mrkumm, CC BY 2.0 · R. E. Olds Transportation Museum: kennethaw88, CC BY 4.0
3 within 15 miles of the center of Williamston
About 7 of every 100 Williamston residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Michigan.
City in Michigan, United States
Williamston is a city in Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 3,819 at the 2020 census. Williamston is located east of the city of Lansing and borders Williamstown Township to the north and Wheatfield Township to the south. The Red Cedar River and M-43 run through the center of the city.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Williamston.
| Town | MI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williamston | #150 | A− | C | B+ | A | A− |
| Williamstown Township | #237 | B+ | D | — | A | A− |
| Wheatfield Township | — | — | C | — | A | A− |
Wheatfield Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Williamstown Township and Wheatfield Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Williamston with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Williamston grades A− overall, better than 80% of U.S. towns and #150 of 697 in Michigan. It grades A− for health, B+ for safety and A 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.
2 notable people were born here, including Russell L. Mixter and Russ Lay.
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