Colon, Michigan

Township in St. Joseph County · population 3,325 (2020 Census)

Median home: $192,400
Household income: $65,602
Jan low / Jul high: 17° / 82°
Snow a year: 42 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 13
Median age: 42.7

Colon is a township of 3,325 people in St. Joseph County, Michigan. The median home is worth $192,400, close to the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for cycling than 100% of Michigan towns, better transit than 91% of Michigan towns, more walkable than 72% of Michigan towns.

How Colon 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 Colon is worth $192,400, close to the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $65,602, which is more affordable than 48% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $794 a month. 80.2% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Colon	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$192,400	$193,900
Median rent	$794	$955
Median household income	$65,602	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.9×	2.8×
Homeownership	80.2%	86.8%
Median year built	1963	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	22.4%	—

Who lives in Colon

People	Colon	Typical Michigan town
Median age	42.7	43.7
Age 65 and over	19.3%	20.7%
Under 18	21.7%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.6%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	9.2%	10.4%
Veterans	6.0%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.7%	—
Work from home	6.7%	9.1%
Average commute	22.1 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	82.1%	88.8%

Weather in Colon

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 16.7°F. About 39.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 41.8 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 13 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 Three Rivers station (14.8 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Colon since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on March 6, 2026 about 10.0 miles from the town center and killed 3. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 3 deaths and 23 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 6, 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 27 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on May 7, 2024.

Severe weather in St. Joseph County since 1996

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

St. Joseph County has been included in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, 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
June 30, 2004	Severe Storm	DR-1527: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
January 10, 2001	Snowstorm	EM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in St. Joseph County

St. Joseph County had 21,098 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,550 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Colon itself the ACS puts it at 3.5%.

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 Colon

Colon, MI
1.9 mi · 1,199 people · home $153,500
Leonidas, MI
5.6 mi · 1,161 people · home $209,000
Nottawa, MI
6.1 mi · 3,685 people · home $214,300
Matteson, MI
6.4 mi · 1,173 people · home $139,300
Mendon, MI
6.7 mi · 881 people · home $142,900
Burr Oak, MI
7.0 mi · 2,639 people · home $155,300
Burr Oak, MI
7.1 mi · 753 people · home $106,400
Mendon, MI
8.0 mi · 2,581 people · home $181,700

Colon questions

Is Colon, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Colon scores better for retirees than 23% of Michigan towns and quieter than 68%. 19.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.7).

How much does a house cost in Colon?

The median owner-occupied home in Colon is valued at $192,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $65,602, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $794 a month.

What is the weather like in Colon?

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 16.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.7 inches of precipitation a year and 41.8 inches of snow.

Does Colon get tornadoes?

13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Colon since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on March 6, 2026. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Colon's Census boundary (GEOID 2614917370). 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.