Only 35 residents live on Michigan’s least populated island

Sometimes it sounds like a great idea to pack up everything and move to one of the islands in the Great Lakes and live off the grid. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy.

However, there are islands in the Great Lakes within Michigan’s borders that you could potentially call home if you can purchase property. In total, Michigan has 420 named islands out of the estimated 35,000 in the Great Lakes.

Amazingly, only 30 islands are inhabited year-round, and 19 of them are in Lake Erie. Michigan has nine inhabited islands, some of which are in rivers, and each has a very different population structure.

The most densely populated is Grosse Isle in the Detroit River with a population of over 10,000.

The least populated is Grand Island in Lake Superior north of Munising with a population of only 35 (as of the 2020 census).

Despite having such a small population on an island, Grand Island Township is surprisingly not the least populated municipality. That honor goes to Pointe Aux Barques Township in Huron Country, with a total population of 15.

As for Grand Island, most of the actual island is dedicated to the 13,500-acre Grand Island National Recreation Area. Grand Island Township, by comparison, is 49.1 square miles.

To reach the island, you’ll need to take the Grand Island Ferry from Munising to Williams Landing on the island, which is only a 1.5-mile ride. Once you get there, you’ll find that there are no paved roads on the island and no vehicles are allowed. Instead, you’ll find a camping retreat with plenty of wilderness to explore.

If you can ever call the island home, you’ll be lucky to live a relatively private life. There’s virtually no information about the population other than census data.