# Kalkaska, Michigan — #1,932 of 3,144 counties

> Liberty Moving composite score 6.06 of 10. FIPS 26079. Population 18,490. v4 — beta, 30 October 2026, sourced values.

About 18,500 people live in Kalkaska, Michigan. It ranks #1,932 of 3,144 counties for liberty, and #24 of 83 in Michigan. The combined sales tax is 6%, lower than in 62% of counties. Property tax takes about 0.88% of a home's value each year, more than in 61% of counties. Local government employs a smaller share of working residents than in 62% of counties. The homicide rate is lower than in 67% of counties. Life expectancy is about 74.8 years, shorter than in 58% of counties. Air quality is better than in 53% of counties (a typical day's air quality index is 41), and flood and hurricane risk is lower than in 78% of counties. On this site's state scores, Michigan gets 6.42 of 10 for economic freedom, based on the Fraser Institute's ranking, and 3 of 10 for gun rights.

## Scores

| Factor | Level | Score (0–10) | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fraser Institute state ranking | state | 6.42 |  |
| 2A | state | 3.00 |  |
| Air quality | county | 5.94 |  |
| GOP + LP vote for President | county | 7.13 |  |
| Homicide rate | county | 9.27 |  |
| Sales tax | county | 4.55 |  |
| Property tax | county | 5.60 |  |
| Floods / hurricanes | county | 6.86 |  |
| Life expectancy | county | 4.80 |  |
| Government employees | county | 6.14 |  |
| Single-parent households | county | 6.76 |  |

"est" marks a derived or placeholder value with no published county figure.

## Neighbors

- #1839 Antrim, Michigan — https://libertymoving.org/counties/26009.md
- #1254 Missaukee, Michigan — https://libertymoving.org/counties/26113.md
- #2229 Crawford, Michigan — https://libertymoving.org/counties/26039.md
- #1946 Grand Traverse, Michigan — https://libertymoving.org/counties/26055.md

## Links

- Page: https://libertymoving.org/counties/26079
- Compare: https://libertymoving.org/compare?a=26079
- Methodology: https://libertymoving.org/methodology
- Sources and terms: https://libertymoving.org/privacy