The Town Files

Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan

City in Wayne County · population 16,487 (2020 Census)

Map: where Grosse Pointe Woods is in MichiganGrosse Pointe Woods
Median home
$342,100
Household income
$126,395
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 82°
Snow a year
28 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
14
Median age
43.6

Grosse Pointe Woods is a city of 16,487 people in Wayne County, Michigan. The median home is worth $342,100, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks more upscale than 99% of Michigan towns, more walkable than 98% of Michigan towns, more vibrant than 97% of Michigan towns.

Grosse Pointe Woods in our rankings:

How Grosse Pointe Woods 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.

Grosse Pointe Woods lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement40th pctFamilies80th pctQuiet5th pctWalkability98th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals94th pctVibrancy97th pctHip & trendy94th pctCollege town94th pctUpscale99th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling79th pctTransit85th pctDriving3rd 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 Grosse Pointe Woods is worth $342,100, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.7 times the median household income of $126,395, which is more affordable than 61% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,879 a month. 89.8% of households own their home.

Grosse Pointe Woods vs Wayne County vs typical Michigan townGrosse Pointe WoodsWayne CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$342,100$178,500$193,900Household income$126,395$60,539$69,792Monthly rent$1,879$1,132$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingGrosse Pointe WoodsTypical Michigan town
Median home value$342,100$193,900
Median rent$1,879$955
Median household income$126,395$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.7×2.8×
Homeownership89.8%86.8%
Median year built19531975
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Grosse Pointe Woods

PeopleGrosse Pointe WoodsTypical Michigan town
Median age43.643.7
Age 65 and over21.3%20.7%
Under 1821.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher65.1%21.5%
Below the poverty line4.9%10.4%
Veterans3.1%—
Born outside the U.S.5.0%—
Work from home27.0%9.1%
Average commute24.2 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband95.2%88.8%

Weather in Grosse Pointe Woods

July highs average 82.0°F and January lows 16.6°F. About 35.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 27.9 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 124 nights at or below freezing.

Grosse Pointe Woods monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing32°17°Jan34°18°Feb43°25°Mar56°36°Apr67°48°May77°58°Jun82°62°Jul80°61°Aug73°54°Sep60°43°Oct47°32°Nov37°24°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.19.42.17.42.53.53.40.33.93.63.43.53.32.82.80.42.46.9
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Grosse Pointe Farms station (2.2 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Grosse Pointe Woods since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on September 14, 1990 about 3.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 18, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Grosse Pointe Woods by decade11950s01960s51970s31980s31990s02000s12010s12020s
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 41 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on November 13, 1955.

Severe weather in Wayne County since 1996

Storm events in Wayne County since 1996 by typeHail175Heat16Flood60Tornado14High Wind41Lightning21Heavy Snow32Flash Flood35
NOAA Storm Events Database, Wayne County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 28 deaths recorded.

Wayne County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 8, 2024FloodDR-4757: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
July 15, 2021Severe StormDR-4607: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
September 25, 2014FloodDR-4195: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Wayne County

Wayne County had 725,504 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $76,411 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Grosse Pointe Woods itself the ACS puts it at 5.8%.

Largest industries in Wayne CountyHealth care & social assistan…116,757 jobs · $69,910Manufacturing89,659 jobs · $91,119Retail64,087 jobs · $40,530Hotels & restaurants60,098 jobs · $29,402Transportation & warehousing58,035 jobs · $70,487Professional & technical serv…53,927 jobs · $123,586
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Wayne County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023Wayne 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Grosse Pointe Woods

8 public schools with 3,834 students, about 15.3 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Grosse Pointe North High School9-121,00716.2
Parcells Middle School5-866915.2
South Lake High School9-1247416.9
John Monteith Elementary SchoolK-445514.7
Ferry Elementary SchoolK-434517.3
Elmwood Elementary School3-531413.7
South Lake Middle School6-829213.9
Stevens T Mason Elementary SchoolK-427813.2

Towns near Grosse Pointe Woods

Grosse Pointe Woods questions

Is Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Grosse Pointe Woods scores better for retirees than 40% of Michigan towns and quieter than 5%. 21.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.6).

How much does a house cost in Grosse Pointe Woods?

The median owner-occupied home in Grosse Pointe Woods is valued at $342,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $126,395, so homes cost about 2.7 times income. Median rent is $1,879 a month.

What is the weather like in Grosse Pointe Woods?

July highs average 82.0°F and January lows 16.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 35.8 inches of precipitation a year and 27.9 inches of snow.

Does Grosse Pointe Woods get tornadoes?

14 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Grosse Pointe Woods since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on September 14, 1990. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Grosse Pointe Woods's Census boundary (GEOID 2635580). 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 2026-11-12.