Clayton, Michigan

Township in Arenac County · population 1,001 (2020 Census)

Median home: $113,100
Household income: $50,795
Jan low / Jul high: 14° / 80°
Snow a year: 53 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 7
Median age: 48.3

Clayton is a township of 1,001 people in Arenac County, Michigan. The median home is worth $113,100, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks quieter than 90% of Michigan towns, better for first-time buyers than 89% of Michigan towns.

How Clayton 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 Clayton is worth $113,100, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $50,795, which is more affordable than 89% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $868 a month. 84.8% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Clayton	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$113,100	$193,900
Median rent	$868	$955
Median household income	$50,795	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.2×	2.8×
Homeownership	84.8%	86.8%
Median year built	1982	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	21.2%	—

Who lives in Clayton

People	Clayton	Typical Michigan town
Median age	48.3	43.7
Age 65 and over	21.9%	20.7%
Under 18	15.7%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	8.5%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	12.7%	10.4%
Veterans	5.8%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.3%	—
Work from home	8.8%	9.1%
Average commute	27.2 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	72.4%	88.8%

Weather in Clayton

July highs average 80.1°F and January lows 14.0°F. About 30.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 53.0 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 164 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 Standish 4Ne station (8.9 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 1 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Clayton since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on April 24, 1993 about 4.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 28, 2018.

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 20 times; the largest was 3.50 inches on September 26, 1998.

Severe weather in Arenac County since 1996

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

Arenac County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
July 9, 2020	Dam/Levee Break	DR-4547: Severe Storms And Flooding
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
June 30, 2004	Severe Storm	DR-1527: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Arenac County

Arenac County had 4,077 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $46,876 a year. Unemployment was 6.9% in 2023; in Clayton itself the ACS puts it at 3.6%.

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 Clayton

Moffatt, MI
5.6 mi · 1,166 people · home $172,300
Deep River, MI
5.8 mi · 2,050 people · home $137,700
Skidway Lake, MI
6.1 mi · 3,082 people · home $59,100
Mills, MI
6.5 mi · 3,973 people · home $81,800
Mason, MI
6.6 mi · 750 people · home $109,100
Richland, MI
6.9 mi · 827 people · home $106,500
Adams, MI
7.7 mi · 554 people · home $128,800
Arenac, MI
8.8 mi · 871 people · home $142,000

Clayton questions

Is Clayton, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Clayton scores better for retirees than 63% of Michigan towns and quieter than 90%. 21.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 48.3).

How much does a house cost in Clayton?

The median owner-occupied home in Clayton is valued at $113,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $50,795, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $868 a month.

What is the weather like in Clayton?

July highs average 80.1°F and January lows 14.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 30.7 inches of precipitation a year and 53.0 inches of snow.

Does Clayton get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Clayton since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on April 24, 1993. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Clayton's Census boundary (GEOID 2601116240). 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.