Monitor Township offers rural and suburban living near Bay City
Just west of the vibrant waterfront community of Bay City, Monitor Township offers an escape to the suburbs and rural countryside. “Monitor Township doesn’t really have much, but they don’t have to because Bay City has it all. We just have the peacefulness,” says Margaret Walther, a real estate agent with Century 21 who grew up in the region. The township consists mainly of sprawling farmland, though subdivisions on the east side near Bay City add a suburban touch to the community.
Homes in subdivisions and around farms
While subdivisions make up much of the residential landscape, some homes out west are built on farm parcels with neighbors to each side and expansive backyard farm views. Ranch-style, split-level and Colonial Revival houses from the mid-1900s are common. They can range anywhere from $100,000 to $350,000, though some fixer-uppers sell for about $30,000 to $80,000. Single-family ranch-style condos range from around $180,000 to $330,000. Larger New Traditional houses sell between $320,000 and $620,000.
More than 90% of Monitor Township residents are homeowners. And the CAP Index Crime Score is 2 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4.
Big-box stores and local businesses on Wilder and Huron roads
Most people drive a few miles to Bangor Township to shop on Wilder Road. The busy thoroughfare is home to several big-box retailers, many of which are in Bay City Town Center. Wilder Road extends to Monitor Township, where locals can shop at Menards and Meijer. The township has a few more businesses on South Huron Road. Blue Knight Salvage Foods sells discounted grocery products. Kawkawlin Restaurant serves homestyle breakfast and lunch. Right next door, Country House offers a dive bar experience with pool tables and sports on TV.
Local parks and stock car races at Tri-City Motor Speedway
The township maintains two parks: Monitor Park and Herbert W. Steih Park. Monitor Park is the biggest at 21 acres. It features a playground, athletic fields, horseshoe pits and a pavilion that can be rented out to celebrate special occasions. Herbert W. Steih Park is just over an acre and offers a boat ramp and picnic area along the Kawkawlin River. Tri-City Motor Speedway is nearby. It hosts weekly stock car races starting in May. The season ends with a championship race in September.
College credits available at Bay City Western High School
Most students attend McAlear-Sawden Elementary School or Mackensen Elementary School, which receive B-minus and B grades from Niche, respectively. A small portion of the west side is zoned to Auburn Elementary School, graded B-minus. Students go on to B-minus-graded Western Middle School and Bay City Western High School, which receives a B. High schoolers have the opportunity to earn college credits through Delta College and Saginaw Valley State University.
Fireworks Festival and Labadie Rib Fest in Bay City
Locals go to Bay City for community events. One of the biggest spectacles is the Fireworks Festival celebrating the Fourth of July. The Labadie Rib Fest is another popular event in Bay City. The annual rib cook-off also features a 5K race and live music from national touring bands.
Bridge congestion common, access to U.S. 10 and I-75
U.S. Route 10 runs through the township and crosses the Saginaw River to Bay City from the Veterans Memorial Bridge, which tends to get backed up. “There are four bridges and two of them were sold to a private owner who fixed them and started charging people to cross them,” Walther says. “Vets Bridge is free, so traffic gets pretty bad. My office is a mile from the bridge, and when I leave work, cars are lined up past the building.” Locals also have easy access to Interstate 75, which runs 120 miles to Detroit. However, MBS International Airport is 15 minutes away, offering flights to Detroit and Chicago.
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Written By
Nicolas Stuart
