The Town Files

Nottawa, Michigan

Township in Isabella County · population 2,225 (2020 Census)

Map: where Nottawa is in MichiganNottawa
Median home
$199,400
Household income
$78,792
Jan low / Jul high
16° / 84°
Snow a year
39 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
5
Median age
44.9

Nottawa is a township of 2,225 people in Isabella County, Michigan. The median home is worth $199,400, close to the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks easier by car than 97% of Michigan towns, more of a college town than 93% of Michigan towns, better for a vacation home than 89% of Michigan towns.

How Nottawa 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.

Nottawa lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement45th pctFamilies84th pctQuiet46th pctWalkability35th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals57th pctVibrancy41st pctHip & trendy50th pctCollege town93rd pctUpscale41st pctVacation homes89th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit70th pctDriving97th 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 Nottawa is worth $199,400, close to the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.5 times the median household income of $78,792, which is more affordable than 74% of Michigan towns. 97.2% of households own their home.

Nottawa vs Isabella County vs typical Michigan townNottawaIsabella CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$199,400$170,400$193,900Household income$78,792$55,237$69,792
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingNottawaTypical Michigan town
Median home value$199,400$193,900
Median rent—$955
Median household income$78,792$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.5×2.8×
Homeownership97.2%86.8%
Median year built19761975
Seasonal / vacation homes19.0%—

Who lives in Nottawa

PeopleNottawaTypical Michigan town
Median age44.943.7
Age 65 and over20.5%20.7%
Under 1822.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher26.7%21.5%
Below the poverty line8.6%10.4%
Veterans5.1%—
Born outside the U.S.1.1%—
Work from home7.7%9.1%
Average commute27.0 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband90.8%88.8%

Weather in Nottawa

July highs average 83.7°F and January lows 15.9°F. About 35.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 39.3 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 146 nights at or below freezing.

Nottawa monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing30°16°Jan32°17°Feb43°24°Mar56°34°Apr69°46°May80°57°Jun84°61°Jul82°59°Aug74°51°Sep60°41°Oct46°31°Nov35°22°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.110.71.79.91.95.43.62.13.73.93.23.82.83.50.32.82.72.48.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Central Michigan Univ station (9.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 1 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Nottawa since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. The strongest, an F1, struck on June 21, 1996 about 0.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 27, 2004.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Nottawa by decade01950s11960s01970s11980s21990s12000s02010s02020s
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 15 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on September 21, 2010.

Severe weather in Isabella County since 1996

Storm events in Isabella County since 1996 by typeHail39Flood9Tornado5Blizzard2High Wind9Ice Storm5Heavy Snow16Flash Flood8
NOAA Storm Events Database, Isabella County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996).

Isabella County has been included in 11 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
August 2, 2017Severe StormDR-4326: Severe Storms And Flooding
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
January 10, 2001SnowstormEM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in Isabella County

Isabella County had 26,640 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,992 a year. Unemployment was 4.5% in 2023; in Nottawa itself the ACS puts it at 6.8%.

Largest industries in Isabella CountyHealth care & social assistan…3,145 jobs · $43,048Retail3,119 jobs · $36,058Manufacturing2,589 jobs · $61,354Hotels & restaurants2,298 jobs · $21,563Construction1,653 jobs · $70,988Transportation & warehousing936 jobs · $70,532
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Isabella County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Isabella 4.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Nottawa

Nottawa questions

Is Nottawa, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Nottawa scores better for retirees than 45% of Michigan towns and quieter than 46%. 20.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.9).

How much does a house cost in Nottawa?

The median owner-occupied home in Nottawa is valued at $199,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $78,792, so homes cost about 2.5 times income. Median rent is — a month.

What is the weather like in Nottawa?

July highs average 83.7°F and January lows 15.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 35.5 inches of precipitation a year and 39.3 inches of snow.

Does Nottawa get tornadoes?

5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Nottawa since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on June 21, 1996. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Nottawa's Census boundary (GEOID 2607359360). 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.