The Town Files

Williamstown, Michigan

Township in Ingham County · population 5,286 (2020 Census)

Map: where Williamstown is in MichiganWilliamstown
Median home
$358,700
Household income
$114,792
Jan low / Jul high
18° / 83°
Snow a year
46 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
22
Median age
52.3

Williamstown is a township of 5,286 people in Ingham County, Michigan. The median home is worth $358,700, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks more upscale than 96% of Michigan towns, better for retirees than 91% of Michigan towns, better for young professionals than 86% of Michigan towns.

How Williamstown 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.

Williamstown lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement91st pctFamilies83rd pctQuiet38th pctWalkability62nd pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals86th pctVibrancy72nd pctHip & trendy57th pctCollege town72nd pctUpscale96th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit83rd pctDriving63rd 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 Williamstown is worth $358,700, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $114,792, which is more affordable than 37% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,622 a month. 96.7% of households own their home.

Williamstown vs Ingham County vs typical Michigan townWilliamstownIngham CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$358,700$198,800$193,900Household income$114,792$65,526$69,792Monthly rent$1,622$1,084$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingWilliamstownTypical Michigan town
Median home value$358,700$193,900
Median rent$1,622$955
Median household income$114,792$69,792
Home value ÷ income3.1×2.8×
Homeownership96.7%86.8%
Median year built19811975
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Williamstown

PeopleWilliamstownTypical Michigan town
Median age52.343.7
Age 65 and over28.3%20.7%
Under 1820.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher54.7%21.5%
Below the poverty line1.5%10.4%
Veterans5.0%—
Born outside the U.S.1.0%—
Work from home19.1%9.1%
Average commute23.1 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband92.3%88.8%

Weather in Williamstown

July highs average 83.0°F and January lows 17.5°F. About 34.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 45.6 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 145 nights at or below freezing.

Williamstown monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing32°18°Jan34°19°Feb45°27°Mar58°37°Apr70°48°May79°58°Jun83°61°Jul81°60°Aug76°52°Sep62°42°Oct48°32°Nov37°24°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.114.41.69.31.75.83.51.04.43.83.43.53.23.10.32.52.41.612.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the East Lansing 4 S station (9.8 mi away); snow from Williamston 3Ne (3.7 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Williamstown since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 8 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on August 24, 2023 about 5.8 miles from the town center and killed 2. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 5 deaths and 16 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 30, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Williamstown by decade01950s01960s41970s31980s31990s32000s62010s32020s
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 17 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 8, 2009.

Severe weather in Ingham County since 1996

Storm events in Ingham County since 1996 by typeHail57Flood5Tornado10High Wind9Ice Storm5Heavy Snow13Flash Flood8Funnel Cloud3
NOAA Storm Events Database, Ingham County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 6 deaths recorded.

Ingham County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 8, 2024FloodDR-4757: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
July 14, 2008Severe StormDR-1777: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in Ingham County

Ingham County had 155,500 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $68,532 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Williamstown itself the ACS puts it at 3.9%.

Largest industries in Ingham CountyHealth care & social assistan…24,527 jobs · $64,361Retail12,012 jobs · $37,737Hotels & restaurants10,705 jobs · $23,284Manufacturing10,106 jobs · $81,443Professional & technical serv…7,664 jobs · $97,319Finance & insurance6,758 jobs · $91,243
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Ingham County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Ingham 3.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Williamstown

Williamstown questions

Is Williamstown, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Williamstown scores better for retirees than 91% of Michigan towns and quieter than 38%. 28.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 52.3).

How much does a house cost in Williamstown?

The median owner-occupied home in Williamstown is valued at $358,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $114,792, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $1,622 a month.

What is the weather like in Williamstown?

July highs average 83.0°F and January lows 17.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 34.3 inches of precipitation a year and 45.6 inches of snow.

Does Williamstown get tornadoes?

22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Williamstown since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on August 24, 2023. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Williamstown's Census boundary (GEOID 2606587440). 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.