The Town Files

Lyons, Michigan

Township in Ionia County · population 3,513 (2020 Census)

Map: where Lyons is in MichiganLyons
Median home
$171,400
Household income
$75,294
Jan low / Jul high
16° / 81°
Snow a year
53 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
21
Median age
37.2

Lyons is a township of 3,513 people in Ionia County, Michigan. The median home is worth $171,400, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks easier by car than 91% of Michigan towns, better for first-time buyers than 78% of Michigan towns.

How Lyons 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.

Lyons lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement21st pctFamilies59th pctQuiet35th pctWalkability65th pctFirst-time buyers78th pctYoung professionals49th pctVibrancy40th pctHip & trendy10th pctCollege town55th pctUpscale26th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling68th pctTransitbottomDriving91st 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 Lyons is worth $171,400, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $75,294, which is more affordable than 84% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $971 a month. 81.3% of households own their home.

Lyons vs Ionia County vs typical Michigan townLyonsIonia CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$171,400$198,500$193,900Household income$75,294$75,611$69,792Monthly rent$971$884$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingLyonsTypical Michigan town
Median home value$171,400$193,900
Median rent$971$955
Median household income$75,294$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.3×2.8×
Homeownership81.3%86.8%
Median year built19711975
Seasonal / vacation homes4.8%—

Who lives in Lyons

PeopleLyonsTypical Michigan town
Median age37.243.7
Age 65 and over15.4%20.7%
Under 1830.9%—
Bachelor's degree or higher14.6%21.5%
Below the poverty line8.2%10.4%
Veterans6.3%—
Born outside the U.S.3.0%—
Work from home11.7%9.1%
Average commute27.7 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband85.6%88.8%

Weather in Lyons

July highs average 80.9°F and January lows 15.6°F. About 35.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 52.6 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 7 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 148 nights at or below freezing.

Lyons monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing29°16°Jan32°16°Feb42°24°Mar56°35°Apr68°47°May77°57°Jun81°60°Jul79°59°Aug72°51°Sep59°40°Oct46°30°Nov34°22°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.215.41.712.02.26.63.31.54.03.93.43.73.03.50.42.83.42.213.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Ionia 2Ssw station (9.5 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lyons since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 6 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 21, 1967 about 6.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on March 30, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Lyons by decade21950s31960s21970s51980s31990s22000s32010s12020s
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 7 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 6, 2004.

Severe weather in Ionia County since 1996

Storm events in Ionia County since 1996 by typeHail22Flood6Tornado11Blizzard3High Wind9Ice Storm5Heavy Snow15Flash Flood3
NOAA Storm Events Database, Ionia County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Ionia County has been included in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 8, 2024FloodDR-4757: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
July 15, 2021Severe StormDR-4607: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
June 18, 2013FloodDR-4121: Flooding

Jobs and pay in Ionia County

Ionia County had 18,530 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,605 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Lyons itself the ACS puts it at 5.2%.

Largest industries in Ionia CountyManufacturing3,673 jobs · $63,740Retail1,747 jobs · $31,455Health care & social assistan…1,242 jobs · $51,841Hotels & restaurants1,207 jobs · $20,240Finance & insurance646 jobs · $64,933Other services526 jobs · $29,996
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Ionia County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Ionia 3.6%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Lyons

Lyons questions

Is Lyons, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Lyons scores better for retirees than 21% of Michigan towns and quieter than 35%. 15.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.2).

How much does a house cost in Lyons?

The median owner-occupied home in Lyons is valued at $171,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $75,294, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $971 a month.

What is the weather like in Lyons?

July highs average 80.9°F and January lows 15.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 35.9 inches of precipitation a year and 52.6 inches of snow.

Does Lyons get tornadoes?

21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Lyons since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 21, 1967. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Lyons's Census boundary (GEOID 2606749920). 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 2026-11-12.