Ah, Michigan...the land of the Great Lakes, of cereal, and auto-making. But also land of the Amish? Yes! Michigan has a growing, robust, and diverse Amish population numbering north of 10,000 people. In fact, it was Michigan that I started writing about (well, one of the places) and discovering Amish culture way back in 1991. I wrote an article about Michigan's Amish for a small electric cooperative publication called Michigan Country Lines.
When I wrote the magazine article about the Michigan Amish in the summer of 1991, a brand new community had been established near the town of Coral, close to Grand Rapids. But there are Amish communities of varying sizes throughout Michigan, from the rural Upper Penninsula all the way to the Indiana line, where the largest community lives.
❤️ Why Do The Amish Like Michigan?
There is a lot to like about Michigan if you are Amish. Here are a few of the reasons why the state's Amish population has been growing over the years:
Proximity: Michigan is centrally located, so an Amish family moving here would be within a day's car drive of most of other Amish communities in the USA.
Variety: There are very open and progressive Amish like the ones near Manton and very conservative Swartzentruber ones like the ones near Clare, so no matter where you are on the Amish ideological spectrum, there is something here for you!
Land prices: Land is still relatively plentiful and cheap compared to some places like Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Farming: Michigan's temperate climate makes it ideal for farming. The growing season is shorter compared to other states. But as climate change brings warmer temperatures farther north, Michigan's growing season will lengthen.
🗺️ Where are The Amish Communities in Michigan?
How does one even know where all the Amish communities are in a state? The best way to find out, I think is buy purchasing a copy of the The Budget, which is the Amish newspaper. Still, that isn't a foolproof method because not everyone who writes a dispatch for The Budget is Amish, sometimes they are plain Mennonite or some other church. But the Budget is a pretty good guide. I'll be updating this page if I discover I have missed communities, but here are the key ones:
St. Joseph, County: Clustered around the Centreville-Colon area, this is the largest Amish community in the state with some 1500 church members in a dozen districts. This is essentially "spillover" from the sprawling Amish communities of northern Indiana. The two communities share a lot of cultural characteristics and many of the Amish here work in northern Indiana and fellowship with those Amish.
Branch County, Michigan: This settlement is older and more conservative than St. Joseph but is now essentially a spillover of St. Joseph's growing Amish community.
Hillsdale County, Michigan: This completes the "southern sweep" of Amish in the state. I have spent some time here, with the primary Amish communities being around Camden and Reading, Michigan. These are old, conservative communities. The surnames of Eicher and Zehr are common here.
The Camden community began in the 1950s and brought with them their Swiss customs common to the Adams Coiunty, Indiana community.
They are called Schweizer-Amisch or “Swiss Amish,” and they immigrated to America from Switzerland and the Alsace and Montbeliard regions of France in the 1830s, mainly settling in Allen and Adams counties, Indiana.
Characteristics that make the Swiss Amish unique today include yodeling, allowing only open-top buggies, using wooden grave markers, and distinct last names, such as Graber, Girod, Delagrange, Lengacher, Schwartz, Schmucker, Eicher, and Wickey. Typically, the Swiss also have more conservative Ordnungs—the church “ordinances” that govern which technologies are allowed, how church decisions are made, and other aspects of life.
Fremont, Michigan: There is an Amish community here, but I have not visited.
Homer, Michigan: This community is near Battle Creek and is populated with Amish who have moved to the area as St. Joseph County's population has grown.
Ovid, Michigan: possibly defunct
Marion, Michigan: possibly defunct?
Manton, Michigan: I have been to this community While the Amish here consider themselves Old Order they worship not in homes but in churches (they call them meetinghouses) and have a bit more of an evangelical streak, which has made Manton a destination for Seekers (outsiders who wish to join the Amish) over the years. The community is currently home to one Seeker and some Mennonites who made the rare step of joining the Amish (often it's the reverse).
