East Bay, Michigan

Township in Grand Traverse County · population 11,589 (2020 Census)

Median home: $278,800
Household income: $85,291
Jan low / Jul high: 17° / 81°
Snow a year: 101 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 2
Median age: 50.3

East Bay is a township of 11,589 people in Grand Traverse County, Michigan. The median home is worth $278,800, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better transit than 88% of Michigan towns, more upscale than 87% of Michigan towns, better for cycling than 85% of Michigan towns.

How East Bay 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 East Bay is worth $278,800, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 3.3 times the median household income of $85,291, which is more affordable than 26% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,517 a month. 89.6% of households own their home.

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

Housing	East Bay	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$278,800	$193,900
Median rent	$1,517	$955
Median household income	$85,291	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	3.3×	2.8×
Homeownership	89.6%	86.8%
Median year built	1984	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	11.4%	—

Who lives in East Bay

People	East Bay	Typical Michigan town
Median age	50.3	43.7
Age 65 and over	24.8%	20.7%
Under 18	15.2%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	40.7%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	6.5%	10.4%
Veterans	6.1%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.5%	—
Work from home	15.5%	9.1%
Average commute	20.0 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	96.3%	88.8%

Weather in East Bay

July highs average 81.3°F and January lows 17.0°F. About 29.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 101.0 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 149 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 Traverse City Cherry Cptl Ap station (4.7 mi away); snow from Traverse City Munson (7.9 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of East Bay since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 26, 1969 about 8.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 26, 1969.

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 21 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on June 9, 2000.

Severe weather in Grand Traverse County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Grand Traverse County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Grand Traverse County has been included in 6 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
June 30, 2026	Flood	DR-4925: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, 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
January 27, 1978	Snowstorm	EM-3057: Blizzards & Snowstorms

Jobs and pay in Grand Traverse County

Grand Traverse County had 51,962 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $59,257 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in East Bay itself the ACS puts it at 4.4%.

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 East Bay

Traverse City, MI
6.0 mi · 15,678 people · home $415,400
Garfield, MI
6.3 mi · 19,499 people · home $316,200
Blair, MI
6.7 mi · 8,994 people · home $275,200
Acme, MI
7.1 mi · 4,456 people · home $338,300
Whitewater, MI
7.5 mi · 2,688 people · home $373,000
Paradise, MI
8.2 mi · 4,952 people · home $265,800
Elmwood, MI
11.5 mi · 4,892 people · home $436,400
Long Lake, MI
11.7 mi · 9,956 people · home $410,600

East Bay questions

Is East Bay, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, East Bay scores better for retirees than 81% of Michigan towns and quieter than 42%. 24.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.3).

How much does a house cost in East Bay?

The median owner-occupied home in East Bay is valued at $278,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $85,291, so homes cost about 3.3 times income. Median rent is $1,517 a month.

What is the weather like in East Bay?

July highs average 81.3°F and January lows 17.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 29.1 inches of precipitation a year and 101.0 inches of snow.

Does East Bay get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of East Bay since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 26, 1969. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to East Bay's Census boundary (GEOID 2605523800). 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.