The Town Files

Boardman, Michigan

Township in Kalkaska County · population 1,479 (2020 Census)

Map: where Boardman is in MichiganBoardman
Median home
$177,800
Household income
$83,510
Jan low / Jul high
10° / 79°
Snow a year
132 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
36.0

Boardman is a township of 1,479 people in Kalkaska County, Michigan. The median home is worth $177,800, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 93% of Michigan towns, better for a vacation home than 72% of Michigan towns.

How Boardman 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.

Boardman lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement13th pctFamilies28th pctQuiet66th pctWalkability17th pctFirst-time buyers93rd pctYoung professionals24th pctVibrancy29th pctHip & trendy21st pctCollege town4th pctUpscale23rd pctVacation homes72nd pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving16th 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 Boardman is worth $177,800, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.1 times the median household income of $83,510, which is more affordable than 92% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $956 a month. 93.8% of households own their home.

Boardman vs Kalkaska County vs typical Michigan townBoardmanKalkaska CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$177,800$188,900$193,900Household income$83,510$68,578$69,792Monthly rent$956$853$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingBoardmanTypical Michigan town
Median home value$177,800$193,900
Median rent$956$955
Median household income$83,510$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.1×2.8×
Homeownership93.8%86.8%
Median year built19871975
Seasonal / vacation homes16.7%—

Who lives in Boardman

PeopleBoardmanTypical Michigan town
Median age36.043.7
Age 65 and over12.4%20.7%
Under 1827.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher23.8%21.5%
Below the poverty line10.7%10.4%
Veterans5.9%—
Born outside the U.S.0.4%—
Work from home12.4%9.1%
Average commute30.1 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband92.1%88.8%

Weather in Boardman

July highs average 79.0°F and January lows 10.0°F. About 35.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 132.1 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 184 nights at or below freezing.

Boardman monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing25°10°Jan28°11°Feb38°16°Mar51°29°Apr65°40°May75°51°Jun79°55°Jul77°53°Aug71°47°Sep56°36°Oct42°27°Nov31°18°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.338.31.624.81.913.73.36.83.40.73.23.53.53.33.91.03.017.12.329.7
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Fife Lake 2Wnw station (6.6 mi away); snow from Kalkaska (7.2 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Boardman since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on October 18, 2007 about 2.2 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 6 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on October 18, 2007.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Boardman by decade01950s11960s31970s01980s21990s12000s02010s02020s
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 14 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 7, 1980.

Severe weather in Kalkaska County since 1996

Storm events in Kalkaska County since 1996 by typeHail17Tornado4Blizzard6High Wind4Ice Storm4Lightning2Heavy Snow55Flash Flood2
NOAA Storm Events Database, Kalkaska County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Kalkaska County has been included in 7 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 30, 2026FloodDR-4925: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
July 22, 2025Severe Ice StormDR-4880: Severe Winter Storm
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in Kalkaska County

Kalkaska County had 4,860 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,400 a year. Unemployment was 5.6% in 2023; in Boardman itself the ACS puts it at 4.7%.

Largest industries in Kalkaska CountyConstruction559 jobs · $91,110Retail472 jobs · $42,574Mining, oil & gas332 jobs · $86,903Manufacturing287 jobs · $55,790Wholesale trade219 jobs · $77,924Agriculture, forestry & fishi…150 jobs · $48,565
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Kalkaska County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Kalkaska 5.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Boardman

Boardman questions

Is Boardman, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Boardman scores better for retirees than 13% of Michigan towns and quieter than 66%. 12.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.0).

How much does a house cost in Boardman?

The median owner-occupied home in Boardman is valued at $177,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $83,510, so homes cost about 2.1 times income. Median rent is $956 a month.

What is the weather like in Boardman?

July highs average 79.0°F and January lows 10.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 35.3 inches of precipitation a year and 132.1 inches of snow.

Does Boardman get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Boardman since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on October 18, 2007. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Boardman's Census boundary (GEOID 2607909440). 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.