The Town Files

Frenchtown, Michigan

Township in Monroe County · population 21,609 (2020 Census)

Map: where Frenchtown is in MichiganFrenchtown
Median home
$208,000
Household income
$66,225
Jan low / Jul high
18° / 83°
Snow a year
41 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
25
Median age
42.9

Frenchtown is a township of 21,609 people in Monroe County, Michigan. The median home is worth $208,000, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks more vibrant than 86% of Michigan towns, more walkable than 85% of Michigan towns, better transit than 72% of Michigan towns.

How Frenchtown 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.

Frenchtown lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement17th pctFamilies19th pctQuiet18th pctWalkability85th pctFirst-time buyers61st pctYoung professionals62nd pctVibrancy86th pctHip & trendy60th pctCollege town68th pctUpscale44th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling64th pctTransit72nd pctDriving47th 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 Frenchtown is worth $208,000, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $66,225, which is more affordable than 37% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,059 a month. 74.1% of households own their home.

Frenchtown vs Monroe County vs typical Michigan townFrenchtownMonroe CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$208,000$228,900$193,900Household income$66,225$77,335$69,792Monthly rent$1,059$1,059$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingFrenchtownTypical Michigan town
Median home value$208,000$193,900
Median rent$1,059$955
Median household income$66,225$69,792
Home value ÷ income3.1×2.8×
Homeownership74.1%86.8%
Median year built19771975
Seasonal / vacation homes0.5%—

Who lives in Frenchtown

PeopleFrenchtownTypical Michigan town
Median age42.943.7
Age 65 and over19.1%20.7%
Under 1817.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher19.0%21.5%
Below the poverty line15.1%10.4%
Veterans6.5%—
Born outside the U.S.4.4%—
Work from home6.0%9.1%
Average commute24.8 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband87.4%88.8%

Weather in Frenchtown

July highs average 83.2°F and January lows 18.1°F. About 33.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 41.2 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 125 nights at or below freezing.

Frenchtown monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing32°18°Jan34°19°Feb43°27°Mar56°37°Apr68°48°May78°58°Jun83°62°Jul82°60°Aug75°54°Sep62°43°Oct48°33°Nov37°25°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.112.41.813.52.45.52.90.63.63.33.23.63.12.62.51.02.18.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Newport 4Sse station (4.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

25 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Frenchtown since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on July 4, 1969 about 10.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 24, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Frenchtown by decade01950s51960s61970s11980s21990s12000s62010s42020s
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 35 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on March 27, 1991.

Severe weather in Monroe County since 1996

Storm events in Monroe County since 1996 by typeHail95Heat15Flood15Tornado15High Wind33Ice Storm6Lightning11Heavy Snow29
NOAA Storm Events Database, Monroe County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Monroe County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, tornado.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 8, 2024FloodDR-4757: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
September 23, 2003OtherEM-3189: Power Outage

Jobs and pay in Monroe County

Monroe County had 41,159 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,516 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in Frenchtown itself the ACS puts it at 5.9%.

Largest industries in Monroe CountyManufacturing5,814 jobs · $80,172Retail5,380 jobs · $38,752Health care & social assistan…4,683 jobs · $52,879Hotels & restaurants4,278 jobs · $19,908Administrative & support2,310 jobs · $48,949Transportation & warehousing2,107 jobs · $57,891
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Monroe County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Monroe 4.2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Frenchtown

Frenchtown questions

Is Frenchtown, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Frenchtown scores better for retirees than 17% of Michigan towns and quieter than 18%. 19.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.9).

How much does a house cost in Frenchtown?

The median owner-occupied home in Frenchtown is valued at $208,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $66,225, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $1,059 a month.

What is the weather like in Frenchtown?

July highs average 83.2°F and January lows 18.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.3 inches of precipitation a year and 41.2 inches of snow.

Does Frenchtown get tornadoes?

25 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Frenchtown since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on July 4, 1969. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Frenchtown's Census boundary (GEOID 2611530820). 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.