Snowy winters don't stop Houghton's outdoor lifestyle
Houghton is an outdoor destination where each season is welcomed and anticipated, regardless of how cold it may be. "We generate quite a bit of tourism because of our location and recreational activities," says Chris Coponen, Realtor at Century 21 Affiliated. In winter, locals and tourists ski, snowshoe, snowmobile and play outdoor hockey. Summers include mountain biking, boating, hiking and camping, all within eyeshot of The Keweenaw Waterway or a short drive from Lake Superior.
According to NOAA, winters in Houghton are cold and snowy, with months of below-freezing temperatures and more than 200 inches of snow per season, It snows for an average of 90 days, and lake-effect storms bring large amounts of snow all at once. However, locals embrace the cold weather and don't just make do – they make fun. "We get a lot of snow, but we look forward to that up here," Coponen says. "We celebrate the winter just as much as the other seasons."
Michigan Tech is a large employer and an important institution
The city of Houghton more than doubles in size during the school year when 7,000 students come to Michigan Technological University. In addition to being a destination for outdoor recreation, "Houghton is a college town," Coponen says. "Many people who move to Houghton are actually Michigan Tech alumni who move back here after 10 or 20 years because they miss the area, too." Michigan Tech was the first post-secondary school in the Upper Peninsula, founded in 1885 as Michigan Mining School. The university is the city's largest employer, followed by UP Health System Portage.
The university hosts Winter Carnival each year to celebrate the cold weather the area is known for with ice and snow sculptures, a Carnival Queen coronation, broomball tournaments and ice-hockey games on campus.
Median home prices are well below the national median
Colonial Revivals and workers' cottages from the early 1900s are the oldest homes in the area, selling between $100,000 and $300,000. Bi-levels and ranch-style homes from the middle of the century and new traditional houses from the past 10 years are more expensive, selling between $275,000 and $770,000. The median price for the area is $250,000 – much lower than the national median – and prices are up 1% from the previous year. Plots of land with multiple acres sell between $15,000 and $100,000, depending on location.
Locals enjoy the water in summer and play ice hockey in winter
Houghton is the birthplace of professional hockey in the United States, with the Portage Lakers being the first fully paid team in 1903. Though the team is inactive, hockey is still a favorite pastime for the city. The Michigan Tech Huskies have won three NCAA Division I national championships, and recreational hockey leagues occur at West Houghton Park and Dee Stadium.
Houghton has ample space for water activities along the Keweenaw Waterway, with waterfront parks, a public fishing pier, a boat launch and the Waterfront Trail. When winter comes, the area's rolling hills become a snowmobiling labyrinth with more than 200 miles of motorized trails. Snowmobiling is not just a recreational activity – it's a means of transportation for those living in Houghton after a blizzard or lake-effect storm.
Houghton-Portage Townships Schools are highly rated
Houghton-Portage Township Schools serves primary and secondary-age students in the city and is rated A on Niche. The district is the second-best in the county and in the top 40 districts of Michigan. All children attend A-rated Houghton Elementary School, followed by A-rated Houghton Middle School. Houghton High School is rated A-minus and has a sports rivalry with Hancock Central High School across the waterway.
Restaurants, shops and a festival along the water
Walmart, Marketplace Foods and fast-food restaurants are southwest of downtown, on West Memorial Drive. Downtown Houghton has two-story brick buildings on gradually declining hills towards the waterway. Bridgefest is a summer festival in downtown Houghton celebrating the Portage Lift Bride. The City of Hancock joins the festivities, and "There are vendors, concerts, waterskiing shows and fireworks beside the waterway," Coponen says.
Ease of transportation often depends on the weather
The Portage Lift Bridge connects Upper Peninsula's northern and southern parts from Houghton, and "traffic can get really bad, especially in winter," Coponen says. When roads are clear and buses are running, Indian Trails and Houghton Motor Transit lines stop in the area, with a designated stop across the waterway at Mont Ripley Ski Area. U.S. Route 41 and Michigan State Road 26 are the main roads connecting the city to the rest of Michigan and northern Wisconsin. Houghton County Memorial Airport is 7 miles north, and the nearest hospital, UP Health System Portage, is 3 miles north in Hancock.
Crime rates are lower than average national rates
According to the FBI, the number of property crime incidents in Houghton has steadily declined over the past eight years, while violent crimes had a slight spike in the past five. Still, violent and property crime rates in Houghton are well below the average national rates.
Written By
Heather Haggerty
