South Branch is a township in Crawford County, Michigan, home to about 1,839 people across 105 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 48653 and 49738.
Homes sold for a median of $158 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 1 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Gerrish; part is in South Branch
Mostly Grayling Charter Township; part is in South Branch
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside South Branch. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up South Branch’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)122 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Cherry Capital Airport (TVC)47 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Detroit, MI169 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL241 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of South Branch; 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.
South Branch had 1,638 residents in the 2020 census, down 11% since 2000.
It’s the 870th largest of 1,531 towns in Michigan by population.
Crawford County grew from 2,943 residents in 1900 to 12,988 in 2020.
Crawford County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 80°F in summer, and winter lows average 9°F. About 33.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 88 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Grayling, MI weather station (8 miles away).
3,715 jobs at 320 businesses in Crawford County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
163 doctors and other health care providers list an office in South Branch’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 20 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 20 |
| Dentists | 11 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 41 |
| Mental health providers | 31 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 26 |
| Optometrists | 3 |
| Chiropractors | 11 |
| Pharmacies | 8 |
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 (6 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (4 nearby)
Counts are within about 6.5 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 Crawford AuSable Schools, Roscommon Area Public Schools, C.O.O.R. ISD and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayling Elementary SchoolGrayling | Pre-K–4 | 624 | Public | 8.6 mi |
| Roscommon Elementary SchoolRoscommon | Pre-K–4 | 276 | Public | 4.4 mi |
| COOR Special Educational CenterRoscommon | K–12 | 34 | Special Education | 3.4 mi |
| Great Lakes Online EducationGrayling | K–12 | 104 | Public | 11.2 mi |
| Grayling Middle SchoolGrayling | 5–8 | 450 | Public | 8.6 mi |
| Roscommon Middle SchoolRoscommon | 5–7 | 178 | Public | 4.4 mi |
| Shawono CenterGrayling | 6–12 | 19 | Public | 12.1 mi |
| Roscommon High SchoolRoscommon | 7–12 | 337 | Public | 4.4 mi |
| COOR ATIC Advanced Technical Innovation CenterRoscommon | 9–12 | — | Career and Technical | 4.4 mi |
| Grayling High SchoolGrayling | 9–12 | 462 | Public | 11.2 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immanuel Christian SchoolRoscommon | K–11 | 35 | Baptist | 4.0 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 Grayling Charter Township, Gerrish, Markey, Grayling City, Higgins, Lyon Township, Beaver Creek, Lovells, Maple Forest and Au Sable Township.
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.