North Shade, Michigan

Township in Gratiot County · population 558 (2020 Census)

Median home: $177,100
Household income: $71,250
Jan low / Jul high: 18° / 83°
Snow a year: 52 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 11
Median age: 32.4

North Shade is a township of 558 people in Gratiot County, Michigan. The median home is worth $177,100, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks easier by car than 88% of Michigan towns.

How North Shade 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 North Shade is worth $177,100, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $71,250, which is more affordable than 74% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $744 a month. 85.7% of households own their home.

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

Housing	North Shade	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$177,100	$193,900
Median rent	$744	$955
Median household income	$71,250	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.5×	2.8×
Homeownership	85.7%	86.8%
Median year built	1944	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	3.5%	—

Who lives in North Shade

People	North Shade	Typical Michigan town
Median age	32.4	43.7
Age 65 and over	15.6%	20.7%
Under 18	38.2%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	8.8%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	7.6%	10.4%
Veterans	5.7%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.3%	—
Work from home	4.8%	9.1%
Average commute	17.7 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	81.9%	88.8%

Weather in North Shade

July highs average 83.2°F and January lows 17.7°F. About 34.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 51.8 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 11 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 Saint Johns station (15.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of North Shade since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on June 15, 1982 about 8.5 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 10, 2024.

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 2 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 11, 2003.

Severe weather in Gratiot County since 1996

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

Gratiot County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, 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 10, 2001	Snowstorm	EM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Gratiot County

Gratiot County had 12,359 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,845 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in North Shade itself the ACS puts it at 1.2%.

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 North Shade

Carson City, MI
3.7 mi · 1,120 people · home $123,600
Fulton, MI
5.7 mi · 2,484 people · home $215,000
Maple Rapids, MI
5.8 mi · 573 people · home $131,000
Lebanon, MI
6.1 mi · 597 people · home $224,000
Bloomer, MI
6.1 mi · 6,352 people · home $194,400
New Haven, MI
6.1 mi · 1,064 people · home $207,800
Newark, MI
8.1 mi · 1,112 people · home $234,700
Essex, MI
8.6 mi · 1,827 people · home $210,800

North Shade questions

Is North Shade, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, North Shade scores better for retirees than 25% of Michigan towns and quieter than 38%. 15.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.4).

How much does a house cost in North Shade?

The median owner-occupied home in North Shade is valued at $177,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $71,250, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is $744 a month.

What is the weather like in North Shade?

July highs average 83.2°F and January lows 17.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 34.0 inches of precipitation a year and 51.8 inches of snow.

Does North Shade get tornadoes?

11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of North Shade 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 North Shade's Census boundary (GEOID 2605758800). 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.