The Town Files

Beaver, Michigan

Township in Bay County · population 2,723 (2020 Census)

Map: where Beaver is in MichiganBeaver
Median home
$193,800
Household income
$89,154
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 82°
Snow a year
47 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
44.1

Beaver is a township of 2,723 people in Bay County, Michigan. The median home is worth $193,800, close to the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks easier by car than 83% of Michigan towns, better for families than 80% of Michigan towns, more of a college town than 77% of Michigan towns.

Beaver in our rankings:

How Beaver 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.

Beaver lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement63rd pctFamilies80th pctQuiet31st pctWalkability31st pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals18th pctVibrancy26th pctHip & trendy34th pctCollege town77th pctUpscale60th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving83rd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Beaver is worth $193,800, close to the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $89,154, which is more affordable than 89% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,445 a month. 89.3% of households own their home.

Beaver vs Bay County vs typical Michigan townBeaverBay CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$193,800$152,200$193,900Household income$89,154$61,763$69,792Monthly rent$1,445$860$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingBeaverTypical Michigan town
Median home value$193,800$193,900
Median rent$1,445$955
Median household income$89,154$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.2×2.8×
Homeownership89.3%86.8%
Median year built19741975
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Beaver

PeopleBeaverTypical Michigan town
Median age44.143.7
Age 65 and over22.5%20.7%
Under 1823.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher22.6%21.5%
Below the poverty line4.8%10.4%
Veterans5.9%—
Born outside the U.S.0.8%—
Work from home10.2%9.1%
Average commute28.5 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband87.3%88.8%

Weather in Beaver

July highs average 82.1°F and January lows 16.6°F. About 33.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 47.2 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 136 nights at or below freezing.

Beaver monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing29°17°Jan32°18°Feb43°25°Mar56°36°Apr68°48°May78°57°Jun82°62°Jul80°60°Aug73°52°Sep60°42°Oct46°32°Nov34°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.013.41.910.92.05.83.52.23.73.72.83.22.83.10.22.63.11.911.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Midland station (7.1 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Beaver since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 31, 1999 about 4.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 31, 2011.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Beaver by decade01950s01960s41970s01980s11990s12000s12010s02020s
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 61 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on July 27, 2014.

Severe weather in Bay County since 1996

Storm events in Bay County since 1996 by typeHail95Heat11Flood8High Wind29Ice Storm9Heavy Snow31Flash Flood6Winter Storm19
NOAA Storm Events Database, Bay County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Bay County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
August 2, 2017Severe StormDR-4326: Severe Storms And Flooding
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
January 10, 2001SnowstormEM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Bay County

Bay County had 34,112 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,617 a year. Unemployment was 4.9% in 2023; in Beaver itself the ACS puts it at 4.2%.

Largest industries in Bay CountyHealth care & social assistan…6,019 jobs · $51,257Retail4,591 jobs · $36,695Manufacturing4,440 jobs · $83,178Hotels & restaurants3,975 jobs · $20,798Construction1,520 jobs · $65,198Professional & technical serv…1,411 jobs · $103,374
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Bay County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Bay 4.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Beaver

Beaver questions

Is Beaver, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Beaver scores better for retirees than 63% of Michigan towns and quieter than 31%. 22.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.1).

How much does a house cost in Beaver?

The median owner-occupied home in Beaver is valued at $193,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $89,154, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $1,445 a month.

What is the weather like in Beaver?

July highs average 82.1°F and January lows 16.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.4 inches of precipitation a year and 47.2 inches of snow.

Does Beaver get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Beaver since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 31, 1999. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Beaver's Census boundary (GEOID 2601706540). 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. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.