Gilford, Michigan

Township in Tuscola County · population 735 (2020 Census)

Median home: $167,300
Household income: $70,938
Jan low / Jul high: 12° / 82°
Snow a year: 44 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 6
Median age: 42.4

Gilford is a township of 735 people in Tuscola County, Michigan. The median home is worth $167,300, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks easier by car than 85% of Michigan towns, better for first-time buyers than 78% of Michigan towns, quieter than 73% of Michigan towns.

How Gilford 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 Gilford is worth $167,300, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $70,938, which is more affordable than 80% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $850 a month. 94.7% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Gilford	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$167,300	$193,900
Median rent	$850	$955
Median household income	$70,938	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.4×	2.8×
Homeownership	94.7%	86.8%
Median year built	1951	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Gilford

People	Gilford	Typical Michigan town
Median age	42.4	43.7
Age 65 and over	27.2%	20.7%
Under 18	24.2%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.6%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	12.1%	10.4%
Veterans	6.0%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.0%	—
Work from home	5.6%	9.1%
Average commute	26.4 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	91.1%	88.8%

Weather in Gilford

July highs average 82.0°F and January lows 12.2°F. About 34.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 43.8 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 160 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 Vassar station (10.9 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gilford since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on April 11, 1965 about 3.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 12, 2003.

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 12 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on August 30, 1958.

Severe weather in Tuscola County since 1996

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

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

Declared	Incident	Declaration
June 30, 2026	Flood	DR-4925: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
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
January 10, 2001	Snowstorm	EM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Tuscola County

Tuscola County had 12,102 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,754 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in Gilford itself the ACS puts it at 7.9%.

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 Gilford

Fairgrove, MI
4.4 mi · 514 people · home $78,600
Reese, MI
5.4 mi · 1,261 people · home $174,700
Wisner, MI
5.4 mi · 604 people · home $132,800
Fairgrove, MI
5.7 mi · 1,549 people · home $102,700
Merritt, MI
5.9 mi · 1,352 people · home $154,600
Denmark, MI
6.3 mi · 2,741 people · home $166,300
Juniata, MI
8.1 mi · 1,563 people · home $155,500
Blumfield, MI
8.8 mi · 1,874 people · home $227,500

Gilford questions

Is Gilford, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Gilford scores better for retirees than 55% of Michigan towns and quieter than 73%. 27.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.4).

How much does a house cost in Gilford?

The median owner-occupied home in Gilford is valued at $167,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $70,938, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $850 a month.

What is the weather like in Gilford?

July highs average 82.0°F and January lows 12.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 34.2 inches of precipitation a year and 43.8 inches of snow.

Does Gilford get tornadoes?

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gilford since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on April 11, 1965. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Gilford's Census boundary (GEOID 2615732160). 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.