The Town Files

Galesburg, Michigan

City in Kalamazoo County · population 2,049 (2020 Census)

Map: where Galesburg is in MichiganGalesburg
Median home
$120,800
Household income
$52,153
Jan low / Jul high
19° / 85°
Snow a year
65 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
26
Median age
39.4

Galesburg is a city of 2,049 people in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. The median home is worth $120,800, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks more upscale than 83% of Michigan towns, better for cycling than 80% of Michigan towns, better for young professionals than 73% of Michigan towns.

How Galesburg 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.

Galesburg lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement34th pctFamilies54th pctQuiet21st pctWalkability63rd pctFirst-time buyers56th pctYoung professionals73rd pctVibrancy69th pctHip & trendy73rd pctCollege town67th pctUpscale83rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling80th pctTransit56th pctDriving73rd 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 Galesburg is worth $120,800, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $52,153, which is more affordable than 84% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $903 a month. 68.1% of households own their home.

Galesburg vs Kalamazoo County vs typical Michigan townGalesburgKalamazoo CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$120,800$241,800$193,900Household income$52,153$72,532$69,792Monthly rent$903$1,093$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingGalesburgTypical Michigan town
Median home value$120,800$193,900
Median rent$903$955
Median household income$52,153$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.3×2.8×
Homeownership68.1%86.8%
Median year built19591975
Seasonal / vacation homes2.3%—

Who lives in Galesburg

PeopleGalesburgTypical Michigan town
Median age39.443.7
Age 65 and over20.3%20.7%
Under 1819.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher10.0%21.5%
Below the poverty line25.7%10.4%
Veterans4.4%—
Born outside the U.S.0.0%—
Work from home6.4%9.1%
Average commute22.1 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband88.0%88.8%

Weather in Galesburg

July highs average 84.7°F and January lows 18.8°F. About 39.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 64.6 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 19 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 128 nights at or below freezing.

Galesburg monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing32°19°Jan36°20°Feb48°28°Mar61°38°Apr72°49°May81°58°Jun85°62°Jul82°61°Aug76°53°Sep63°43°Oct48°34°Nov37°25°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.018.11.915.62.36.03.62.13.94.03.84.23.54.00.52.95.92.516.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Gull Lake Biological Stn station (7.3 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 1 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Galesburg since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 2, 1977 about 1.9 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 5 deaths and 120 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 15, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Galesburg by decade31950s31960s71970s31980s31990s42000s12010s22020s
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 25 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on July 29, 1987.

Severe weather in Kalamazoo County since 1996

Storm events in Kalamazoo County since 1996 by typeHail69Flood7Tornado9Blizzard4High Wind10Ice Storm3Heavy Snow23Flash Flood7
NOAA Storm Events Database, Kalamazoo County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

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

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
September 23, 2003OtherEM-3189: Power Outage

Jobs and pay in Kalamazoo County

Kalamazoo County had 120,708 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $65,730 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in 2023; in Galesburg itself the ACS puts it at 6.9%.

Largest industries in Kalamazoo CountyManufacturing21,198 jobs · $95,480Health care & social assistan…20,432 jobs · $70,049Retail12,358 jobs · $38,041Hotels & restaurants11,060 jobs · $23,302Construction6,522 jobs · $79,824Professional & technical serv…5,959 jobs · $86,578
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Kalamazoo County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Kalamazoo 3.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Galesburg

3 public schools with 691 students, about 16.9 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
GalesburgAugusta Primary SchoolPK-442118.3
GalesburgAugusta High School8-1225614.2
GalesburgAugusta Alternative Education9-1214—

Towns near Galesburg

Galesburg questions

Is Galesburg, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Galesburg scores better for retirees than 34% of Michigan towns and quieter than 21%. 20.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.4).

How much does a house cost in Galesburg?

The median owner-occupied home in Galesburg is valued at $120,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $52,153, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $903 a month.

What is the weather like in Galesburg?

July highs average 84.7°F and January lows 18.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.5 inches of precipitation a year and 64.6 inches of snow.

Does Galesburg get tornadoes?

26 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Galesburg since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 2, 1977. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Galesburg's Census boundary (GEOID 2631260). 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.