Housing data for Bear Creek Township, MI
Bear Creek Township, MI has an estimated 6,544 residents and 4,437 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a township in Emmet County.
36.0% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,453 a month.
Its population grew measurably since 2015–2019 (+4.1%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 6,544 (±38)
- Housing units
- 4,437 (±297)
- Households that rent
- 36.0%
- Median gross rent
- $1,453
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +4.1%
What stands out in Bear Creek Township
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 23.0% (±6.0 points) in Bear Creek Township, higher than in Emmet County (11.8%).
Households that rent: 36.0% (±5.9 points) in Bear Creek Township, higher than in Emmet County (23.0%).
Households without a vehicle: 11.6% (±4.9 points) in Bear Creek Township, higher than in Emmet County (5.0%).
Median gross rent: $1,453 (±$191) in Bear Creek Township, higher than in Emmet County ($1,112).
- Types of homes in Bear Creek Township
- Renters and owners in Bear Creek Township
- Commute and cars in Bear Creek Township
- Median rent in Bear Creek Township
Housing in Bear Creek Township at a glance
- Median rent: $1,453 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,433 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 48.7% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 36.0% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $71,090 median household income
- Home values: $364,500 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,778 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,826 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 23.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 61.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 39.5% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 4.7% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 67.6% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 19.5 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +4.1% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 27.4% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.5% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Bear Creek Township against Emmet County, its state and the nation
| Bear Creek Township | Emmet County | Michigan | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 6,544 (±38) | 34,125 (exact) | 10,077,761 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 4,437 (±297) | 21,979 (±63) | 4,622,236 (±795) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 36.0% (±5.9 points) | 23.0% (±1.7 points) | 26.8% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,453 (±$191) | $1,112 (±$81) | $1,129 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $71,090 (±$13,375) | $78,112 (±$4,802) | $72,875 (±$293) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $364,500 (±$34,165) | $315,700 (±$11,662) | $231,600 (±$642) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,826 (±$354) | $2,634 (±$80) | $2,904 (±$9) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 39.5% (±7.2 points) | 42.4% (±2.6 points) | 62.1% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 19.5 minutes (±4.7) | 19.9 minutes (±1.1) | 24.2 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 91.3% (±4.4 points) | 91.1% (±1.7 points) | 90.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 51.1 years (±7.1) | 47.0 years (±0.5) | 40.2 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Bear Creek Township covers 39.6 square miles of land, about 165 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Bear Creek Township has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 6,285 (±27) | 6,544 (±38) | +4.1% | Measurable increase |
| Housing units | 3,640 (±228) | 4,437 (±297) | +21.9% | Measurable increase |
| Median gross rent | $995 (±$164) | $1,453 (±$191) | +46.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $211,600 (±$30,202) | $364,500 (±$34,165) | +72.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $55,753 (±$5,314) | $71,090 (±$13,375) | +27.5% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,370 (±$64) | $1,778 (±$410) | +29.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $2,363 (±$256) | $2,826 (±$354) | +19.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 39.6% (±4.9 points) | 36.0% (±5.9 points) | −3.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±2.2 points) | 4.7% (±6.9 points) | +4.7 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Emmet County
Bear Creek Township has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Emmet County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Emmet County recorded 123 violent and 268 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Bear Creek Township
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49770 | 34% | 18,221 | $1,144 | $355,200 | $79,590 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Bear Creek Township
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petoskey | 5.3 mi | $1,006 | $364,100 | 38.9% |
| Springvale Township | 5.3 mi | $1,645 | $254,000 | 2.8% |
| Resort Township | 5.7 mi | $844 | $394,500 | 9.7% |
| Little Traverse Township | 6.0 mi | $988 | $345,400 | 17.7% |
| Harbor Springs | 6.9 mi | $1,027 | $415,700 | 31.9% |
| Melrose Township | 7.8 mi | $1,750 | $262,600 | 8.9% |
| Bay Township | 7.9 mi | $968 | $368,000 | 3.2% |
| Littlefield Township | 8.0 mi | $1,225 | $256,500 | 20.6% |
Places in Michigan most like Bear Creek Township
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walker | $1,202 | $295,200 | $76,360 | 34.8% |
| Garfield Charter Township | $1,405 | $316,200 | $66,082 | 43.8% |
| Bath Charter Township | $1,193 | $293,400 | $75,541 | 34.5% |
| Chelsea | $1,619 | $312,700 | $72,098 | 37.0% |
| Kentwood | $1,260 | $268,200 | $74,373 | 38.7% |
| Gaines Charter Township | $1,314 | $325,200 | $82,738 | 27.9% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Michigan.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Bear Creek Township, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,015 | $1,021 | $1,336 | $1,592 | $1,756 |
HUD income limits for Bear Creek Township, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $21,350 | $35,600 | $56,950 |
| 2 people | $24,400 | $40,700 | $65,100 |
| 3 people | $27,450 | $45,800 | $73,250 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $50,850 | $81,350 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $54,950 | $87,900 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $59,000 | $94,400 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $63,100 | $100,900 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $67,150 | $107,400 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Emmet County, MI, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $101,700.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Bear Creek Township
What is the average rent in Bear Creek Township, MI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Bear Creek Township is $1,453 (±$191) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Bear Creek Township?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Bear Creek Township, MI is $3,113 (±$3,038) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Bear Creek Township rent-burdened?
48.7% of renting households in Bear Creek Township pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Bear Creek Township?
Bear Creek Township has an estimated 1,089 (±219) renting households, 36.0% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Bear Creek Township?
The median household income in Bear Creek Township is $71,090 (±$13,375) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Bear Creek Township, MI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $364,500 (±$34,165) for owner-occupied homes in Bear Creek Township (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Bear Creek Township growing?
In Bear Creek Township, the number of residents went from 6,285 in 2015–2019 to 6,544 in 2020–2024 (+4.1%), a measurable increase.
What ZIP codes are in Bear Creek Township?
The ZIP code that covers Bear Creek Township is 49770.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 49770?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 49770 is $1,144 (±$107) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Creek township, Emmet County, Michigan
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Creek township, Emmet County, Michigan
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Creek township, Emmet County, Michigan
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Creek township, Emmet County, Michigan
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Creek township, Emmet County, Michigan
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Creek township, Emmet County, Michigan
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Creek township, Emmet County, Michigan
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Emmet County, MI
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Emmet County, MI
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Bear Creek township, Emmet County, Michigan (county subdivision:06380, in state:26 county:047).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .