Branch, Michigan

Township in Mason County · population 1,405 (2020 Census)

Median home: $159,500
Household income: $61,886
Jan low / Jul high: 19° / 80°
Snow a year: 94 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 1
Median age: 51.6

Branch is a township of 1,405 people in Mason County, Michigan. The median home is worth $159,500, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 96% of Michigan towns, better for a vacation home than 88% of Michigan towns, quieter than 84% of Michigan towns.

How Branch 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 Branch is worth $159,500, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.6 times the median household income of $61,886, which is more affordable than 68% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $963 a month. 90.5% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Branch	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$159,500	$193,900
Median rent	$963	$955
Median household income	$61,886	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.6×	2.8×
Homeownership	90.5%	86.8%
Median year built	1979	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	36.9%	—

Who lives in Branch

People	Branch	Typical Michigan town
Median age	51.6	43.7
Age 65 and over	22.9%	20.7%
Under 18	20.3%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.1%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	14.4%	10.4%
Veterans	12.0%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.5%	—
Work from home	6.9%	9.1%
Average commute	29.9 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	86.8%	88.8%

Weather in Branch

July highs average 79.7°F and January lows 18.6°F. About 36.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 93.9 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 140 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 Manistee 3Se station (20.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Branch since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. The strongest, an F0, struck on August 15, 1966 about 9.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 15, 1966.

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 6 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on September 7, 2021.

Severe weather in Mason County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Mason County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Mason County has been included in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
March 27, 2020	Biological	DR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3455: Covid-19
July 14, 2008	Severe Storm	DR-1777: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
September 7, 2005	Hurricane	EM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
June 24, 1998	Severe Storm	DR-1226: Severe Storms

Jobs and pay in Mason County

Mason County had 10,186 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,523 a year. Unemployment was 4.9% in 2023; in Branch itself the ACS puts it at 7.1%.

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 Branch

Custer, MI
5.9 mi · 1,321 people · home $184,000
Sheridan, MI
7.5 mi · 1,044 people · home $172,600
Lake, MI
8.4 mi · 810 people · home $169,800
Sherman, MI
8.7 mi · 1,127 people · home $177,100
Eden, MI
8.8 mi · 580 people · home $184,600
Scottville, MI
9.0 mi · 1,356 people · home $134,300
Webber, MI
12.0 mi · 2,384 people · home $108,500
Amber, MI
12.3 mi · 2,529 people · home $228,700

Branch questions

Is Branch, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Branch scores better for retirees than 41% of Michigan towns and quieter than 84%. 22.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 51.6).

How much does a house cost in Branch?

The median owner-occupied home in Branch is valued at $159,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $61,886, so homes cost about 2.6 times income. Median rent is $963 a month.

What is the weather like in Branch?

July highs average 79.7°F and January lows 18.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 36.3 inches of precipitation a year and 93.9 inches of snow.

Does Branch get tornadoes?

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Branch since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F0 on August 15, 1966. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Branch's Census boundary (GEOID 2610510020). 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.