The Town Files

Hope, Michigan

Township in Midland County · population 1,373 (2020 Census)

Map: where Hope is in MichiganHope
Median home
$218,200
Household income
$101,205
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 82°
Snow a year
49 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
7
Median age
41.3

Hope is a township of 1,373 people in Midland County, Michigan. The median home is worth $218,200, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 91% of Michigan towns, better for families than 86% of Michigan towns, quieter than 79% of Michigan towns.

Hope in our rankings:

How Hope 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.

Hope lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement53rd pctFamilies86th pctQuiet79th pctWalkability14th pctFirst-time buyers91st pctYoung professionals30th pctVibrancy14th pctHip & trendy45th pctCollege town58th pctUpscale72nd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit63rd pctDriving72nd 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 Hope is worth $218,200, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.2 times the median household income of $101,205, which is more affordable than 89% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,500 a month. 93.4% of households own their home.

Hope vs Midland County vs typical Michigan townHopeMidland CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$218,200$195,400$193,900Household income$101,205$77,705$69,792Monthly rent$1,500$1,016$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingHopeTypical Michigan town
Median home value$218,200$193,900
Median rent$1,500$955
Median household income$101,205$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.2×2.8×
Homeownership93.4%86.8%
Median year built19831975
Seasonal / vacation homes10.9%—

Who lives in Hope

PeopleHopeTypical Michigan town
Median age41.343.7
Age 65 and over16.8%20.7%
Under 1823.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher33.3%21.5%
Below the poverty line6.7%10.4%
Veterans10.7%—
Born outside the U.S.2.6%—
Work from home15.7%9.1%
Average commute28.1 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband87.1%88.8%

Weather in Hope

July highs average 82.1°F and January lows 16.6°F. About 33.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 48.7 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 136 nights at or below freezing.

Hope monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing29°17°Jan32°18°Feb43°25°Mar56°36°Apr68°48°May78°57°Jun82°62°Jul80°60°Aug73°52°Sep60°42°Oct46°32°Nov34°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.013.81.911.42.06.53.52.73.73.72.83.22.83.10.32.63.01.911.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Midland station (13.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hope since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 7, 1955 about 7.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 12, 2012.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Hope by decade21950s01960s31970s01980s01990s02000s22010s02020s
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 21 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on May 3, 2012.

Severe weather in Midland County since 1996

Storm events in Midland County since 1996 by typeHail98Heat11Flood15High Wind28Ice Storm8Lightning6Heavy Snow34Flash Flood5
NOAA Storm Events Database, Midland County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

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

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
July 9, 2020Dam/Levee BreakDR-4547: Severe Storms And Flooding
May 21, 2020Dam/Levee BreakEM-3525: Severe Storms And Flooding
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
August 2, 2017Severe StormDR-4326: Severe Storms And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Midland County

Midland County had 38,288 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $72,021 a year. Unemployment was 4% in 2023; in Hope itself the ACS puts it at 2.7%.

Largest industries in Midland CountyHealth care & social assistan…8,647 jobs · $48,642Manufacturing4,610 jobs · $96,831Company management3,834 jobs · $181,506Retail3,254 jobs · $36,341Administrative & support3,036 jobs · $102,639Hotels & restaurants2,955 jobs · $22,605
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Midland County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Midland 4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Hope

Hope questions

Is Hope, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Hope scores better for retirees than 53% of Michigan towns and quieter than 79%. 16.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.3).

How much does a house cost in Hope?

The median owner-occupied home in Hope is valued at $218,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $101,205, so homes cost about 2.2 times income. Median rent is $1,500 a month.

What is the weather like in Hope?

July highs average 82.1°F and January lows 16.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.4 inches of precipitation a year and 48.7 inches of snow.

Does Hope get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hope since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 7, 1955. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Hope's Census boundary (GEOID 2611139160). 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.