Town guide

Otsego Lake, Michigan

Otsego Lake is a township in Otsego County, Michigan, home to about 2,910 people across 33 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 49733 and 49735.

Homes sold for a median of $131 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 0 of 2 were seller’s markets.

Population2,91089 per sq mi
Median home value$218,400Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$131Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking17%Median of 2 ZIP codes

ZIP codes in Otsego Lake

2 ZIP codes, 2 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Otsego Lake. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Otsego Lake

Distances

Nearest major airportGerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR)150 miles away
Closer regional airportPellston Regional Airport of Emmet County Airport (PLN)42 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Detroit, MI195 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL264 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Otsego Lake; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Otsego Lake

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Otsego Lake had 2,857 residents in the 2020 census, up 13% since 2000.

It’s the 603rd largest of 1,531 towns in Michigan by population.

Otsego County grew from 6,175 residents in 1900 to 25,091 in 2020.

Otsego Lake population by census2000: 2,532, 2010: 2,847, 2020: 2,8572,53220002,84720102,8572020

Otsego County, 1900–2020

Otsego County population, 1900 to 20201900: 6,175, 1910: 6,552, 1920: 6,043, 1930: 5,554, 1940: 5,827, 1950: 6,435, 1960: 7,545, 1970: 10,422, 1980: 14,993, 1990: 17,957, 2000: 23,301, 2010: 24,164, 2020: 25,0916K’00’106K’20’306K’40’508K’60’7015K’80’9023K’00’1025K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 78°F in summer, and winter lows average 10°F. About 29.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near Otsego LakeJan: high 25°F, low 11°F, 1.2 in; Feb: high 27°F, low 10°F, 1.1 in; Mar: high 38°F, low 18°F, 1.4 in; Apr: high 51°F, low 30°F, 2.7 in; May: high 65°F, low 42°F, 3 in; Jun: high 74°F, low 51°F, 2.8 in; Jul: high 78°F, low 55°F, 2.8 in; Aug: high 76°F, low 53°F, 3.3 in; Sep: high 68°F, low 47°F, 3.6 in; Oct: high 55°F, low 37°F, 3.6 in; Nov: high 41°F, low 27°F, 2.3 in; Dec: high 30°F, low 18°F, 1.6 in25°11°Jan1.227°10°Feb1.138°18°Mar1.451°30°Apr2.765°42°May3.074°51°Jun2.878°55°Jul2.876°53°Aug3.368°47°Sep3.655°37°Oct3.641°27°Nov2.330°18°Dec1.6Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Gaylord Otsego Co Ap, MI weather station (3 miles away).

Jobs in Otsego County

9,372 jobs at 846 businesses in Otsego County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Otsego CountyRetail trade: 2,329 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 1,463 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 1,310 jobs; Manufacturing: 873 jobs; Construction: 825 jobs; Wholesale trade: 483 jobs; Other services: 454 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 438 jobsRetail trade 25% Health care and social assistance 16% Hotels and restaurants 14% Manufacturing 9% Construction 9% Wholesale trade 5% Other services 5% Transportation and warehousing 5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

287 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Otsego Lake’s ZIP codes.

Nearest hospitals

  • Munson Healthcare Otsego Memorial HospitalGeneral hospital · no emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Gaylord4.5 miles
  • Munson Healthcare Grayling HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Grayling20.9 miles
  • Kalkaska Memorial Health CenterCritical access hospital · emergency room · Kalkaska29.5 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors32
Specialist doctors32
Dentists19
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants53
Mental health providers93
Physical and occupational therapists29
Optometrists17
Chiropractors12
Pharmacies7

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.

Places in and around Otsego Lake

Parks (10 nearby)

  • Aspen Park · 121 acres2.8 mi
  • Otsego Lake State Park · 55 acres2.8 mi
  • Patrick Mankowski Elk Park · 48 acres3.1 mi
  • Otsego Lake County Park · 28 acres1.4 mi
  • Hutchins Park · 19 acres3.7 mi
  • Pontresina Park & Community Dog Park · 9 acres3.6 mi

Grocery stores (2 nearby)

  • Walmart Supercenter3.7 mi
  • Family Fare3.8 mi

Pharmacies

  • Family Fare Pharmacy3.9 mi
  • Walgreens4.1 mi
  • Meijer Pharmacy4.5 mi
  • Ambulatory Infusion Care (AIC) North4.5 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Otsego County Library3.5 mi

Museums (1 nearby)

  • Call of the Wild3.4 mi

Theaters and performance venues

  • Mount Carmel Centre4.1 mi
  • Garden Wedding & Event Venue5.0 mi

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.

Schools in Otsego Lake

Public schools here are run by Gaylord Community Schools. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (5)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
North Ohio Elementary SchoolGaylordPre-K–3388Public4.8 mi
South Maple Elementary SchoolGaylordPre-K–3385Public3.6 mi
Gaylord Intermediate SchoolGaylord4–6632Public3.6 mi
Gaylord Middle SchoolGaylord7–8435Public3.5 mi
Gaylord High SchoolVoc BldgGaylord9–12907Public5.3 mi
Private schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
St Mary Cathedral SchoolGaylordPre-K–12297Roman Catholic4.2 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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Where Otsego Lake is

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Towns near Otsego Lake

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Shares ZIP codes with Bagley, Gaylord, Hayes Township (Otsego County), Livingston, Frederic, Elmira, Dover Township (Otsego County), Maple Forest and Chester Township (Otsego County).

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.