The Town Files

Allen, Michigan

Township in Hillsdale County · population 1,602 (2020 Census)

Map: where Allen is in MichiganAllen
Median home
$174,400
Household income
$65,417
Jan low / Jul high
15° / 83°
Snow a year
44 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
14
Median age
46.2

Allen is a township of 1,602 people in Hillsdale County, Michigan. The median home is worth $174,400, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 79% of Michigan towns, better for retirees than 72% of Michigan towns, hipper than 71% of Michigan towns.

How Allen 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.

Allen lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement72nd pctFamilies50th pctQuiet56th pctWalkability54th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals30th pctVibrancy47th pctHip & trendy71st pctCollege town42nd pctUpscale34th pctVacation homes79th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit63rd pctDriving51st 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 Allen is worth $174,400, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.7 times the median household income of $65,417, which is more affordable than 61% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $690 a month. 84.5% of households own their home.

Allen vs Hillsdale County vs typical Michigan townAllenHillsdale CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$174,400$176,100$193,900Household income$65,417$64,242$69,792Monthly rent$690$832$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingAllenTypical Michigan town
Median home value$174,400$193,900
Median rent$690$955
Median household income$65,417$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.7×2.8×
Homeownership84.5%86.8%
Median year built19721975
Seasonal / vacation homes2.4%—

Who lives in Allen

PeopleAllenTypical Michigan town
Median age46.243.7
Age 65 and over22.4%20.7%
Under 1825.1%—
Bachelor's degree or higher17.5%21.5%
Below the poverty line22.2%10.4%
Veterans7.0%—
Born outside the U.S.1.2%—
Work from home9.9%9.1%
Average commute24.8 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband83.3%88.8%

Weather in Allen

July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 15.1°F. About 39.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 44.1 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 148 nights at or below freezing.

Allen monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing31°15°Jan34°16°Feb44°25°Mar58°35°Apr69°47°May79°57°Jun83°60°Jul80°58°Aug74°50°Sep61°40°Oct47°30°Nov36°22°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.813.32.311.52.45.23.71.54.63.93.63.93.63.40.13.03.42.49.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Hillsdale station (6.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Allen since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 11, 1965 about 5.8 miles from the town center and killed 9. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 26 deaths and 526 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on September 7, 2021.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Allen by decade01950s61960s51970s21980s01990s02000s02010s12020s
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 16 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 21, 2006.

Severe weather in Hillsdale County since 1996

Storm events in Hillsdale County since 1996 by typeHail43Tornado6Blizzard1High Wind12Ice Storm7Heavy Snow14Flash Flood6Winter Storm32
NOAA Storm Events Database, Hillsdale County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Hillsdale County has been included in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for other, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
September 23, 2003OtherEM-3189: Power Outage
January 10, 2001SnowstormEM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Hillsdale County

Hillsdale County had 12,854 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,536 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in Allen itself the ACS puts it at 8.5%.

Largest industries in Hillsdale CountyManufacturing3,601 jobs · $67,844Retail1,853 jobs · $36,679Hotels & restaurants816 jobs · $18,672Administrative & support445 jobs · $37,095Construction385 jobs · $49,332Other services323 jobs · $31,940
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Hillsdale County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Hillsdale 4.2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Allen

Allen questions

Is Allen, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Allen scores better for retirees than 72% of Michigan towns and quieter than 56%. 22.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.2).

How much does a house cost in Allen?

The median owner-occupied home in Allen is valued at $174,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $65,417, so homes cost about 2.7 times income. Median rent is $690 a month.

What is the weather like in Allen?

July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 15.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.5 inches of precipitation a year and 44.1 inches of snow.

Does Allen get tornadoes?

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Allen since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 11, 1965. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Allen's Census boundary (GEOID 2605901320). 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.