Saline Township is “quiet and laidback”
Saline Township is a sprawling community bordering a small suburb of Ann Arbor. The township shares its name with the neighboring city of Saline, a reference to the area’s salt springs. “Outside of Saline [the city], it’s definitely a rural area,” says Debbie Bourdon, a Realtor with Real Estate One. While the township has new housing, most of the area consists of farmland for corn, wheat and soybeans, plus a few sheep and cattle farms. Local activities include ice cream socials at church and Saturday golf nights for couples. “It’s peaceful, quiet and laidback,” Bourdon says, “but it’s conveniently located because it’s right outside of Saline and Ann Arbor.”
Township has mostly farmland properties and some new homes
The township has a cluster of new homes and townhouses near its border with Saline, the small city of about 9,000. However, the rest of the area is rural land featuring several red barns and lots spanning an acre or more. A few homes amid the farmland are over a century old. “If a farmer sells property, you may get a development,” Bourdon says, “but in general, there’s not a lot of neighborhoods. It’s more homes with acreage.” Housing styles include ranch, Colonial Revival and new traditional, with single-family homes ranging from $300,000 to $600,000, plus a few outliers. Townhouses run from about $230,000 to $410,000.
Downtown Saline has boutiques, comfort foods and bars
Saline Township is home to Thompson Bar & Grill, a staple for burgers and other comfort food. The neighboring city offers more options, and its historic downtown has several boutiques, restaurants and bars. Downtown Saline also draws some foot traffic, while some restaurants have outdoor seating on the sidewalks. Carrigan Cafe is a staple for breakfast and coffee. Mac’s Acadian Seafood Shack has options like soft shell crab and jumbo shrimp in a place with marine-themed decor. Salt Springs Brewery serves craft beers in a repurposed Romanesque-style church. “It’s a really cool atmosphere and experience,” says Megan Mazurek, a Realtor with Reinhart Realtors. “They have good food, and they have a big outdoor patio.” East Michigan Avenue has a commercial corridor chains like Busch’s Fresh Food Market.
Saline area offers several parks along the water
Rustic Glen Golf Club is a public 18-hole course on the township’s west end. The course offers tree-lined fairways and a 350-yard driving range. However, most of the area’s recreational amenities are in the neighboring city, which has several parks along Mill Pond and the Saline River. Mill Pond Park has a large castle-style playground and open fields for dogs to run and play. The 54-acre park also has a kayak and canoe launch site. Amenities in nearby Curtiss Park include another dog park, nature trails and a baseball field. Salt Springs Park is one of the city’s newest green spaces. The salt springs that inspired the city’s name exist in this park.
Three districts serve township
Saline Area Schools is the main district, but Clinton Community Schools and Milan Area Schools also offer some coverage. Saline Area Schools gets an A from Niche, while Clinton Community Schools receives a B. The Milan district gets a B-plus. Saline schools include Harvest Elementary, which gets an A and enrolls students from Young 5s to third grade. Heritage School receives an A and serves fourth to fifth graders. Saline Middle and Saline High both receive A grades. The high school’s athletic successes in 2025 included its boys swim and dive team winning state and the girls lacrosse squad clinching its first regional title.
Michigan Celtic Festival is a local tradition
The community is 10 minutes south of Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, which hosts Michigan Celtic Festival in July. The event, which began in Saline, is a years-long tradition that typically draws about 10,000 people. Some attendees dress in medieval clothing, while the entertainment includes live Celtic music and a parade of bagpipe players. The event also offers folk dancing lessons.
Commuters use U.S. Highway 12
U.S. Highway 12 heads to downtown Saline, 3 miles from the heart of Saline Township. The highway continues to Interstate 94, which connects to other cities and destinations in the region. Ann Arbor is about 10 miles south, Detroit Metro Airport is about 30 miles west, and University of Michigan Hospital is 30 miles north.
Area gets many inches of snow a year
Newcomers should anticipate frigid winters with ample snowfall. The community gets over 34 inches of snow annually, which is more than many parts of the country. The area also has average winter low temperatures of 15 degrees.
