Market file · Manistee County, Michigan

Brethren home appraisals

Dickson Township

National forest covers most of Dickson Township, leaving Brethren a small private land base along the Manistee River. Zillow's typical Brethren value was $226,373 in June 2026. The township's census median owner value was $157,400 for 2020 to 2024, and workers averaged 31.6 minutes to their jobs.

$226,373Zillow typical home value, Brethren, June 30, 2026 (Manistee County page)

$157,400Median owner occupied home value, Dickson Township, ACS 2020 to 2024 (Census Reporter)

980Township population, 2020 census (Wikipedia)

331Brethren population, 2020 census, down from 410 in 2010 (Wikipedia)

A 1900 church colony

Samuel S. Thorpe founded Brethren in 1900 as a colony of the German Baptist Brethren Church, per Wikipedia, and a Pere Marquette Railway station opened in 1901. The township's history notes that actor James Earl Jones lived here with his maternal grandparents. The community had 331 people in 2020, down from 410 in 2010. Boswell Creek forms its north edge, and Lake Eleanor and Center Lake sit on the east side.

Only about 367 of Dickson Township's 649 housing units held a year round household in 2020 to 2024.

High Bridge Road and Tippy Dam Pond

High Bridge Road runs north and south through Dickson Township, and Coates Highway, called Brethren Boulevard in town, runs east and west. The Manistee River crosses the east and south parts of the township, and Tippy Dam Pond lies along the south boundary. Census Reporter counted 649 housing units and 367 households for 2020 to 2024, with a median household income of $55,781.

Areas, lakes and neighborhoods in this file

Brethren
Dickson Township
Lake Eleanor
Center Lake
Boswell Creek
High Bridge Road
Tippy Dam Pond

Landmarks around Brethren

Tippy DamDam on the Manistee River

Common questions

How does national forest next door show up in an appraisal?

Most of Dickson Township lies inside the Manistee National Forest, per Wikipedia. A parcel that backs onto federal land has a different setting than one with neighbors on every side. The appraiser describes that setting, checks road access and utilities, and looks for sales with similar surroundings rather than applying a fixed adjustment.

Is Brethren a village?

Brethren has no village government. It is an unincorporated community and census designated place in Dickson Township, with 331 residents in 2020, per Wikipedia, and the township handles local services. Its ZIP code is 49619, and Manistee is about 18 miles to the southwest.