The Town Files

Gibson, Michigan

Township in Bay County · population 1,124 (2020 Census)

Map: where Gibson is in MichiganGibson
Median home
$169,200
Household income
$61,691
Jan low / Jul high
14° / 80°
Snow a year
51 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
3
Median age
47.9

Gibson is a township of 1,124 people in Bay County, Michigan. The median home is worth $169,200, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks easier by car than 94% of Michigan towns, more of a college town than 92% of Michigan towns, better for families than 76% of Michigan towns.

How Gibson 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.

Gibson lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement45th pctFamilies76th pctQuiet70th pctWalkability20th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals4th pctVibrancy16th pctHip & trendy3rd pctCollege town92nd pctUpscale11th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving94th 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 Gibson is worth $169,200, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.7 times the median household income of $61,691, which is more affordable than 61% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $769 a month. 93.3% of households own their home.

Gibson vs Bay County vs typical Michigan townGibsonBay CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$169,200$152,200$193,900Household income$61,691$61,763$69,792Monthly rent$769$860$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingGibsonTypical Michigan town
Median home value$169,200$193,900
Median rent$769$955
Median household income$61,691$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.7×2.8×
Homeownership93.3%86.8%
Median year built19771975
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Gibson

PeopleGibsonTypical Michigan town
Median age47.943.7
Age 65 and over20.4%20.7%
Under 1816.8%—
Bachelor's degree or higher13.7%21.5%
Below the poverty line6.6%10.4%
Veterans5.8%—
Born outside the U.S.0.0%—
Work from home1.7%9.1%
Average commute35.3 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband77.9%88.8%

Weather in Gibson

July highs average 80.1°F and January lows 14.0°F. About 30.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 50.5 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 6 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 164 nights at or below freezing.

Gibson monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing28°14°Jan30°14°Feb40°23°Mar53°33°Apr66°44°May76°54°Jun80°58°Jul78°57°Aug72°49°Sep59°39°Oct45°30°Nov34°22°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.614.21.411.51.56.83.32.83.53.52.93.52.62.70.42.43.21.611.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Standish 4Ne station (11.5 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gibson since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on July 31, 1973 about 7.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 8, 2016.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Gibson by decade01950s01960s21970s01980s01990s02000s12010s02020s
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 3.50 inches on September 26, 1998.

Severe weather in Bay County since 1996

Storm events in Bay County since 1996 by typeHail95Heat11Flood8High Wind29Ice Storm9Heavy Snow31Flash Flood6Winter Storm19
NOAA Storm Events Database, Bay County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Bay County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
August 2, 2017Severe StormDR-4326: Severe Storms And Flooding
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
January 10, 2001SnowstormEM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Bay County

Bay County had 34,112 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,617 a year. Unemployment was 4.9% in 2023; in Gibson itself the ACS puts it at 3.3%.

Largest industries in Bay CountyHealth care & social assistan…6,019 jobs · $51,257Retail4,591 jobs · $36,695Manufacturing4,440 jobs · $83,178Hotels & restaurants3,975 jobs · $20,798Construction1,520 jobs · $65,198Professional & technical serv…1,411 jobs · $103,374
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Bay County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Bay 4.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Gibson

Gibson questions

Is Gibson, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Gibson scores better for retirees than 45% of Michigan towns and quieter than 70%. 20.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 47.9).

How much does a house cost in Gibson?

The median owner-occupied home in Gibson is valued at $169,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $61,691, so homes cost about 2.7 times income. Median rent is $769 a month.

What is the weather like in Gibson?

July highs average 80.1°F and January lows 14.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 30.7 inches of precipitation a year and 50.5 inches of snow.

Does Gibson get tornadoes?

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gibson since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on July 31, 1973. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Gibson's Census boundary (GEOID 2601732040). 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.