Elmwood, Michigan

Charter township in Leelanau County · population 4,892 (2020 Census)

Median home: $436,400
Household income: $94,417
Jan low / Jul high: 19° / 79°
Snow a year: 115 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 5
Median age: 49.5

Elmwood is a charter township of 4,892 people in Leelanau County, Michigan. The median home is worth $436,400, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for retirees than 98% of Michigan towns, more upscale than 92% of Michigan towns, better for families than 83% of Michigan towns.

Elmwood in our rankings:

How Elmwood 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 Elmwood is worth $436,400, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 4.6 times the median household income of $94,417, which is more affordable than 3% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,660 a month. 89.7% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Elmwood	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$436,400	$193,900
Median rent	$1,660	$955
Median household income	$94,417	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	4.6×	2.8×
Homeownership	89.7%	86.8%
Median year built	1989	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	9.7%	—

Who lives in Elmwood

People	Elmwood	Typical Michigan town
Median age	49.5	43.7
Age 65 and over	27.3%	20.7%
Under 18	18.5%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	53.7%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	6.3%	10.4%
Veterans	4.4%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.5%	—
Work from home	14.5%	9.1%
Average commute	20.6 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	91.3%	88.8%

Weather in Elmwood

July highs average 78.6°F and January lows 18.5°F. About 31.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 114.5 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 133 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 Nw Michigan Rsch Farm station (4.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Elmwood since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 3, 1956 about 0.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 22, 2025.

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 19 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 21, 2025.

Severe weather in Leelanau County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Leelanau County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

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

Declared	Incident	Declaration
March 27, 2020	Biological	DR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005	Hurricane	EM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
January 27, 1978	Snowstorm	EM-3057: Blizzards & Snowstorms
March 2, 1977	Drought	EM-3035: Drought

Jobs and pay in Leelanau County

Leelanau County had 6,662 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,322 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Elmwood itself the ACS puts it at 2.1%.

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 Elmwood

Traverse City, MI
5.7 mi · 15,678 people · home $415,400
Bingham, MI
6.1 mi · 2,577 people · home $373,200
Garfield, MI
7.1 mi · 19,499 people · home $316,200
Peninsula, MI
8.0 mi · 6,068 people · home $706,900
Long Lake, MI
8.9 mi · 9,956 people · home $410,600
Acme, MI
9.9 mi · 4,456 people · home $338,300
East Bay, MI
11.5 mi · 11,589 people · home $278,800
Suttons Bay, MI
11.7 mi · 2,883 people · home $440,500

Elmwood questions

Is Elmwood, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Elmwood scores better for retirees than 98% of Michigan towns and quieter than 71%. 27.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.5).

How much does a house cost in Elmwood?

The median owner-occupied home in Elmwood is valued at $436,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $94,417, so homes cost about 4.6 times income. Median rent is $1,660 a month.

What is the weather like in Elmwood?

July highs average 78.6°F and January lows 18.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 31.2 inches of precipitation a year and 114.5 inches of snow.

Does Elmwood get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Elmwood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 3, 1956. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Elmwood's Census boundary (GEOID 2608925700). 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.