The Town Files

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Charter township in Washtenaw County · population 55,670 (2020 Census)

Map: where Ypsilanti is in MichiganYpsilanti
Median home
$233,900
Household income
$69,716
Jan low / Jul high
20° / 86°
Snow a year
59 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
17
Median age
35.2

Ypsilanti is a charter township of 55,670 people in Washtenaw County, Michigan. The median home is worth $233,900, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better transit than 96% of Michigan towns, better for young professionals than 95% of Michigan towns, more walkable than 90% of Michigan towns.

How Ypsilanti 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.

Ypsilanti lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement4th pctFamilies7th pctQuiet2nd pctWalkability90th pctFirst-time buyers75th pctYoung professionals95th pctVibrancy89th pctHip & trendy84th pctCollege town85th pctUpscale71st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling89th pctTransit96th pctDriving8th 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 Ypsilanti is worth $233,900, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 3.4 times the median household income of $69,716, which is more affordable than 22% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,260 a month. 58.1% of households own their home.

Ypsilanti vs Washtenaw County vs typical Michigan townYpsilantiWashtenaw CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$233,900$374,100$193,900Household income$69,716$89,180$69,792Monthly rent$1,260$1,463$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingYpsilantiTypical Michigan town
Median home value$233,900$193,900
Median rent$1,260$955
Median household income$69,716$69,792
Home value ÷ income3.4×2.8×
Homeownership58.1%86.8%
Median year built19761975
Seasonal / vacation homes0.2%—

Who lives in Ypsilanti

PeopleYpsilantiTypical Michigan town
Median age35.243.7
Age 65 and over13.6%20.7%
Under 1822.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher38.3%21.5%
Below the poverty line14.8%10.4%
Veterans4.0%—
Born outside the U.S.9.3%—
Work from home13.9%9.1%
Average commute24.9 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband94.5%88.8%

Weather in Ypsilanti

July highs average 86.2°F and January lows 19.6°F. About 30.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 59.3 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 21 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 130 nights at or below freezing.

Ypsilanti monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing34°20°Jan37°21°Feb48°29°Mar61°39°Apr73°50°May82°60°Jun86°63°Jul84°62°Aug77°54°Sep64°43°Oct50°34°Nov39°26°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.716.61.417.12.17.33.12.43.33.03.03.13.02.50.12.23.91.711.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Detroit Willow Run Ap station (3.7 mi away); snow from Ann Arbor Se (5.2 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ypsilanti since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on July 4, 1969 about 6.5 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 60 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 15, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Ypsilanti by decade21950s51960s11970s21980s01990s12000s22010s42020s
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 80 times; the largest was 3.50 inches on April 9, 2001.

Severe weather in Washtenaw County since 1996

Storm events in Washtenaw County since 1996 by typeHail224Heat14Flood21Tornado7High Wind39Lightning21Heavy Snow35Flash Flood17
NOAA Storm Events Database, Washtenaw County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 6 deaths recorded.

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

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 30, 2026FloodDR-4925: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
July 15, 2021Severe StormDR-4607: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in Washtenaw County

Washtenaw County had 217,948 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $74,298 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Ypsilanti itself the ACS puts it at 6.5%.

Largest industries in Washtenaw CountyHealth care & social assistan…28,273 jobs · $68,948Professional & technical serv…17,908 jobs · $117,607Retail15,024 jobs · $40,670Hotels & restaurants13,791 jobs · $27,829Manufacturing11,602 jobs · $83,431Administrative & support7,195 jobs · $50,748
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Washtenaw County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Washtenaw 3.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Ypsilanti

15 public schools with 5,633 students, about 16.0 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Lincoln Senior High School9-1288819.3
South Arbor Charter Academy (charter)K-880220.6
Lincoln Middle School6-868716.0
Childs Elementary SchoolK-550414.8
Brick Elementary SchoolK-548214.2
Bishop Elementary SchoolK-547914.5
East Arbor Charter Academy (charter)K-847322.5
Rawsonville Elementary SchoolK-531914.5
Arbor Preparatory High School (charter)9-1228913.1
Erickson Elementary1-625610.2
ACCE6-1215715.7
LCS Virtual AcademyK-1212821.3

Towns near Ypsilanti

Ypsilanti questions

Is Ypsilanti, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ypsilanti scores better for retirees than 4% of Michigan towns and quieter than 2%. 13.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.2).

How much does a house cost in Ypsilanti?

The median owner-occupied home in Ypsilanti is valued at $233,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $69,716, so homes cost about 3.4 times income. Median rent is $1,260 a month.

What is the weather like in Ypsilanti?

July highs average 86.2°F and January lows 19.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 30.2 inches of precipitation a year and 59.3 inches of snow.

Does Ypsilanti get tornadoes?

17 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ypsilanti since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on July 4, 1969. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Ypsilanti's Census boundary (GEOID 2616189160). 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.