The Town Files

Croton, Michigan

Township in Newaygo County · population 3,368 (2020 Census)

Map: where Croton is in MichiganCroton
Median home
$216,700
Household income
$76,765
Jan low / Jul high
14° / 83°
Snow a year
64 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
10
Median age
42.1

Croton is a township of 3,368 people in Newaygo County, Michigan. The median home is worth $216,700, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 70% of Michigan towns.

How Croton 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.

Croton lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement17th pctFamilies23rd pctQuiet63rd pctWalkability34th pctFirst-time buyers52nd pctYoung professionals22nd pctVibrancy61st pctHip & trendy9th pctCollege town25th pctUpscale14th pctVacation homes70th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit43rd pctDriving67th 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 Croton is worth $216,700, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $76,765, which is more affordable than 55% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,512 a month. 95.2% of households own their home.

Croton vs Newaygo County vs typical Michigan townCrotonNewaygo CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$216,700$186,700$193,900Household income$76,765$63,304$69,792Monthly rent$1,512$904$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingCrotonTypical Michigan town
Median home value$216,700$193,900
Median rent$1,512$955
Median household income$76,765$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.8×2.8×
Homeownership95.2%86.8%
Median year built19901975
Seasonal / vacation homes30.4%—

Who lives in Croton

PeopleCrotonTypical Michigan town
Median age42.143.7
Age 65 and over19.0%20.7%
Under 1821.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher19.5%21.5%
Below the poverty line12.7%10.4%
Veterans4.0%—
Born outside the U.S.1.6%—
Work from home8.5%9.1%
Average commute38.3 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband89.1%88.8%

Weather in Croton

July highs average 83.3°F and January lows 13.7°F. About 38.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 63.8 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 16 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 168 nights at or below freezing.

Croton monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing32°14°Jan35°14°Feb45°22°Mar58°32°Apr70°44°May79°53°Jun83°57°Jul81°56°Aug75°48°Sep62°38°Oct47°29°Nov36°21°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.617.61.812.72.66.93.82.84.23.83.23.33.14.10.63.56.42.516.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Kent City 2 Sw station (16.9 mi away); snow from White Cloud 9E (9.2 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Croton since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 17, 1975 about 6.9 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 0 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 30, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Croton by decade01950s11960s31970s01980s31990s12000s12010s12020s
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 1.75 inches on August 30, 1958.

Severe weather in Newaygo County since 1996

Storm events in Newaygo County since 1996 by typeHail42Flood7Tornado5Blizzard3High Wind9Ice Storm3Heavy Snow22Flash Flood7
NOAA Storm Events Database, Newaygo County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Newaygo County has been included in 13 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 30, 2026FloodDR-4925: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
June 18, 2013FloodDR-4121: Flooding
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in Newaygo County

Newaygo County had 11,901 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,371 a year. Unemployment was 4.3% in 2023; in Croton itself the ACS puts it at 2.1%.

Largest industries in Newaygo CountyManufacturing2,211 jobs · $63,636Retail1,775 jobs · $30,671Health care & social assistan…1,317 jobs · $39,983Hotels & restaurants753 jobs · $20,847Finance & insurance596 jobs · $75,068Other services558 jobs · $39,036
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Newaygo County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Newaygo 4.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Croton

Croton questions

Is Croton, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Croton scores better for retirees than 17% of Michigan towns and quieter than 63%. 19.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.1).

How much does a house cost in Croton?

The median owner-occupied home in Croton is valued at $216,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $76,765, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $1,512 a month.

What is the weather like in Croton?

July highs average 83.3°F and January lows 13.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.5 inches of precipitation a year and 63.8 inches of snow.

Does Croton get tornadoes?

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Croton since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 17, 1975. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Croton's Census boundary (GEOID 2612318980). 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.