Gaines Township is a small farming community in Central Michigan
Gaines Township offers rural living southwest of Flint, Michigan. First settled in the 1830s, Gaines grew in the 1850s thanks to the arrival of the Grand Trunk Western Railroad. Since the railroad was decommissioned, agriculture has kept the community's economy chugging along as residents enjoy the space and countryside views that exemplify rural living. "It's a smaller community. A little slower paced and not as busy as Flint," says Ricky Butterfield, a Realtor with Tremaine Real Estate. "It's in a farming area for the most part, and everybody knows everybody."
Older farmhouses and ranch-style homes built on acreage
Homes are concentrated in the southwest corner, in and around the main village. Some larger homes on acreage are found in the more rural parts of the community. Ranch-style homes are common. Other home styles include farmhouse, Colonial and Cape Cod. Smaller houses with 1-acre lots or less range between $140,000 and $240,000. Larger homes built on acreage can come with covered porches, ponds and pole barns, costing $250,000 to $650,000 depending on lot sizes.
Camping, canoeing and community rodeo
There’s a playground, soccer field and baseball diamond at Gaines Elementary, and the Gaines Station Library is housed inside a former train depot. The main village also has a handful of churches that see many visitors on Sundays. Gaines Community Rodeo hosts bull riding, barrel racing and roping competitions over the summer, plus there are pumpkin patches and hayrides at Spooky Trails from September to October. The Shiawassee River flows west of the township and is a popular spot for fishing and birdwatching. “The Shiawassee River is very popular for kayaking and canoeing," Butterfield says. “There’s also a couple of campgrounds within a five- to 10-minute drive of Gaines.”
Extracurricular activities in Swartz Creek Community Schools
Students in the township go to either Linden, Swartz Creek or Byron Area Schools, all of which offer school choice and respectively earn A-minus, B and B-minus ratings on Niche. Gaines Elementary School offers a free breakfast and lunch program, while Swartz Creek Middle has student clubs for robotics and soapbox derby. Both schools earn B-minuses. B-rated Swartz Creek High School has a college and career preparation program and sports such as swimming, wrestling and archery.
Public transit and two highways to Flint
MTA Flint offers personalized transit throughout the county from its service station in Swartz Creek. Interstate 69 is directly north, while U.S. Route 23 is located east of the township. Both routes lead around 15 miles northeast toward Flint, which has the 24-hour McLaren Flint hospital and the Bishop International Airport.
A bar, a convenience store and a Dollar General
Few businesses operate within the township, so residents often drive to Swartz Creek, Flint or Durand for most of their shopping and dining. “Gaines doesn’t have much,” Butterfield says. “There’s a small convenience store, a little bar in town and a post office. That’s pretty much about it.” Gaines Bar serves burgers and pretzels alongside ice-cold brews, while Isaac’s Grocery offers beer kegs and occasionally welcomes food trucks in its parking lot. There’s a Dollar General at the roundabout by Morrish Road, and local farms sell fresh produce and cuts of beef.
