Leelanau, Michigan

Township in Leelanau County · population 2,048 (2020 Census)

Median home: $569,400
Household income: $119,044
Jan low / Jul high: 18° / 75°
Snow a year: 91 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 1
Median age: 62.5

Leelanau is a township of 2,048 people in Leelanau County, Michigan. The median home is worth $569,400, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for retirees than 100% of Michigan towns, better for a vacation home than 100% of Michigan towns, more upscale than 95% of Michigan towns.

Leelanau in our rankings:

#4 in The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in Michigan

How Leelanau 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 Leelanau is worth $569,400, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 4.8 times the median household income of $119,044, which is more affordable than 3% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,058 a month. 97.3% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Leelanau	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$569,400	$193,900
Median rent	$1,058	$955
Median household income	$119,044	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	4.8×	2.8×
Homeownership	97.3%	86.8%
Median year built	1982	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	47.6%	—

Who lives in Leelanau

People	Leelanau	Typical Michigan town
Median age	62.5	43.7
Age 65 and over	44.2%	20.7%
Under 18	12.6%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	61.3%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	4.3%	10.4%
Veterans	10.1%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.3%	—
Work from home	16.5%	9.1%
Average commute	21.2 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	92.2%	88.8%

Weather in Leelanau

July highs average 75.4°F and January lows 18.2°F. About 32.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 91.4 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 144 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 Northport 2W station (2.6 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Leelanau since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. The strongest, unrated, struck on August 15, 1978 about 9.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 15, 1978.

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 3 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on August 30, 2013.

Severe weather in Leelanau County since 1996

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

Leelanau County has been included in 5 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for drought, hurricane, snowstorm.

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 27, 1978	Snowstorm	EM-3057: Blizzards & Snowstorms
March 2, 1977	Drought	EM-3035: Drought

Jobs and pay in Leelanau County

Leelanau County had 6,662 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,322 a year. Unemployment was 3.8% in 2023; in Leelanau itself the ACS puts it at 0%.

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 Leelanau

Suttons Bay, MI
11.2 mi · 2,883 people · home $440,500
Suttons Bay, MI
12.4 mi · 613 people · home $523,200
Norwood, MI
14.2 mi · 700 people · home $320,800
Banks, MI
14.6 mi · 1,588 people · home $248,800
Torch Lake, MI
15.0 mi · 1,212 people · home $570,400
Central Lake, MI
16.7 mi · 2,159 people · home $228,200
Bingham, MI
16.8 mi · 2,577 people · home $373,200
Marion, MI
17.8 mi · 1,657 people · home $271,600

Leelanau questions

Is Leelanau, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Leelanau scores better for retirees than 100% of Michigan towns and quieter than 93%. 44.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 62.5).

How much does a house cost in Leelanau?

The median owner-occupied home in Leelanau is valued at $569,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $119,044, so homes cost about 4.8 times income. Median rent is $1,058 a month.

What is the weather like in Leelanau?

July highs average 75.4°F and January lows 18.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 32.9 inches of precipitation a year and 91.4 inches of snow.

Does Leelanau get tornadoes?

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Leelanau since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events). The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Leelanau's Census boundary (GEOID 2608946700). 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.