The Town Files

Breitung, Michigan

Charter township in Dickinson County · population 5,831 (2020 Census)

Map: where Breitung is in MichiganBreitung
Median home
$175,300
Household income
$72,343
Jan low / Jul high
6° / 80°
Snow a year
61 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
9
Median age
56.8

Breitung is a charter township of 5,831 people in Dickinson County, Michigan. The median home is worth $175,300, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for retirees than 86% of Michigan towns, more of a college town than 83% of Michigan towns, better for families than 79% of Michigan towns.

How Breitung 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.

Breitung lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement86th pctFamilies79th pctQuiet45th pctWalkability71st pctFirst-time buyers55th pctYoung professionals57th pctVibrancy66th pctHip & trendy61st pctCollege town83rd pctUpscale63rd pctVacation homes61st pctSeaside characterbottomCycling69th pctTransit74th pctDriving29th 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 Breitung is worth $175,300, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $72,343, which is more affordable than 80% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,125 a month. 98.0% of households own their home.

Breitung vs Dickinson County vs typical Michigan townBreitungDickinson CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$175,300$153,300$193,900Household income$72,343$65,156$69,792Monthly rent$1,125$797$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingBreitungTypical Michigan town
Median home value$175,300$193,900
Median rent$1,125$955
Median household income$72,343$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.4×2.8×
Homeownership98.0%86.8%
Median year built19771975
Seasonal / vacation homes6.1%—

Who lives in Breitung

PeopleBreitungTypical Michigan town
Median age56.843.7
Age 65 and over27.7%20.7%
Under 1815.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher25.5%21.5%
Below the poverty line8.7%10.4%
Veterans9.8%—
Born outside the U.S.0.8%—
Work from home9.6%9.1%
Average commute16.1 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband84.9%88.8%

Weather in Breitung

July highs average 80.1°F and January lows 5.8°F. About 20.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 61.0 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 187 nights at or below freezing.

Breitung monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing24°6°Jan27°7°Feb38°17°Mar52°27°Apr66°40°May76°50°Jun80°54°Jul78°53°Aug70°45°Sep55°34°Oct40°24°Nov29°13°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue0.514.70.511.20.98.91.67.12.20.23.02.72.42.92.20.41.15.50.713.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Iron Mtn Ford Ap station (6.2 mi away); snow from Iron Mtn-Kingsford Wwtp (6.9 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Breitung since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on July 11, 1987 about 9.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 27, 2010.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Breitung by decade21950s01960s01970s11980s01990s42000s22010s02020s
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 26 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on June 9, 2000.

Severe weather in Dickinson County since 1996

Storm events in Dickinson County since 1996 by typeHail82High Wind7Ice Storm8Heavy Rain12Heavy Snow15Flash Flood13Strong Wind8Frost/Freeze9
NOAA Storm Events Database, Dickinson County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 7 deaths recorded.

Dickinson County has been included in 5 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for drought, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
January 27, 1978SnowstormEM-3057: Blizzards & Snowstorms
March 2, 1977DroughtEM-3035: Drought

Jobs and pay in Dickinson County

Dickinson County had 13,798 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $57,141 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Breitung itself the ACS puts it at 3%.

Largest industries in Dickinson CountyManufacturing2,859 jobs · $71,868Retail2,030 jobs · $34,240Construction1,407 jobs · $84,411Health care & social assistan…1,206 jobs · $48,535Hotels & restaurants1,164 jobs · $18,987Transportation & warehousing371 jobs · $54,501
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Dickinson County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Dickinson 3.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Breitung

Breitung questions

Is Breitung, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Breitung scores better for retirees than 86% of Michigan towns and quieter than 45%. 27.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 56.8).

How much does a house cost in Breitung?

The median owner-occupied home in Breitung is valued at $175,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $72,343, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $1,125 a month.

What is the weather like in Breitung?

July highs average 80.1°F and January lows 5.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 20.8 inches of precipitation a year and 61.0 inches of snow.

Does Breitung get tornadoes?

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Breitung since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on July 11, 1987. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Breitung's Census boundary (GEOID 2604310220). 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.