Chippewa, Michigan

Township in Isabella County · population 4,446 (2020 Census)

Median home: $156,800
Household income: $64,651
Jan low / Jul high: 16° / 84°
Snow a year: 39 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 6
Median age: 42.2

Chippewa is a township of 4,446 people in Isabella County, Michigan. The median home is worth $156,800, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks easier by car than 86% of Michigan towns, more vibrant than 78% of Michigan towns, better for young professionals than 77% of Michigan towns.

How Chippewa 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 Chippewa is worth $156,800, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $64,651, which is more affordable than 80% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $831 a month. 86.2% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Chippewa	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$156,800	$193,900
Median rent	$831	$955
Median household income	$64,651	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.4×	2.8×
Homeownership	86.2%	86.8%
Median year built	1986	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	7.3%	—

Who lives in Chippewa

People	Chippewa	Typical Michigan town
Median age	42.2	43.7
Age 65 and over	18.3%	20.7%
Under 18	19.1%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	23.2%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	16.4%	10.4%
Veterans	6.9%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.0%	—
Work from home	4.6%	9.1%
Average commute	23.8 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	91.2%	88.8%

Weather in Chippewa

July highs average 83.7°F and January lows 15.9°F. About 35.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 39.3 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 146 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 Central Michigan Univ station (5.6 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 1 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Chippewa since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on April 14, 1974 about 9.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 12, 2012.

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 21 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on March 12, 2012.

Severe weather in Isabella County since 1996

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

Isabella County has been included in 11 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
August 2, 2017	Severe Storm	DR-4326: Severe Storms And Flooding
September 7, 2005	Hurricane	EM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
January 10, 2001	Snowstorm	EM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Isabella County

Isabella County had 26,640 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,992 a year. Unemployment was 4.5% in 2023; in Chippewa itself the ACS puts it at 4.4%.

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 Chippewa

Coe, MI
5.1 mi · 3,032 people · home $161,000
Mount Pleasant, MI
5.9 mi · 21,688 people · home $173,100
Union, MI
8.0 mi · 11,699 people · home $163,800
Lee, MI
11.6 mi · 3,985 people · home $166,500
Deerfield, MI
12.3 mi · 3,257 people · home $237,000
St. Louis, MI
12.8 mi · 7,010 people · home $119,200
Jerome, MI
13.6 mi · 4,625 people · home $192,000
Alma, MI
14.5 mi · 9,488 people · home $115,900

Chippewa questions

Is Chippewa, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Chippewa scores better for retirees than 9% of Michigan towns and quieter than 27%. 18.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.2).

How much does a house cost in Chippewa?

The median owner-occupied home in Chippewa is valued at $156,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $64,651, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $831 a month.

What is the weather like in Chippewa?

July highs average 83.7°F and January lows 15.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 35.5 inches of precipitation a year and 39.3 inches of snow.

Does Chippewa get tornadoes?

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Chippewa since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on April 14, 1974. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Chippewa's Census boundary (GEOID 2607315580). 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.