The Town Files

Lowell, Michigan

Charter township in Kent County · population 6,276 (2020 Census)

Map: where Lowell is in MichiganLowell
Median home
$321,600
Household income
$104,794
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 83°
Snow a year
66 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
18
Median age
37.5

Lowell is a charter township of 6,276 people in Kent County, Michigan. The median home is worth $321,600, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for families than 97% of Michigan towns, more upscale than 94% of Michigan towns, better for young professionals than 89% of Michigan towns.

Lowell in our rankings:

How Lowell 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.

Lowell lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement37th pctFamilies97th pctQuiet32nd pctWalkability34th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals89th pctVibrancy71st pctHip & trendy7th pctCollege town70th pctUpscale94th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling58th pctTransitbottomDriving54th 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 Lowell is worth $321,600, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $104,794, which is more affordable than 37% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,688 a month. 92.5% of households own their home.

Lowell vs Kent County vs typical Michigan townLowellKent CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$321,600$289,900$193,900Household income$104,794$82,631$69,792Monthly rent$1,688$1,243$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingLowellTypical Michigan town
Median home value$321,600$193,900
Median rent$1,688$955
Median household income$104,794$69,792
Home value ÷ income3.1×2.8×
Homeownership92.5%86.8%
Median year built19831975
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Lowell

PeopleLowellTypical Michigan town
Median age37.543.7
Age 65 and over16.0%20.7%
Under 1826.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher36.0%21.5%
Below the poverty line3.3%10.4%
Veterans6.6%—
Born outside the U.S.0.6%—
Work from home25.5%9.1%
Average commute23.4 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband94.0%88.8%

Weather in Lowell

July highs average 83.1°F and January lows 18.6°F. About 39.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 65.9 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 133 nights at or below freezing.

Lowell monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing31°19°Jan34°20°Feb45°27°Mar58°37°Apr70°49°May79°58°Jun83°63°Jul81°61°Aug74°53°Sep61°42°Oct47°33°Nov36°25°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.521.32.116.12.47.24.01.34.03.93.93.53.44.00.23.14.02.515.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Grand Rapids station (8.7 mi away); snow from Lowell (2.9 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lowell since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on April 21, 1967 about 7.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 11, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Lowell by decade11950s41960s11970s21980s11990s12000s32010s52020s
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 20 times; the largest was 2.25 inches on April 4, 2023.

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 Lowell itself the ACS puts it at 0.9%.

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 Lowell

Lowell questions

Is Lowell, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lowell scores better for retirees than 37% of Michigan towns and quieter than 32%. 16.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.5).

How much does a house cost in Lowell?

The median owner-occupied home in Lowell is valued at $321,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $104,794, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $1,688 a month.

What is the weather like in Lowell?

July highs average 83.1°F and January lows 18.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.4 inches of precipitation a year and 65.9 inches of snow.

Does Lowell get tornadoes?

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lowell since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on April 21, 1967. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Lowell's Census boundary (GEOID 2608149560). 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.