The Town Files

Freeland, Michigan

Community in Saginaw County · population 7,630 (2020 Census)

Map: where Freeland is in MichiganFreeland
Median home
$265,900
Household income
$110,547
Jan low / Jul high
16° / 82°
Snow a year
49 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
9
Median age
38.8

Freeland is a community of 7,630 people in Saginaw County, Michigan. The median home is worth $265,900, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for young professionals than 94% of Michigan towns, more upscale than 88% of Michigan towns, more vibrant than 82% of Michigan towns.

Freeland in our rankings:

How Freeland 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.

Freeland lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement52nd pctFamilies68th pctQuiet17th pctWalkability51st pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals94th pctVibrancy82nd pctHip & trendy21st pctCollege town79th pctUpscale88th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving74th 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 Freeland is worth $265,900, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $110,547, which is more affordable than 80% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,245 a month. 84.1% of households own their home.

Freeland vs Saginaw County vs typical Michigan townFreelandSaginaw CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$265,900$152,800$193,900Household income$110,547$60,622$69,792Monthly rent$1,245$947$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingFreelandTypical Michigan town
Median home value$265,900$193,900
Median rent$1,245$955
Median household income$110,547$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.4×2.8×
Homeownership84.1%86.8%
Median year built19951975
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Freeland

PeopleFreelandTypical Michigan town
Median age38.843.7
Age 65 and over10.1%20.7%
Under 1822.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher34.5%21.5%
Below the poverty line5.5%10.4%
Veterans7.2%—
Born outside the U.S.0.6%—
Work from home17.5%9.1%
Average commute19.4 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband97.9%88.8%

Weather in Freeland

July highs average 82.2°F and January lows 16.4°F. About 32.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 49.0 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 139 nights at or below freezing.

Freeland monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing30°16°Jan32°17°Feb42°26°Mar56°36°Apr69°48°May79°58°Jun82°61°Jul80°59°Aug73°52°Sep60°41°Oct46°32°Nov35°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.913.91.811.42.06.03.22.43.43.32.83.92.82.90.22.33.31.911.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Saginaw Mbs Intl Ap station (2.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Freeland since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 15, 1982 about 9.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 9, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Freeland by decade01950s01960s41970s11980s01990s32000s02010s12020s
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 54 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on July 27, 2014.

Severe weather in Saginaw County since 1996

Storm events in Saginaw County since 1996 by typeHail107Heat11Flood33Tornado20High Wind34Ice Storm10Lightning7Heavy Snow35
NOAA Storm Events Database, Saginaw County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Saginaw County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 30, 2026FloodDR-4925: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
July 9, 2020Dam/Levee BreakDR-4547: Severe Storms And Flooding
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
June 18, 2013FloodDR-4121: Flooding

Jobs and pay in Saginaw County

Saginaw County had 79,478 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $58,049 a year. Unemployment was 5.2% in 2023; in Freeland itself the ACS puts it at 4.4%.

Largest industries in Saginaw CountyHealth care & social assistan…14,629 jobs · $65,313Retail10,842 jobs · $36,815Manufacturing10,729 jobs · $82,362Hotels & restaurants8,057 jobs · $22,768Administrative & support5,214 jobs · $43,471Construction3,351 jobs · $79,077
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Saginaw County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Saginaw 5.2%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Freeland

4 public schools with 1,971 students, about 20.3 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Freeland Middle SchoolHigh School7-1287122.3
Freeland Elementary School1-675120.3
Freeland Learning CenterPK-134716.5
Saginaw Correctional Facility9-122—

Towns near Freeland

Freeland questions

Is Freeland, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Freeland scores better for retirees than 52% of Michigan towns and quieter than 17%. 10.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.8).

How much does a house cost in Freeland?

The median owner-occupied home in Freeland is valued at $265,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $110,547, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $1,245 a month.

What is the weather like in Freeland?

July highs average 82.2°F and January lows 16.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 32.1 inches of precipitation a year and 49.0 inches of snow.

Does Freeland get tornadoes?

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Freeland since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 15, 1982. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Freeland's Census boundary (GEOID 2630540). 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.