The Town Files

Ida, Michigan

Township in Monroe County · population 4,783 (2020 Census)

Ida, Michigan
Photo: User:Notorious4life (public domain, Wikimedia Commons)
Median home
$317,100
Household income
$108,293
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 84°
Snow a year
39 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
15
Median age
39.5

Ida is a township of 4,783 people in Monroe County, Michigan. The median home is worth $317,100, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks easier by car than 99% of Michigan towns, better for families than 98% of Michigan towns, more of a college town than 98% of Michigan towns.

Map: where Ida is in MichiganIda
Ida in our rankings:

How Ida 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.

Ida lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement40th pctFamilies98th pctQuiet33rd pctWalkability54th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals41st pctVibrancy33rd pctHip & trendybottomCollege town98th pctUpscale71st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit53rd pctDriving99th 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 Ida is worth $317,100, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $108,293, which is more affordable than 48% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $982 a month. 94.3% of households own their home.

Ida vs Monroe County vs typical Michigan townIdaMonroe CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$317,100$228,900$193,900Household income$108,293$77,335$69,792Monthly rent$982$1,059$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingIdaTypical Michigan town
Median home value$317,100$193,900
Median rent$982$955
Median household income$108,293$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.9×2.8×
Homeownership94.3%86.8%
Median year built19751975
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Ida

PeopleIdaTypical Michigan town
Median age39.543.7
Age 65 and over17.5%20.7%
Under 1823.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher21.9%21.5%
Below the poverty line2.3%10.4%
Veterans5.3%—
Born outside the U.S.0.6%—
Work from home11.9%9.1%
Average commute32.0 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband88.7%88.8%

Weather in Ida

July highs average 84.0°F and January lows 17.3°F. About 34.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 39.1 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 15 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 131 nights at or below freezing.

Ida monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing32°17°Jan35°18°Feb45°26°Mar58°36°Apr70°48°May80°58°Jun84°62°Jul82°60°Aug75°53°Sep63°41°Oct49°32°Nov37°24°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.512.32.09.32.56.73.31.33.83.43.03.72.92.62.90.72.48.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Dundee station (6.6 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ida since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on June 8, 1953 about 6.2 miles from the town center and killed 4. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 4 deaths and 34 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 15, 2023.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Ida by decade11950s21960s31970s11980s31990s02000s32010s22020s
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 43 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on April 12, 1996.

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 Ida itself the ACS puts it at 5.1%.

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).

Public schools in Ida

3 public schools with 1,468 students, about 18.8 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Ida Elementary SchoolPK-454817.7
Ida Middle School5-847921.8
Ida High School9-1244117.6

Towns near Ida

Ida questions

Is Ida, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ida scores better for retirees than 40% of Michigan towns and quieter than 33%. 17.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.5).

How much does a house cost in Ida?

The median owner-occupied home in Ida is valued at $317,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $108,293, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $982 a month.

What is the weather like in Ida?

July highs average 84.0°F and January lows 17.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 34.8 inches of precipitation a year and 39.1 inches of snow.

Does Ida get tornadoes?

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ida since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on June 8, 1953. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Ida's Census boundary (GEOID 2611540260). 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.