California, Michigan

Township in Branch County · population 1,181 (2020 Census)

Median home: $119,400
Household income: $47,206
Jan low / Jul high: 16° / 82°
Snow a year: 40 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 18
Median age: 22.9

California is a township of 1,181 people in Branch County, Michigan. The median home is worth $119,400, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900).

How California 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 California is worth $119,400, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $47,206, which is more affordable than 74% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,100 a month. 90.7% of households own their home.

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

Housing	California	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$119,400	$193,900
Median rent	$1,100	$955
Median household income	$47,206	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.5×	2.8×
Homeownership	90.7%	86.8%
Median year built	1982	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	1.2%	—

Who lives in California

People	California	Typical Michigan town
Median age	22.9	43.7
Age 65 and over	8.5%	20.7%
Under 18	40.9%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	6.7%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	40.7%	10.4%
Veterans	2.2%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.2%	—
Work from home	8.7%	9.1%
Average commute	19.7 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	42.1%	88.8%

Weather in California

July highs average 81.8°F and January lows 16.0°F. About 38.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 40.2 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 145 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 Angola station (11.1 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of California 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 3.3 miles from the town center and killed 9. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 26 deaths and 528 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 15, 2026.

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 22 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 12, 1996.

Severe weather in Branch County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Branch County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

Branch County has been included in 6 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for tornado, hurricane, snowstorm.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
March 27, 2020	Biological	DR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005	Hurricane	EM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
January 10, 2001	Snowstorm	EM-3160: Snow
January 27, 1978	Snowstorm	EM-3057: Blizzards & Snowstorms

Jobs and pay in Branch County

Branch County had 15,240 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,639 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in California itself the ACS puts it at 3.2%.

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 California

Algansee, MI
4.0 mi · 2,033 people · home $232,400
Fremont, IN
5.1 mi · 2,034 people · home $151,500
Kinderhook, MI
5.7 mi · 1,427 people · home $231,000
Camden, MI
6.2 mi · 2,070 people · home $161,600
Ovid, MI
7.2 mi · 2,161 people · home $249,400
Reading, MI
7.5 mi · 1,732 people · home $187,500
Reading, MI
7.9 mi · 1,094 people · home $107,800
Coldwater, MI
9.7 mi · 3,406 people · home $169,300

California questions

Is California, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, California scores better for retirees than 10% of Michigan towns and quieter than 51%. 8.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 22.9).

How much does a house cost in California?

The median owner-occupied home in California is valued at $119,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $47,206, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $1,100 a month.

What is the weather like in California?

July highs average 81.8°F and January lows 16.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.8 inches of precipitation a year and 40.2 inches of snow.

Does California get tornadoes?

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of California 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 California's Census boundary (GEOID 2602312560). 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.