The southern villages and countryside

South of Traverse City, away from the bay, Grand Traverse County is rolling farm-and-forest country threaded by the Boardman River and dotted with small lakes — quieter and more affordable, with two old railroad villages at its heart.

Kingsley, the larger of the two, grew up around a station on the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad in the 1870s and is named for its founder, Judson Kingsley; a separate neighboring village called Paradise — the same name as the township — later merged into it. Locals know Kingsley as “Stagtown,” and Main Street (M-113) still runs through a tidy downtown; freight trains roll through to this day. Fife Lake, to the southeast, also owes its start to the same railroad and sits on the pretty, island-studded lake it’s named for, in the county’s far corner. The surrounding townships — Paradise, Fife Lake, Blair, Grant, Mayfield, and Union — are mostly farms, woods, and country roads, with communities like Grawn and Mayfield scattered among them.

For buyers, this is the value end of the county: more land for the money, a country pace, and an easy commute up to Traverse City for work and shopping. Most homes are on wells and septic (see the well-and-septic note), and a few lots sit on small lakes or the river. It’s a popular choice for families and anyone wanting acreage within reach of town.