Housing data for Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County), MI
Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County), MI has an estimated 736 residents and 983 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a township in Kalkaska County.
3.3% of households rent.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 736 (±174)
- Housing units
- 983 (±90)
- Households that rent
- 3.3%
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +18.1%
What stands out in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County)
Households that rent: 3.3% (±3.2 points) in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County), lower than in Kalkaska County (11.8%).
Households without a vehicle: 0.9% (±1.3 points) in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County), lower than in Kalkaska County (5.0%).
Average commute: 25.0 minutes (±2.9) in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County), lower than in Kalkaska County (29.7 minutes).
Housing in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County) at a glance
- Rent burden: 0.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 3.3% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $68,889 median household income
- Home values: $188,700 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,226 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,478 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 0.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 46.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 50.1% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 46.4% heat with propane
- Commute and cars: 25.0 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +18.1% residents since 2015–2019 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- How long people stay: 18.6% moved in since 2020 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Crowding and facilities: 7.5% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County) against Kalkaska County, its state and the nation
| Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County) | Kalkaska County | Michigan | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 736 (±174) | 18,239 (exact) | 10,077,761 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 983 (±90) | 11,690 (±47) | 4,622,236 (±795) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 3.3% (±3.2 points) | 11.8% (±1.9 points) | 26.8% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | — | $853 (±$115) | $1,129 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $68,889 (±$8,440) | $68,578 (±$3,573) | $72,875 (±$293) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $188,700 (±$41,196) | $188,900 (±$7,800) | $231,600 (±$642) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,478 (±$225) | $1,646 (±$76) | $2,904 (±$9) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 50.1% (±9.3 points) | 50.8% (±3.0 points) | 62.1% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 25.0 minutes (±2.9) | 29.7 minutes (±1.7) | 24.2 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 94.6% (±3.6 points) | 87.4% (±1.7 points) | 90.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 52.0 years (±8.6) | 44.4 years (±0.4) | 40.2 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County) covers 71.0 square miles of land, about 10 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County) has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 623 (±84) | 736 (±174) | +18.1% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 1,116 (±65) | 983 (±90) | −11.9% | Measurable decrease |
| Median home value | $115,100 (±$24,595) | $188,700 (±$41,196) | +63.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $45,729 (±$6,380) | $68,889 (±$8,440) | +50.6% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $941 (±$84) | $1,226 (±$411) | +30.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,191 (±$179) | $1,478 (±$225) | +24.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 8.6% (±3.1 points) | 3.3% (±3.2 points) | −5.3 percentage points | Measurable decrease |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±45.3 points) | 0.0% (±85.9 points) | 0.0 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 Kalkaska County
Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County) has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Kalkaska County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Kalkaska County recorded 333 violent and 842 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 Lake Township (Kalkaska County)
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49646 | 19% | 8,852 | $690 | $182,200 | $64,863 |
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 Lake Township (Kalkaska County)
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excelsior Township | 7.0 mi | $850 | $212,300 | 9.4% |
| Oliver Township (Kalkaska County) | 7.1 mi | $825 | $147,800 | 6.5% |
| Frederic Township | 7.7 mi | $1,000 | $174,700 | 12.1% |
| Blue Lake Township (Kalkaska County) | 9.0 mi | — | $342,100 | 5.2% |
| Grayling | 9.6 mi | $788 | $160,800 | 57.9% |
| Garfield Township (Kalkaska County) | 11 mi | $1,219 | $182,800 | 8.9% |
| Coldsprings Township | 11 mi | $838 | $188,500 | 5.9% |
| Orange Township (Kalkaska County) | 12 mi | $1,075 | $200,800 | 6.6% |
HUD Fair Market Rent for Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County), fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $813 | $818 | $1,014 | $1,404 | $1,426 |
HUD income limits for Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County), fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $18,200 | $30,350 | $48,550 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $34,650 | $55,450 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $39,000 | $62,400 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $43,300 | $69,300 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $46,800 | $74,850 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $50,250 | $80,400 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $53,700 | $85,950 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $57,200 | $91,500 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Kalkaska County, MI HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $86,600.
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 Lake Township (Kalkaska County)
What is the median household income in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County)?
The median household income in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County) is $68,889 (±$8,440) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County), MI?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $188,700 (±$41,196) for owner-occupied homes in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County)?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County), MI is $1,226 (±$411) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County)?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County), MI is $1,478 (±$225) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County)?
Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County), MI has an estimated 983 (±90) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the most common home size in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County)?
The most common size is 2 bedrooms, 40.7% of homes in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County), MI.
Is Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County) growing?
In Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County), the number of residents went from 623 in 2015–2019 to 736 in 2020–2024 (+18.1%), not a measurable change.
What ZIP codes are in Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County)?
The ZIP code that covers Bear Lake Township (Kalkaska County) is 49646.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 49646?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 49646 is $690 (±$213) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Lake township, Kalkaska County, Michigan
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Lake township, Kalkaska County, Michigan
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Lake township, Kalkaska County, Michigan
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Lake township, Kalkaska County, Michigan
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Lake township, Kalkaska County, Michigan
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Lake township, Kalkaska County, Michigan
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Lake township, Kalkaska County, Michigan
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Kalkaska County, MI HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Kalkaska County, MI HUD Metro FMR Area
- 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 Lake township, Kalkaska County, Michigan (county subdivision:06440, in state:26 county:079).
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 .