Freedom, Michigan

Township in Washtenaw County · population 1,332 (2020 Census)

Median home: $400,600
Household income: $112,969
Jan low / Jul high: 15° / 83°
Snow a year: 33 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 11
Median age: 53.2

Freedom is a township of 1,332 people in Washtenaw County, Michigan. The median home is worth $400,600, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for retirees than 96% of Michigan towns, better for families than 94% of Michigan towns, more upscale than 93% of Michigan towns.

How Freedom 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 Freedom is worth $400,600, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $112,969, which is more affordable than 19% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,750 a month. 91.3% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Freedom	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$400,600	$193,900
Median rent	$1,750	$955
Median household income	$112,969	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	3.5×	2.8×
Homeownership	91.3%	86.8%
Median year built	1963	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	11.4%	—

Who lives in Freedom

People	Freedom	Typical Michigan town
Median age	53.2	43.7
Age 65 and over	27.0%	20.7%
Under 18	15.3%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	43.7%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	6.7%	10.4%
Veterans	3.3%	—
Born outside the U.S.	4.1%	—
Work from home	18.7%	9.1%
Average commute	28.1 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	84.7%	88.8%

Weather in Freedom

July highs average 83.0°F and January lows 15.3°F. About 33.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 32.9 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 12 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 148 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 Manchester station (5.3 mi away); snow from Chelsea (8.3 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Freedom since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on March 15, 2012 about 9.2 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 5 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 23, 2015.

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 40 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on March 15, 2012.

Severe weather in Washtenaw County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Washtenaw County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 6 deaths recorded.

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

Declared	Incident	Declaration
June 30, 2026	Flood	DR-4925: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
July 15, 2021	Severe Storm	DR-4607: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes
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

Jobs and pay in Washtenaw County

Washtenaw County had 217,948 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $74,298 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Freedom itself the ACS puts it at 2.5%.

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 Freedom

Lima, MI
5.6 mi · 4,024 people · home $404,700
Manchester, MI
5.7 mi · 2,037 people · home $232,000
Lodi, MI
5.8 mi · 6,417 people · home $470,700
Sharon, MI
6.1 mi · 1,817 people · home $371,300
Bridgewater, MI
6.5 mi · 1,615 people · home $331,300
Chelsea, MI
7.4 mi · 5,467 people · home $312,700
Sylvan, MI
8.2 mi · 3,311 people · home $396,200
Manchester, MI
8.3 mi · 4,626 people · home $273,600

Freedom questions

Is Freedom, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Freedom scores better for retirees than 96% of Michigan towns and quieter than 75%. 27.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 53.2).

How much does a house cost in Freedom?

The median owner-occupied home in Freedom is valued at $400,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $112,969, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $1,750 a month.

What is the weather like in Freedom?

July highs average 83.0°F and January lows 15.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.6 inches of precipitation a year and 32.9 inches of snow.

Does Freedom get tornadoes?

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Freedom since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on March 15, 2012. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Freedom's Census boundary (GEOID 2616130520). 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.