Township · Michigan
Merrill Township, Michigan
Merrill Township, township, in Newaygo County, Michigan. Merrill Township had 763 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 3.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 741 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 525 (±114). GEOID 2612353160.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
763
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 741 · ACS 2020-2024: 525 ±114
Median household income
$40,865
±$6,336 (90% margin)
Michigan: $72,875
Median home value
$109,100
±$22,593 (90% margin)
Michigan: $231,600
Median gross rent
$1,063
±$103 (90% margin)
Michigan: $1,129
Where is Merrill Township and what county is it in?
Merrill Township is a township in Newaygo County, Michigan. It covers 34.8 square miles of land, 21 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Merrill Township, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 763 people lived in Merrill Township on July 1, 2025, up 3.0% since 2020, faster than Michigan (+0.5%). The 2020 Census counted 741 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 525 (±114).
| Measure | Merrill Township | Newaygo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 525±114 | 50,792 | no clear change |
| Households | 267±59 | 19,651 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 1.95±0.17 | 2.55 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 711±90 | 24,931 | −146 |
Merrill Township's population since 2000
From 590 in 2000 to 763 in 2025: up 29.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Merrill Township as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Merrill Township?
The median resident of Merrill Township is 52.2 years old; 14.3% are under 18 and 27.0% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 72.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 11.0%.
| Measure | Merrill Township | Newaygo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 52.2±3.2 | 42.7 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 14.3%±5.0 pts | 21.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 27.0%±6.5 pts | 20.7% | – |
| Male | 49.9%±6.8 pts | 50.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 11.0%±8.3 pts | 6.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 72.8%±10.2 pts | 87.2% | −13.3 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 9.7%±5.9 pts | 0.8% | no clear change |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 1.9%±2.7 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.4%±0.7 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±5.6 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.2%±3.2 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±5.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 2.5%±2.4 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 6.5%±4.6 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 18.7%±5.2 pts | 7.5% | – |
| With a disability | 29.0%±10.3 pts | 17.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.9%±6.8 pts | 6.2% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 87.5%±6.2 pts | 89.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 9.4%±4.3 pts | 18.1% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.9%±3.1 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.8%±5.0 pts | 89.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0%±5.6 pts | 0.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Merrill Township earn?
Half of Merrill Township's 267 households earn less than $40,865 a year (±$6,336), against $63,304 in Newaygo County and $72,875 in Michigan. In 2015-2019 it was $31,729 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 21.9% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Merrill Township | Newaygo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,865±$6,336 | $63,304 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $50,152±$6,159 | $79,003 | – |
| Per capita income | $26,454±$3,224 | $31,564 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 21.9%±6.6 pts | 12.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 26.7%±17.6 pts | 15.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 27.3%±9.6 pts | 16.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 91.0%±6.5 pts | 92.8% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 86.1%±7.6 pts | 83.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Merrill Township?
Owners occupy 94.0% of Merrill Township's occupied homes and renters 6.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $109,100 by its owner (±$22,593). The median renter pays $1,063 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Merrill Township | Newaygo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $109,100±$22,593 | $186,700 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $1,063±$103 | $904 | +$165 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 14.3%±27.8 pts | 33.8% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,188±$386 | $1,356 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 94.0%±6.4 pts | 86.5% | +16.0 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 6.0%±6.4 pts | 13.5% | – |
| Housing units | 711±90 | 24,931 | −146 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±11.1 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0%±71.2 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 77.8%±5.7 pts | 75.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 20.5%±5.6 pts | 19.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 2.8%±2.6 pts | 1.1% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.4%±1.8 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 4.5%±2.6 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.6%±3.3 pts | 4.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Merrill Township work and get to work?
72.8% of Merrill Township's workers drive alone and 16.0% work from home. The average trip to work takes 33.6 minutes.
| Measure | Merrill Township | Newaygo County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 42.9%±6.9 pts | 55.6% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 12.7%±9.1 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.8%±11.0 pts | 77.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 11.1%±6.6 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±16.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Walked | 0.0%±16.8 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 16.0%±10.2 pts | 8.2% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.6 min±5.9 | 30.6 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Merrill Township?
No census tract lies mostly in Merrill Township; 2 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9701Newaygo County | 4,960 | $51,495 |
| Tract 9703Newaygo County | 3,796 | $48,938 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Merrill Township) · Census block assignment files
How does Merrill Township compare with other places in Michigan?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Merrill Township is the 8,683rd-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 1,019th-most populous of 1,240 in Michigan.
Merrill Township is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 1,019th | 1,240 |
Merrill Township's figures with every place in Michigan (CSV)
Every place in Michigan, sortable · Compare Merrill Township with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Merrill Township?
18 of the 57 figures for Merrill Township on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Merrill Township are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.