Hamilton, Michigan

Township in Clare County · population 1,785 (2020 Census)

Median home: $110,500
Household income: $45,096
Jan low / Jul high: 13° / 82°
Snow a year: 58 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 7
Median age: 53.4

Hamilton is a township of 1,785 people in Clare County, Michigan. The median home is worth $110,500, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for cycling than 91% of Michigan towns.

How Hamilton 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 Hamilton is worth $110,500, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $45,096, which is more affordable than 74% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $725 a month. 95.5% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Hamilton	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$110,500	$193,900
Median rent	$725	$955
Median household income	$45,096	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.5×	2.8×
Homeownership	95.5%	86.8%
Median year built	1970	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	50.8%	—

Who lives in Hamilton

People	Hamilton	Typical Michigan town
Median age	53.4	43.7
Age 65 and over	32.4%	20.7%
Under 18	16.5%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	6.9%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	32.0%	10.4%
Veterans	5.2%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.0%	—
Work from home	8.5%	9.1%
Average commute	29.2 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	88.4%	88.8%

Weather in Hamilton

July highs average 82.0°F and January lows 12.7°F. About 34.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 57.7 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 8 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 165 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 Gladwin station (10.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hamilton since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 21, 1975 about 8.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 5, 2024.

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 13 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on September 21, 2022.

Severe weather in Clare County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Clare County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Clare County has been included in 9 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

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
January 10, 2001	Snowstorm	EM-3160: Snow
September 18, 1986	Flood	DR-774: Severe Storms & Flooding

Jobs and pay in Clare County

Clare County had 7,261 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $47,949 a year. Unemployment was 6.3% in 2023; in Hamilton itself the ACS puts it at 21.9%.

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 Hamilton

Hayes, MI
4.8 mi · 4,642 people · home $93,700
Franklin, MI
6.0 mi · 730 people · home $157,200
Arthur, MI
6.1 mi · 676 people · home $234,600
Harrison, MI
6.3 mi · 2,150 people · home $135,100
Frost, MI
6.6 mi · 1,038 people · home $148,100
Sage, MI
6.8 mi · 2,431 people · home $163,800
Hatton, MI
8.9 mi · 893 people · home $147,800
Grout, MI
9.0 mi · 1,974 people · home $157,100

Hamilton questions

Is Hamilton, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Hamilton scores better for retirees than 15% of Michigan towns and quieter than 67%. 32.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 53.4).

How much does a house cost in Hamilton?

The median owner-occupied home in Hamilton is valued at $110,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $45,096, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $725 a month.

What is the weather like in Hamilton?

July highs average 82.0°F and January lows 12.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 34.0 inches of precipitation a year and 57.7 inches of snow.

Does Hamilton get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hamilton since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 21, 1975. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Hamilton's Census boundary (GEOID 2603536140). 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.