The settlement is loosely affiliated with similar Amish churches in Smyrna, Maine; Unity,Maine, and some Canadian Amish communities. While most Old Order Amish don't want their photos taken for religious reasons, there's more openness here. One Amish man explained to me that it was left up to the individual here to decide how they feel about photography.
Clare, Michigan: I love visting Clare. I have been here a couple of times. Clare County sprawls over a lot of real estate smack in central Michigan. The largest community is a three-church district ultra-conservative Swarteztruber Amish settlement which spreads out over the gravel roads east of Clare. The Swartzentrubers live quietly, plainly....they don't have indoor plumbing, most collect rainwater for gardening and other tasks (a tough thing to do during these drought summers). Exploring and visiting the many home-based businesses here is fun.
Mio, Michigan: I have not made it to Mio before. The community has been around for over 50 years in Oscoda County in northern Michigan. One of these days I'd like to go. There are a lot of Amish home-based businesses to explore here.
Marlette, Michigan: This is in the thumb of the state. It's been around for awhile. I'd love to go sometime.
Engadine, Michigan: A small community in Michigan's Upper Penninsula, completing the Amish spread from end to end of the state!
Vermontville, Michigan: This is a bustling community southwest of Lansing. About 100 families here along with a bulk food store.
🛒 Favorite Amish Businesses in Michigan
Remember that most Amish businesses are closed on Sundays and most do not accept credit cards. Bring cash! And Amish businesses can be very transient, coming and going and closing, so while we try to keep this list fresh and up to date, there is always a risk that this business might not be there when you get there! (it has happened to be me plenty of times)
Burr Oak: Chupp’s Herbs & Fabrics, 27539 Londick Rd., Phone: 269-659-3950
Burr Oak: Maple Lane Buggy Shop, 27324 Londick Rd.Phone: 269-659-209
Centreville: Yoder’s Country Market, 375 Eleanor Dr.. Phone: 269-467-4856 Quality meats, homemade salads and baked goods. Bulk foods, pastas, a large variety of cheeses and Amish crafted lawn furniture.
Centreville: Miller's Discount Store, 24029 Truckenmiller Rd. Phone: 269-467-4935 A variety store offering groceries, bulk spices, grains, specialty flours and a huge selection of candy. Cheese,glassware, wonderful baked goods and unique items.
Clare: Colonville Country Store, 7047 Colonville Road.
Clare: Country Cookstove Bakery, 8704 South Eberhart Ave, open only Friday and Saturdays, 9 a.m - 5 p.m.
Clare: Surrey Road Quilt Shop, 3689-3677 E Surrey Rd, a haven for quilting enthusiasts, offering a wide range of books, quilt patterns, and quilting gadgets
Manton, Michigan: Fruitful Hill Farm Market on 16 ½ Mile Road.
Sturgis: Riverside Apple Farm, 28749 E. Hackman Rd.
Send us names and descriptions of your favorite Amish-owned businesses in Michigan and we'll add them to the list!
☑️ Tips For Visiting The Amish in Michigan
We have posted a general guide of etiquette for visiting Amish country. But here are some Michigan-specific tips to keep in mind:
- The Amish in Manton, Michigan tend to be more accepting of photography. Always ask permission, but if you are working on a photography project involving the Amish, this is the place to go
- Most Amish businesses in the Clare community are closed on Thursdays, so Thursday is not a good day to visit there.
- Visit apple season in the autumn and try to visit some of the Amish-owned apple orchards around Burr Oak and Colon and, if you're lucky, you'll score some "cider doughnuts" or at the very least some apple cider hand-made in a cider press!
Jody Strang
I live within a Amish Community in Vermontville MI.
There are over 100 families in the community with 4 Amish schools and a nice bulk food store.
I am an Amish driver (or Uber, of sorts) and enjoy them very much!
They keep me plenty busy!
Kevin Williams
Thanks, Jody, I have not been to Vermontville and wasn't familiar with the community, sounds sizable! I have added Vermontville to the Michigan list, thank you!