Joyfield, Michigan

Township in Benzie County · population 763 (2020 Census)

Median home: $220,800
Household income: $51,250
Jan low / Jul high: 17° / 80°
Snow a year: 92 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 4
Median age: 50.1

Joyfield is a township of 763 people in Benzie County, Michigan. The median home is worth $220,800, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 96% of Michigan towns, quieter than 95% of Michigan towns, better for retirees than 80% of Michigan towns.

How Joyfield 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 Joyfield is worth $220,800, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 4.3 times the median household income of $51,250, which is more affordable than 5% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,036 a month. 95.3% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Joyfield	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$220,800	$193,900
Median rent	$1,036	$955
Median household income	$51,250	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	4.3×	2.8×
Homeownership	95.3%	86.8%
Median year built	1982	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	13.0%	—

Who lives in Joyfield

People	Joyfield	Typical Michigan town
Median age	50.1	43.7
Age 65 and over	23.3%	20.7%
Under 18	19.0%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	11.1%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	17.9%	10.4%
Veterans	11.9%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.8%	—
Work from home	11.0%	9.1%
Average commute	24.2 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	83.3%	88.8%

Weather in Joyfield

July highs average 79.5°F and January lows 17.0°F. About 36.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 92.4 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 146 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 Beulah 7Ssw station (2.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Joyfield since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 3, 1956 about 1.6 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 2 deaths and 24 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on October 15, 1989.

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 3.25 inches on October 3, 2006.

Severe weather in Benzie County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Benzie County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Benzie County has been included in 6 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

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 27, 1978	Snowstorm	EM-3057: Blizzards & Snowstorms

Jobs and pay in Benzie County

Benzie County had 4,882 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $45,619 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in Joyfield 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 Joyfield

Weldon, MI
4.6 mi · 579 people · home $237,000
Benzonia, MI
5.2 mi · 551 people · home $209,100
Pleasanton, MI
5.5 mi · 870 people · home $232,900
Gilmore, MI
6.2 mi · 791 people · home $301,100
Springdale, MI
6.6 mi · 849 people · home $171,600
Arcadia, MI
7.2 mi · 657 people · home $239,600
Benzonia, MI
8.1 mi · 2,734 people · home $327,000
Crystal Lake, MI
8.2 mi · 1,065 people · home $348,800

Joyfield questions

Is Joyfield, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Joyfield scores better for retirees than 80% of Michigan towns and quieter than 95%. 23.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 50.1).

How much does a house cost in Joyfield?

The median owner-occupied home in Joyfield is valued at $220,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $51,250, so homes cost about 4.3 times income. Median rent is $1,036 a month.

What is the weather like in Joyfield?

July highs average 79.5°F and January lows 17.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 36.2 inches of precipitation a year and 92.4 inches of snow.

Does Joyfield get tornadoes?

4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Joyfield since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 3, 1956. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Joyfield's Census boundary (GEOID 2601942000). 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.