Sandstone, Michigan

Township in Jackson County · population 3,927 (2020 Census)

Median home: $230,600
Household income: $97,708
Jan low / Jul high: 18° / 83°
Snow a year: 41 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 6
Median age: 41.9

Sandstone is a township of 3,927 people in Jackson County, Michigan. The median home is worth $230,600, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks easier by car than 93% of Michigan towns.

How Sandstone 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 Sandstone is worth $230,600, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $97,708, which is more affordable than 80% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $867 a month. 92.0% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Sandstone	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$230,600	$193,900
Median rent	$867	$955
Median household income	$97,708	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.4×	2.8×
Homeownership	92.0%	86.8%
Median year built	1975	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.2%	—

Who lives in Sandstone

People	Sandstone	Typical Michigan town
Median age	41.9	43.7
Age 65 and over	20.2%	20.7%
Under 18	25.8%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	22.9%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	4.9%	10.4%
Veterans	6.5%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.6%	—
Work from home	8.3%	9.1%
Average commute	25.8 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	91.1%	88.8%

Weather in Sandstone

July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 17.5°F. About 32.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 40.6 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 8 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 137 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 Jackson Reynolds Fld station (4.3 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sandstone since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 15, 1982 about 10.0 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 September 1, 2018.

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 25 times; the largest was 4.25 inches on June 9, 2004.

Severe weather in Jackson County since 1996

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

Jackson County has been included in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
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
June 30, 2004	Severe Storm	DR-1527: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
January 10, 2001	Snowstorm	EM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Jackson County

Jackson County had 55,945 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,139 a year. Unemployment was 4% in 2023; in Sandstone itself the ACS puts it at 2.3%.

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 Sandstone

Spring Arbor, MI
5.6 mi · 2,916 people · home $225,000
Spring Arbor, MI
5.7 mi · 8,530 people · home $217,700
Parma, MI
6.0 mi · 2,668 people · home $195,000
Blackman, MI
6.2 mi · 25,642 people · home $169,000
Tompkins, MI
6.2 mi · 2,618 people · home $206,800
Concord, MI
7.6 mi · 2,755 people · home $188,200
Jackson, MI
7.8 mi · 31,309 people · home $103,200
Summit, MI
8.5 mi · 22,920 people · home $197,400

Sandstone questions

Is Sandstone, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sandstone scores better for retirees than 18% of Michigan towns and quieter than 29%. 20.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.9).

How much does a house cost in Sandstone?

The median owner-occupied home in Sandstone is valued at $230,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $97,708, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $867 a month.

What is the weather like in Sandstone?

July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 17.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 32.2 inches of precipitation a year and 40.6 inches of snow.

Does Sandstone get tornadoes?

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sandstone since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 15, 1982. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Sandstone's Census boundary (GEOID 2607571500). 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.