The Town Files

Grattan, Michigan

Township in Kent County · population 3,809 (2020 Census)

Map: where Grattan is in MichiganGrattan
Median home
$355,800
Household income
$111,354
Jan low / Jul high
13° / 84°
Snow a year
71 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
9
Median age
46.5

Grattan is a township of 3,809 people in Kent County, Michigan. The median home is worth $355,800, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 93% of Michigan towns, quieter than 90% of Michigan towns, easier by car than 89% of Michigan towns.

Grattan in our rankings:

How Grattan 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.

Grattan lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement73rd pctFamilies87th pctQuiet90th pctWalkability19th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals56th pctVibrancy30th pctHip & trendy4th pctCollege town17th pctUpscale83rd pctVacation homes93rd pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving89th 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 Grattan is worth $355,800, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 3.2 times the median household income of $111,354, which is more affordable than 31% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,138 a month. 87.2% of households own their home.

Grattan vs Kent County vs typical Michigan townGrattanKent CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$355,800$289,900$193,900Household income$111,354$82,631$69,792Monthly rent$1,138$1,243$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingGrattanTypical Michigan town
Median home value$355,800$193,900
Median rent$1,138$955
Median household income$111,354$69,792
Home value ÷ income3.2×2.8×
Homeownership87.2%86.8%
Median year built19911975
Seasonal / vacation homes12.3%—

Who lives in Grattan

PeopleGrattanTypical Michigan town
Median age46.543.7
Age 65 and over18.8%20.7%
Under 1816.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher28.8%21.5%
Below the poverty line1.9%10.4%
Veterans3.8%—
Born outside the U.S.0.9%—
Work from home9.4%9.1%
Average commute32.7 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband96.5%88.8%

Weather in Grattan

July highs average 84.3°F and January lows 12.9°F. About 36.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 71.4 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 14 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 162 nights at or below freezing.

Grattan monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing31°13°Jan34°13°Feb46°22°Mar59°32°Apr71°44°May80°53°Jun84°56°Jul82°55°Aug75°48°Sep62°37°Oct48°27°Nov36°19°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.221.21.917.32.47.73.92.04.03.63.03.53.03.50.33.05.12.417.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Greenville 2 Nne station (10.6 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Grattan since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F5, struck on April 3, 1956 about 9.0 miles from the town center and killed 4. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 4 deaths and 130 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 30, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Grattan by decade11950s11960s01970s01980s31990s02000s02010s42020s
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 15 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 24, 1998.

Severe weather in Kent County since 1996

Storm events in Kent County since 1996 by typeHail92Flood15Tornado22Blizzard6High Wind17Ice Storm5Heavy Snow27Flash Flood14
NOAA Storm Events Database, Kent County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 7 deaths recorded.

Kent County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 8, 2024FloodDR-4757: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
June 18, 2013FloodDR-4121: Flooding
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in Kent County

Kent County had 415,565 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,288 a year. Unemployment was 3.2% in 2023; in Grattan itself the ACS puts it at 6.3%.

Largest industries in Kent CountyHealth care & social assistan…67,987 jobs · $67,366Manufacturing62,796 jobs · $76,496Administrative & support48,794 jobs · $34,367Retail34,924 jobs · $41,636Hotels & restaurants31,658 jobs · $26,257Wholesale trade27,544 jobs · $82,540
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Kent County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Kent 3.2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Grattan

Grattan questions

Is Grattan, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Grattan scores better for retirees than 73% of Michigan towns and quieter than 90%. 18.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.5).

How much does a house cost in Grattan?

The median owner-occupied home in Grattan is valued at $355,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $111,354, so homes cost about 3.2 times income. Median rent is $1,138 a month.

What is the weather like in Grattan?

July highs average 84.3°F and January lows 12.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 36.6 inches of precipitation a year and 71.4 inches of snow.

Does Grattan get tornadoes?

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Grattan since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F5 on April 3, 1956. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Grattan's Census boundary (GEOID 2608134560). 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 2026-11-12.