How old are the homes in Bear Lake Township (Manistee County), MI?

Name: Age of homes in Bear Lake Township (Manistee County), MI, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

59.0% (±9.9 points) of the homes in Bear Lake Township (Manistee County), MI were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

14.1% were built before 1940.

9.5% were built in 2010 or later.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Built before 1980: 59.0% (±9.9 points)
Built before 1940: 14.1%
Built 2010 or later: 9.5%

When the homes in Bear Lake Township (Manistee County) were built

Housing units by year structure built, 2020–2024
Year built	Bear Lake Township (Manistee County)	Manistee County	Michigan	United States
2020 or later	3.3% (±3.6 points)	1.0%	1.0%	2.0%
2010 to 2019	6.2% (±3.2 points)	3.7%	4.9%	9.4%
2000 to 2009	11.2% (±3.6 points)	11.9%	10.3%	13.6%
1990 to 1999	9.9% (±3.2 points)	11.6%	12.1%	12.4%
1980 to 1989	10.7% (±3.8 points)	10.0%	9.7%	12.9%
1970 to 1979	13.9% (±3.8 points)	14.5%	14.9%	14.2%
1960 to 1969	16.0% (±6.8 points)	13.4%	11.5%	9.9%
1950 to 1959	7.5% (±3.6 points)	10.5%	14.2%	9.5%
1940 to 1949	7.5% (±3.7 points)	6.5%	6.9%	4.4%
1939 or earlier	14.1% (±3.4 points)	16.9%	14.6%	11.7%

In Bear Lake Township (Manistee County), the share of homes built before 1980 is not measurably different from Manistee County (61.8%).

It is not measurably different from Michigan (62.1%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (49.7%).

In Manistee County, Bear Lake Township (Manistee County) ranks 6 of 15 places with a published estimate, from highest to lowest share of homes built before 1980.

Statewide, it ranks 672 of 1,520.

Rankings use the estimates alone; where margins of error overlap, neighboring ranks may not truly differ.

Why the age of a home matters: lead-based paint

Federal law treats housing built before 1978 as likely to contain lead-based paint.

Before a lease or sale of most pre-1978 housing, the landlord or seller must disclose any known lead-based paint and hazards and give the tenant or buyer the EPA pamphlet (42 U.S.C. § 4852d; 40 CFR part 745, subpart F; 24 CFR part 35, subpart A).

A contractor paid to renovate, repair or paint a pre-1978 home must be a certified firm, use a certified renovator and follow lead-safe work practices under the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E) whenever the job disturbs more than 6 square feet of painted surface in a room or more than 20 square feet outside; window replacement and demolition always count (40 CFR 745.83).

Certification comes from EPA, or from the state where EPA has authorized the state to run the program.

The Census Bureau groups construction by decade, so the share built before 1978 lies between the share built before 1970 (45.1%) and the share built before 1980 (59.0%).

Homes built before 1980 in places near Bear Lake Township (Manistee County)

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Bear Lake Township (Manistee County)
Place	Distance	Homes built before 1980	Compared with this place
Bear Lake Township (Manistee County)	—	59.0% (±9.9 points)	—
Onekama	3.7 mi	93.9% (±24.8 points)	Higher
Onekama Township	4.7 mi	66.0% (±9.8 points)	Not measurably different
Brown Township	5.1 mi	57.8% (±13.4 points)	Not measurably different
Kaleva	5.8 mi	86.6% (±19.7 points)	Higher
Pleasanton Township	6.0 mi	52.1% (±8.7 points)	Not measurably different
Maple Grove Township (Manistee County)	7.3 mi	56.6% (±9.4 points)	Not measurably different
Arcadia Township (Manistee County)	7.4 mi	51.1% (±10.8 points)	Not measurably different
Manistee Township	8.8 mi	65.0% (±10.7 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Onekama, MI (93.9%), Kaleva, MI (86.6%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Homes built before 1980 across Manistee County, place by place

Rank	Place	Homes built before 1980
1	Manistee	78.5% (±8.9 points)
2	Onekama Township	66.0% (±9.8 points)
3	Manistee Township	65.0% (±10.7 points)
4	Filer Charter Township	62.2% (±10.8 points)
5	Dickson Township	59.9% (±11.4 points)
6	Bear Lake Township (Manistee County)	59.0% (±9.9 points)
7	Stronach Township	58.9% (±10.8 points)
8	Brown Township	57.8% (±13.4 points)
9	Maple Grove Township (Manistee County)	56.6% (±9.4 points)
10	Marilla Township	53.7% (±12.8 points)
11	Pleasanton Township	52.1% (±8.7 points)
12	Norman Township	51.7% (±7.6 points)

Showing 12 of 15 places in Manistee County, ranked from highest to lowest.

The figures for Bear Lake Township (Manistee County) include the places inside it that have pages of their own: Bear Lake.

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates).

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Bear Lake Township (Manistee County)

How old are most homes in Bear Lake Township (Manistee County)?

59.0% of homes in Bear Lake Township (Manistee County), MI were built before 1980 (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

Do homes in Bear Lake Township (Manistee County) need a lead paint disclosure?

A home built before 1978 does, before it is rented or sold, unless an exemption applies (42 U.S.C. § 4852d); between 45.1% and 59.0% of homes in Bear Lake Township (Manistee County) were built before then.

Does a contractor need lead certification to work on older homes in Bear Lake Township (Manistee County)?

Yes, when the job disturbs more than 6 square feet of paint in a room or 20 square feet outside, or replaces a window: the firm must be certified and a certified renovator must direct the work under the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E).

Sources

Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Bear Lake township, Manistee County, Michigan

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, Manistee County, Michigan (county subdivision:06480, in state:26 county:101).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0017PE, DP04_0017PM, DP04_0018PE, DP04_0018PM, DP04_0019PE, DP04_0019PM, DP04_0020PE, DP04_0020PM, DP04_0021PE, DP04_0021PM, DP04_0022PE, DP04_0022PM, DP04_0023PE, DP04_0023PM, DP04_0024PE, DP04_0024PM, DP04_0025PE, DP04_0025PM, DP04_0026PE, DP04_0026PM

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.