The Town Files

Essexville, Michigan

City in Bay County · population 3,379 (2020 Census)

Map: where Essexville is in MichiganEssexville
Median home
$128,500
Household income
$75,341
Jan low / Jul high
16° / 82°
Snow a year
45 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
6
Median age
43.2

Essexville is a city of 3,379 people in Bay County, Michigan. The median home is worth $128,500, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks more walkable than 97% of Michigan towns, hipper than 95% of Michigan towns, more of a college town than 93% of Michigan towns.

Essexville in our rankings:

How Essexville 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.

Essexville lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement33rd pctFamilies78th pctQuiet17th pctWalkability97th pctFirst-time buyers76th pctYoung professionals38th pctVibrancy81st pctHip & trendy95th pctCollege town93rd pctUpscale60th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving30th 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 Essexville is worth $128,500, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 1.7 times the median household income of $75,341, which is more affordable than 98% of Michigan towns. 94.5% of households own their home.

Essexville vs Bay County vs typical Michigan townEssexvilleBay CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$128,500$152,200$193,900Household income$75,341$61,763$69,792
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingEssexvilleTypical Michigan town
Median home value$128,500$193,900
Median rent—$955
Median household income$75,341$69,792
Home value ÷ income1.7×2.8×
Homeownership94.5%86.8%
Median year built19521975
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Essexville

PeopleEssexvilleTypical Michigan town
Median age43.243.7
Age 65 and over20.9%20.7%
Under 1821.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher22.6%21.5%
Below the poverty line5.6%10.4%
Veterans11.8%—
Born outside the U.S.0.0%—
Work from home11.5%9.1%
Average commute18.9 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband94.4%88.8%

Weather in Essexville

July highs average 81.8°F and January lows 15.7°F. About 33.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 44.9 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 139 nights at or below freezing.

Essexville monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing30°16°Jan32°17°Feb42°24°Mar55°35°Apr68°48°May78°58°Jun82°62°Jul80°60°Aug74°52°Sep60°41°Oct47°31°Nov35°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.712.91.710.11.95.63.61.83.43.52.93.83.23.00.22.42.82.111.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Essexville station (0.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Essexville since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on June 12, 1984 about 1.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 4, 2003.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Essexville by decade11950s11960s11970s21980s01990s12000s02010s02020s
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 39 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on March 15, 2012.

Severe weather in Bay County since 1996

Storm events in Bay County since 1996 by typeHail95Heat11Flood8High Wind29Ice Storm9Heavy Snow31Flash Flood6Winter Storm19
NOAA Storm Events Database, Bay County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Bay County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
August 2, 2017Severe StormDR-4326: Severe Storms And Flooding
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
January 10, 2001SnowstormEM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Bay County

Bay County had 34,112 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,617 a year. Unemployment was 4.9% in 2023; in Essexville itself the ACS puts it at 3.2%.

Largest industries in Bay CountyHealth care & social assistan…6,019 jobs · $51,257Retail4,591 jobs · $36,695Manufacturing4,440 jobs · $83,178Hotels & restaurants3,975 jobs · $20,798Construction1,520 jobs · $65,198Professional & technical serv…1,411 jobs · $103,374
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Bay County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Bay 4.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Essexville

7 public schools with 1,750 students, about 14.3 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Garber High School9-1251112.5
Cramer Junior High School5-845616.3
Verellen Elementary School2-429319.5
WR Bush Elementary SchoolPK-124218.6
BayArenac Community High School (charter)9-1218817.1
LLCBay CampusPK-12503.6
Detention Center3-1210—

Towns near Essexville

Essexville questions

Is Essexville, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Essexville scores better for retirees than 33% of Michigan towns and quieter than 17%. 20.9% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.2).

How much does a house cost in Essexville?

The median owner-occupied home in Essexville is valued at $128,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $75,341, so homes cost about 1.7 times income. Median rent is — a month.

What is the weather like in Essexville?

July highs average 81.8°F and January lows 15.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.1 inches of precipitation a year and 44.9 inches of snow.

Does Essexville get tornadoes?

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Essexville since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on June 12, 1984. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Essexville's Census boundary (GEOID 2626420). 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.