The Town Files

Greenleaf, Michigan

Township in Sanilac County · population 815 (2020 Census)

Map: where Greenleaf is in MichiganGreenleaf
Median home
$177,400
Household income
$54,844
Jan low / Jul high
13° / 80°
Snow a year
43 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
10
Median age
33.9

Greenleaf is a township of 815 people in Sanilac County, Michigan. The median home is worth $177,400, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 97% of Michigan towns, better for families than 96% of Michigan towns, quieter than 73% of Michigan towns.

Greenleaf in our rankings:

How Greenleaf 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.

Greenleaf lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement43rd pctFamilies96th pctQuiet73rd pctWalkability28th pctFirst-time buyers97th pctYoung professionals21st pctVibrancy5th pctHip & trendy17th pctCollege town54th pctUpscale37th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit55th pctDriving39th 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 Greenleaf is worth $177,400, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 3.2 times the median household income of $54,844, which is more affordable than 31% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $775 a month. 87.0% of households own their home.

Greenleaf vs Sanilac County vs typical Michigan townGreenleafSanilac CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$177,400$168,300$193,900Household income$54,844$58,863$69,792Monthly rent$775$807$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingGreenleafTypical Michigan town
Median home value$177,400$193,900
Median rent$775$955
Median household income$54,844$69,792
Home value ÷ income3.2×2.8×
Homeownership87.0%86.8%
Median year built19761975
Seasonal / vacation homes5.5%—

Who lives in Greenleaf

PeopleGreenleafTypical Michigan town
Median age33.943.7
Age 65 and over15.1%20.7%
Under 1827.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher11.0%21.5%
Below the poverty line27.7%10.4%
Veterans4.3%—
Born outside the U.S.1.1%—
Work from home10.7%9.1%
Average commute30.1 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband82.5%88.8%

Weather in Greenleaf

July highs average 80.4°F and January lows 12.9°F. About 33.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 42.5 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 158 nights at or below freezing.

Greenleaf monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing29°13°Jan32°13°Feb42°22°Mar55°32°Apr68°43°May77°54°Jun80°57°Jul79°56°Aug72°49°Sep59°39°Oct45°29°Nov34°21°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.014.41.89.32.05.03.51.63.53.33.23.13.22.90.12.53.12.09.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Cass City 1 Ssw station (7.8 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Greenleaf since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 24, 1971 about 9.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 2, 2015.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Greenleaf by decade01950s11960s31970s01980s11990s22000s32010s02020s
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 11 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on March 15, 2012.

Severe weather in Sanilac County since 1996

Storm events in Sanilac County since 1996 by typeHail55Heat10Tornado11Blizzard6High Wind27Heavy Snow49Flash Flood5Winter Storm20
NOAA Storm Events Database, Sanilac County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

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

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
June 30, 2004Severe StormDR-1527: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
January 10, 2001SnowstormEM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Sanilac County

Sanilac County had 10,437 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,626 a year. Unemployment was 4.8% in 2023; in Greenleaf itself the ACS puts it at 11.5%.

Largest industries in Sanilac CountyManufacturing2,720 jobs · $63,221Retail1,299 jobs · $35,842Health care & social assistan…1,149 jobs · $51,079Hotels & restaurants882 jobs · $17,327Construction442 jobs · $57,582Finance & insurance321 jobs · $59,268
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Sanilac County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Sanilac 4.8%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Greenleaf

Greenleaf questions

Is Greenleaf, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Greenleaf scores better for retirees than 43% of Michigan towns and quieter than 73%. 15.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.9).

How much does a house cost in Greenleaf?

The median owner-occupied home in Greenleaf is valued at $177,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $54,844, so homes cost about 3.2 times income. Median rent is $775 a month.

What is the weather like in Greenleaf?

July highs average 80.4°F and January lows 12.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.0 inches of precipitation a year and 42.5 inches of snow.

Does Greenleaf get tornadoes?

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Greenleaf since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 24, 1971. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Greenleaf's Census boundary (GEOID 2615135020). 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.