Kalkaska, Michigan

Township in Kalkaska County · population 5,027 (2020 Census)

Median home: $173,900
Household income: $64,253
Jan low / Jul high: 11° / 79°
Snow a year: 132 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 5
Median age: 41.3

Kalkaska is a township of 5,027 people in Kalkaska County, Michigan. The median home is worth $173,900, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 87% of Michigan towns, better for cycling than 76% of Michigan towns.

Kalkaska in our rankings:

How Kalkaska 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 Kalkaska is worth $173,900, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.7 times the median household income of $64,253, which is more affordable than 61% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $641 a month. 78.8% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Kalkaska	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$173,900	$193,900
Median rent	$641	$955
Median household income	$64,253	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.7×	2.8×
Homeownership	78.8%	86.8%
Median year built	1977	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	11.8%	—

Who lives in Kalkaska

People	Kalkaska	Typical Michigan town
Median age	41.3	43.7
Age 65 and over	20.7%	20.7%
Under 18	22.6%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	15.2%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	13.6%	10.4%
Veterans	9.1%	—
Born outside the U.S.	2.1%	—
Work from home	1.9%	9.1%
Average commute	24.2 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	86.6%	88.8%

Weather in Kalkaska

July highs average 78.8°F and January lows 10.6°F. About 33.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 132.1 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 179 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 Kalkaska station (2.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kalkaska since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on October 18, 2007 about 1.3 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 1 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on October 18, 2007.

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 13 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 20, 2013.

Severe weather in Kalkaska County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Kalkaska County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Kalkaska County has been included in 7 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
June 30, 2026	Flood	DR-4925: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
July 22, 2025	Severe Ice Storm	DR-4880: Severe Winter Storm
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

Jobs and pay in Kalkaska County

Kalkaska County had 4,860 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,400 a year. Unemployment was 5.6% in 2023; in Kalkaska 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 Kalkaska

Whitewater, MI
8.9 mi · 2,688 people · home $373,000
Acme, MI
12.9 mi · 4,456 people · home $338,300
Elk Rapids, MI
14.5 mi · 2,521 people · home $401,100
East Bay, MI
14.8 mi · 11,589 people · home $278,800
Mancelona, MI
16.1 mi · 4,311 people · home $159,900
Paradise, MI
17.6 mi · 4,952 people · home $265,800
Peninsula, MI
18.7 mi · 6,068 people · home $706,900
Traverse City, MI
19.1 mi · 15,678 people · home $415,400

Kalkaska questions

Is Kalkaska, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Kalkaska scores better for retirees than 9% of Michigan towns and quieter than 28%. 20.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.3).

How much does a house cost in Kalkaska?

The median owner-occupied home in Kalkaska is valued at $173,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $64,253, so homes cost about 2.7 times income. Median rent is $641 a month.

What is the weather like in Kalkaska?

July highs average 78.8°F and January lows 10.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.7 inches of precipitation a year and 132.1 inches of snow.

Does Kalkaska get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kalkaska since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on October 18, 2007. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Kalkaska's Census boundary (GEOID 2607942280). 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.