The Town Files

Franklin, Michigan

Village in Oakland County · population 3,139 (2020 Census)

Map: where Franklin is in MichiganFranklin
Median home
$774,900
Household income
$194,079
Jan low / Jul high
16° / 83°
Snow a year
36 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
14
Median age
49.5

Franklin is a village of 3,139 people in Oakland County, Michigan. The median home is worth $774,900, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks more upscale than 99% of Michigan towns, better for retirees than 95% of Michigan towns, better for families than 93% of Michigan towns.

Franklin in our rankings:

How Franklin 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.

Franklin lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement95th pctFamilies93rd pctQuiet47th pctWalkability87th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals92nd pctVibrancy90th pctHip & trendy84th pctCollege town69th pctUpscale99th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling72nd pctTransitbottomDriving2nd 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 Franklin is worth $774,900, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $194,079, which is more affordable than 7% of Michigan towns. 98.2% of households own their home.

Franklin vs Oakland County vs typical Michigan townFranklinOakland CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$774,900$343,600$193,900Household income$194,079$97,760$69,792
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingFranklinTypical Michigan town
Median home value$774,900$193,900
Median rent—$955
Median household income$194,079$69,792
Home value ÷ income4.0×2.8×
Homeownership98.2%86.8%
Median year built19581975
Seasonal / vacation homes2.2%—

Who lives in Franklin

PeopleFranklinTypical Michigan town
Median age49.543.7
Age 65 and over25.6%20.7%
Under 1821.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher80.2%21.5%
Below the poverty line2.8%10.4%
Veterans1.8%—
Born outside the U.S.11.3%—
Work from home22.8%9.1%
Average commute25.5 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband98.9%88.8%

Weather in Franklin

July highs average 82.9°F and January lows 15.6°F. About 33.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 36.0 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 146 nights at or below freezing.

Franklin monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing30°16°Jan34°16°Feb44°24°Mar57°34°Apr69°46°May78°56°Jun83°60°Jul81°59°Aug74°51°Sep60°40°Oct47°30°Nov35°22°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.39.81.810.62.14.73.01.53.63.33.23.23.42.62.52.32.07.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Farmington station (4.7 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Franklin since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 8 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on March 20, 1976 about 2.6 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 3 deaths and 163 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 5, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Franklin by decade21950s01960s41970s41980s31990s02000s02010s12020s
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 45 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 4, 2012.

Severe weather in Oakland County since 1996

Storm events in Oakland County since 1996 by typeHail202Heat17Flood13Tornado11High Wind41Lightning40Heavy Snow36Flash Flood24
NOAA Storm Events Database, Oakland County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 18 deaths recorded.

Oakland County has been included in 15 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 8, 2024FloodDR-4757: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
July 15, 2021Severe StormDR-4607: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
September 25, 2014FloodDR-4195: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Oakland County

Oakland County had 723,862 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $77,917 a year. Unemployment was 2.9% in 2023; in Franklin itself the ACS puts it at 2%.

Largest industries in Oakland CountyHealth care & social assistan…110,614 jobs · $64,493Professional & technical serv…93,104 jobs · $117,655Retail71,533 jobs · $45,131Manufacturing68,661 jobs · $95,182Hotels & restaurants57,076 jobs · $27,609Administrative & support49,441 jobs · $59,506
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Oakland County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Oakland 2.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Franklin

Franklin questions

Is Franklin, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Franklin scores better for retirees than 95% of Michigan towns and quieter than 47%. 25.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.5).

How much does a house cost in Franklin?

The median owner-occupied home in Franklin is valued at $774,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $194,079, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is — a month.

What is the weather like in Franklin?

July highs average 82.9°F and January lows 15.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.0 inches of precipitation a year and 36.0 inches of snow.

Does Franklin get tornadoes?

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Franklin since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on March 20, 1976. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Franklin's Census boundary (GEOID 2630340). 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.