The Town Files

Ferris, Michigan

Township in Montcalm County · population 1,331 (2020 Census)

Map: where Ferris is in MichiganFerris
Median home
$174,800
Household income
$58,929
Jan low / Jul high
15° / 82°
Snow a year
50 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
9
Median age
40.8

Ferris is a township of 1,331 people in Montcalm County, Michigan. The median home is worth $174,800, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 96% of Michigan towns, easier by car than 79% of Michigan towns, quieter than 74% of Michigan towns.

How Ferris 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.

Ferris lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement31st pctFamilies61st pctQuiet74th pctWalkability25th pctFirst-time buyers96th pctYoung professionals14th pctVibrancy38th pctHip & trendy18th pctCollege town23rd pctUpscale15th pctVacation homes73rd pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving79th 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 Ferris is worth $174,800, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $58,929, which is more affordable than 43% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $733 a month. 81.2% of households own their home.

Ferris vs Montcalm County vs typical Michigan townFerrisMontcalm CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$174,800$185,500$193,900Household income$58,929$67,344$69,792Monthly rent$733$869$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingFerrisTypical Michigan town
Median home value$174,800$193,900
Median rent$733$955
Median household income$58,929$69,792
Home value ÷ income3.0×2.8×
Homeownership81.2%86.8%
Median year built19891975
Seasonal / vacation homes7.7%—

Who lives in Ferris

PeopleFerrisTypical Michigan town
Median age40.843.7
Age 65 and over20.3%20.7%
Under 1823.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher13.4%21.5%
Below the poverty line13.2%10.4%
Veterans7.9%—
Born outside the U.S.3.2%—
Work from home4.4%9.1%
Average commute37.0 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband78.2%88.8%

Weather in Ferris

July highs average 82.2°F and January lows 15.0°F. About 34.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 49.5 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 156 nights at or below freezing.

Ferris monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing29°15°Jan32°15°Feb43°23°Mar56°35°Apr69°46°May78°56°Jun82°59°Jul80°58°Aug73°50°Sep60°39°Oct46°30°Nov35°22°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.213.61.811.92.16.63.52.23.73.63.33.72.73.20.32.73.42.011.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Alma station (13.0 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ferris since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on April 11, 1965 about 3.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 23, 2007.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Ferris by decade01950s31960s31970s01980s01990s32000s02010s02020s
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 9 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on September 2, 1984.

Severe weather in Montcalm County since 1996

Storm events in Montcalm County since 1996 by typeHail38Flood5Tornado2High Wind10Ice Storm4Heavy Snow20Flash Flood6Funnel Cloud2
NOAA Storm Events Database, Montcalm County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Montcalm County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 30, 2026FloodDR-4925: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
January 10, 2001SnowstormEM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Montcalm County

Montcalm County had 16,263 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,244 a year. Unemployment was 4.3% in 2023; in Ferris itself the ACS puts it at 5.2%.

Largest industries in Montcalm CountyManufacturing3,141 jobs · $60,158Retail2,399 jobs · $32,912Health care & social assistan…2,182 jobs · $46,758Hotels & restaurants1,744 jobs · $19,279Construction678 jobs · $60,835Administrative & support517 jobs · $35,315
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Montcalm County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Montcalm 4.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Ferris

Ferris questions

Is Ferris, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ferris scores better for retirees than 31% of Michigan towns and quieter than 74%. 20.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.8).

How much does a house cost in Ferris?

The median owner-occupied home in Ferris is valued at $174,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $58,929, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is $733 a month.

What is the weather like in Ferris?

July highs average 82.2°F and January lows 15.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 34.5 inches of precipitation a year and 49.5 inches of snow.

Does Ferris get tornadoes?

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ferris since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on April 11, 1965. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Ferris's Census boundary (GEOID 2611727900). 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.