The Town Files

Caldwell, Michigan

Township in Missaukee County · population 1,394 (2020 Census)

Map: where Caldwell is in MichiganCaldwell
Median home
$154,800
Household income
$54,250
Jan low / Jul high
10° / 80°
Snow a year
74 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
36.1

Caldwell is a township of 1,394 people in Missaukee County, Michigan. The median home is worth $154,800, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 79% of Michigan towns.

How Caldwell 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.

Caldwell lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement44th pctFamilies29th pctQuiet64th pctWalkability24th pctFirst-time buyers51st pctYoung professionals18th pctVibrancy54th pctHip & trendy50th pctCollege town12th pctUpscale22nd pctVacation homes79th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit42nd pctDriving50th 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 Caldwell is worth $154,800, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $54,250, which is more affordable than 48% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,183 a month. 84.5% of households own their home.

Caldwell vs Missaukee County vs typical Michigan townCaldwellMissaukee CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$154,800$170,400$193,900Household income$54,250$66,194$69,792Monthly rent$1,183$891$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingCaldwellTypical Michigan town
Median home value$154,800$193,900
Median rent$1,183$955
Median household income$54,250$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.9×2.8×
Homeownership84.5%86.8%
Median year built19751975
Seasonal / vacation homes32.7%—

Who lives in Caldwell

PeopleCaldwellTypical Michigan town
Median age36.143.7
Age 65 and over18.2%20.7%
Under 1827.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher18.8%21.5%
Below the poverty line9.0%10.4%
Veterans6.6%—
Born outside the U.S.2.0%—
Work from home4.6%9.1%
Average commute27.9 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband89.3%88.8%

Weather in Caldwell

July highs average 80.4°F and January lows 9.9°F. About 33.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 74.0 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 177 nights at or below freezing.

Caldwell monthly temperatures and precipitation0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing27°10°Jan30°10°Feb41°17°Mar53°29°Apr66°41°May76°51°Jun80°55°Jul79°53°Aug71°45°Sep57°35°Oct43°26°Nov33°18°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.918.71.413.91.99.43.55.23.50.33.53.13.43.03.71.42.59.01.916.1
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Lake City Exp Farm station (5.7 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Caldwell since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on September 3, 1964 about 5.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 31, 1998.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Caldwell by decade01950s21960s11970s21980s21990s02000s02010s02020s
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 10 times; the largest was 2.50 inches on July 17, 2006.

Severe weather in Missaukee County since 1996

Storm events in Missaukee County since 1996 by typeHail31Blizzard4High Wind4Ice Storm2Lightning3Heavy Snow27Flash Flood3Winter Storm47
NOAA Storm Events Database, Missaukee County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Missaukee 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
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 Missaukee County

Missaukee County had 4,213 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $46,075 a year. Unemployment was 4.8% in 2023; in Caldwell itself the ACS puts it at 5.8%.

Largest industries in Missaukee CountyAgriculture, forestry & fishi…961 jobs · $43,093Manufacturing680 jobs · $60,451Retail610 jobs · $34,986Construction198 jobs · $53,837Transportation & warehousing196 jobs · $54,238Other services112 jobs · $40,664
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Missaukee County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Missaukee 4.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Caldwell

Caldwell questions

Is Caldwell, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Caldwell scores better for retirees than 44% of Michigan towns and quieter than 64%. 18.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.1).

How much does a house cost in Caldwell?

The median owner-occupied home in Caldwell is valued at $154,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $54,250, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $1,183 a month.

What is the weather like in Caldwell?

July highs average 80.4°F and January lows 9.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.4 inches of precipitation a year and 74.0 inches of snow.

Does Caldwell get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Caldwell since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on September 3, 1964. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Caldwell's Census boundary (GEOID 2611312440). 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.