Backus is a township in Roscommon County, Michigan, home to about 378 people across 34 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 48651 and 48656.
Homes sold for a median of $168 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 1 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Denton; part is in Backus
Mostly Richfield Township (Roscommon County); part is in Backus
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Backus. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Backus’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR)111 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Cherry Capital Airport (TVC)58 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Detroit, MI153 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL234 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Backus; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Backus had 294 residents in the 2020 census, down 16% since 2000.
It’s the 1448th largest of 1,531 towns in Michigan by population.
Roscommon County grew from 1,787 residents in 1900 to 23,459 in 2020.
Roscommon County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 81°F in summer, and winter lows average 11°F. About 29.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 66 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Houghton Lk Roscommon Ap, MI weather station (7 miles away).
4,204 jobs at 551 businesses in Roscommon County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
37 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Backus’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 5 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 2 |
| Dentists | 2 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 8 |
| Mental health providers | 11 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 3 |
| Optometrists | 2 |
| Chiropractors | 4 |
| Pharmacies | 4 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (1 nearby)
Grocery stores
Pharmacies
Libraries
Counts are within about 4 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by Charlton Heston Academy. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlton Heston AcademySaint Helen | Pre-K–12 | 716 | Charter | 7.0 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our Lady of the Lake Regional Catholic SchoolPrudenville | Pre-K–8 | 78 | Roman Catholic | 6.0 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Denton, Richfield Township (Roscommon County), Higgins, Roscommon, Au Sable Township and Nester.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.