The Town Files

Lamotte, Michigan

Township in Sanilac County · population 764 (2020 Census)

Map: where Lamotte is in MichiganLamotte
Median home
$172,000
Household income
$60,991
Jan low / Jul high
13° / 80°
Snow a year
43 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
9
Median age
33.2

Lamotte is a township of 764 people in Sanilac County, Michigan. The median home is worth $172,000, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for families than 92% of Michigan towns, better for first-time buyers than 80% of Michigan towns.

How Lamotte 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.

Lamotte lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement31st pctFamilies92nd pctQuiet60th pctWalkability38th pctFirst-time buyers80th pctYoung professionals34th pctVibrancy11th pctHip & trendy33rd pctCollege town44th pctUpscale14th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving42nd 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 Lamotte is worth $172,000, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $60,991, which is more affordable than 55% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $582 a month. 86.7% of households own their home.

Lamotte vs Sanilac County vs typical Michigan townLamotteSanilac CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$172,000$168,300$193,900Household income$60,991$58,863$69,792Monthly rent$582$807$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingLamotteTypical Michigan town
Median home value$172,000$193,900
Median rent$582$955
Median household income$60,991$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.8×2.8×
Homeownership86.7%86.8%
Median year built19711975
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Lamotte

PeopleLamotteTypical Michigan town
Median age33.243.7
Age 65 and over17.3%20.7%
Under 1835.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher8.8%21.5%
Below the poverty line36.3%10.4%
Veterans4.6%—
Born outside the U.S.0.0%—
Work from home7.1%9.1%
Average commute21.9 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband75.4%88.8%

Weather in Lamotte

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 43.0 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.

Lamotte 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 blue2.014.01.89.12.05.33.51.53.53.33.23.13.22.90.12.52.92.010.1
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 (11.0 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lamotte since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 15, 1982 about 7.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on September 10, 2019.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Lamotte by decade01950s01960s01970s21980s01990s22000s52010s02020s
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 2.75 inches on July 28, 1999.

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 Lamotte itself the ACS puts it at 5.1%.

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 Lamotte

Lamotte questions

Is Lamotte, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lamotte scores better for retirees than 31% of Michigan towns and quieter than 60%. 17.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.2).

How much does a house cost in Lamotte?

The median owner-occupied home in Lamotte is valued at $172,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $60,991, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $582 a month.

What is the weather like in Lamotte?

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 43.0 inches of snow.

Does Lamotte get tornadoes?

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lamotte since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on June 15, 1982. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Lamotte's Census boundary (GEOID 2615145460). 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.