Baraga, Michigan

Township in Baraga County · population 3,478 (2020 Census)

Median home: $133,300
Household income: $52,254
Jan low / Jul high: 6° / 77°
Snow a year: 178 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 1
Median age: 38.1

Baraga is a township of 3,478 people in Baraga County, Michigan. The median home is worth $133,300, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for retirees than 94% of Michigan towns, quieter than 83% of Michigan towns, better for a vacation home than 82% of Michigan towns.

Baraga in our rankings:

How Baraga ranks

Percentile among Michigan towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Michigan towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Baraga is worth $133,300, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.6 times the median household income of $52,254, which is more affordable than 68% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $546 a month. 71.9% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Baraga	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$133,300	$193,900
Median rent	$546	$955
Median household income	$52,254	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.6×	2.8×
Homeownership	71.9%	86.8%
Median year built	1972	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	15.3%	—

Who lives in Baraga

People	Baraga	Typical Michigan town
Median age	38.1	43.7
Age 65 and over	13.8%	20.7%
Under 18	16.7%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	8.9%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	16.5%	10.4%
Veterans	4.0%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.2%	—
Work from home	2.5%	9.1%
Average commute	13.1 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	82.1%	88.8%

Weather in Baraga

July highs average 77.1°F and January lows 6.2°F. About 33.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 177.6 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 189 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Alberta Ford For Ctr station (8.5 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Baraga since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. The strongest, an F0, struck on September 8, 1980 about 5.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 8, 1980.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 15 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on July 18, 2022.

Severe weather in Baraga County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Baraga County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Baraga County has been included in 7 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
March 27, 2020	Biological	DR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3455: Covid-19
June 18, 2013	Flood	DR-4121: Flooding
September 7, 2005	Hurricane	EM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
May 6, 2002	Flood	DR-1413: Flooding

Jobs and pay in Baraga County

Baraga County had 2,973 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,002 a year. Unemployment was 6.2% in 2023; in Baraga itself the ACS puts it at 4.3%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Baraga

L'Anse, MI
13.3 mi · 3,551 people · home $122,700
Portage, MI
15.6 mi · 3,189 people · home $204,700
Adams, MI
22.0 mi · 2,540 people · home $118,000
Houghton, MI
25.3 mi · 8,386 people · home $254,500
Hancock, MI
27.1 mi · 4,501 people · home $165,600

Baraga questions

Is Baraga, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Baraga scores better for retirees than 94% of Michigan towns and quieter than 83%. 13.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.1).

How much does a house cost in Baraga?

The median owner-occupied home in Baraga is valued at $133,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $52,254, so homes cost about 2.6 times income. Median rent is $546 a month.

What is the weather like in Baraga?

July highs average 77.1°F and January lows 6.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.2 inches of precipitation a year and 177.6 inches of snow.

Does Baraga get tornadoes?

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Baraga since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on September 8, 1980. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Baraga's Census boundary (GEOID 2601305340). Comparisons use the median of Michigan towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.