Galien, Michigan

Village in Berrien County · population 513 (2020 Census)

Median home: $138,100
Household income: $45,221
Jan low / Jul high: 17° / 83°
Snow a year: 62 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 14
Median age: 35.8

Galien is a village of 513 people in Berrien County, Michigan. The median home is worth $138,100, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks easier by car than 90% of Michigan towns, better for retirees than 84% of Michigan towns, more of a college town than 77% of Michigan towns.

How Galien 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 Galien is worth $138,100, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 3.1 times the median household income of $45,221, which is more affordable than 37% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $981 a month. 78.2% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Galien	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$138,100	$193,900
Median rent	$981	$955
Median household income	$45,221	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	3.1×	2.8×
Homeownership	78.2%	86.8%
Median year built	1961	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	1.5%	—

Who lives in Galien

People	Galien	Typical Michigan town
Median age	35.8	43.7
Age 65 and over	18.3%	20.7%
Under 18	25.3%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	9.5%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	21.5%	10.4%
Veterans	3.4%	—
Born outside the U.S.	2.8%	—
Work from home	3.9%	9.1%
Average commute	30.4 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	87.8%	88.8%

Weather in Galien

July highs average 82.7°F and January lows 17.0°F. About 39.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 62.1 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 14 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 126 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 South Bend Michiana Rgnl Ap station (11.5 mi away); snow from New Carlisle (6.6 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Galien since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on November 26, 1965 about 7.0 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 55 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on October 3, 2021.

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 21 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on May 5, 1969.

Severe weather in Berrien County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Berrien County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

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

Declared	Incident	Declaration
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
June 30, 2004	Severe Storm	DR-1527: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
January 10, 2001	Snowstorm	EM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Berrien County

Berrien County had 60,626 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $57,009 a year. Unemployment was 4.2% in 2023; in Galien itself the ACS puts it at 7%.

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 Galien

Galien, MI
1.1 mi · 1,412 people · home $160,000
Weesaw, MI
3.5 mi · 1,832 people · home $218,300
Three Oaks, MI
5.9 mi · 1,370 people · home $215,700
Three Oaks, MI
6.1 mi · 2,324 people · home $245,500
Buchanan, MI
6.4 mi · 3,436 people · home $194,000
New Carlisle, IN
6.6 mi · 1,891 people · home $186,700
Hudson Lake, IN
6.8 mi · 1,226 people · home $241,200
Bertrand, MI
7.0 mi · 2,611 people · home $297,100

Galien questions

Is Galien, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Galien scores better for retirees than 84% of Michigan towns and quieter than 54%. 18.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.8).

How much does a house cost in Galien?

The median owner-occupied home in Galien is valued at $138,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $45,221, so homes cost about 3.1 times income. Median rent is $981 a month.

What is the weather like in Galien?

July highs average 82.7°F and January lows 17.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.2 inches of precipitation a year and 62.1 inches of snow.

Does Galien get tornadoes?

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Galien since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on November 26, 1965. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Galien's Census boundary (GEOID 2631300). 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.