Onekama, Michigan

Township in Manistee County · population 1,338 (2020 Census)

Median home: $282,200
Household income: $70,380
Jan low / Jul high: 17° / 80°
Snow a year: 98 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 1
Median age: 62.6

Onekama is a township of 1,338 people in Manistee County, Michigan. The median home is worth $282,200, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for retirees than 96% of Michigan towns, better for a vacation home than 96% of Michigan towns, quieter than 94% of Michigan towns.

How Onekama 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 Onekama is worth $282,200, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 4.0 times the median household income of $70,380, which is more affordable than 7% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,517 a month. 86.8% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Onekama	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$282,200	$193,900
Median rent	$1,517	$955
Median household income	$70,380	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	4.0×	2.8×
Homeownership	86.8%	86.8%
Median year built	1972	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	45.0%	—

Who lives in Onekama

People	Onekama	Typical Michigan town
Median age	62.6	43.7
Age 65 and over	43.2%	20.7%
Under 18	11.9%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	45.8%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	4.0%	10.4%
Veterans	5.1%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.0%	—
Work from home	25.0%	9.1%
Average commute	24.8 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	89.4%	88.8%

Weather in Onekama

July highs average 79.5°F and January lows 17.0°F. About 36.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 97.7 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 4 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 146 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 Beulah 7Ssw station (11.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Onekama since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 3, 1956 about 0.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 3, 1956.

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 12 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 27, 2024.

Severe weather in Manistee County since 1996

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

Manistee County has been included in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, drought, 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
July 14, 2008	Severe Storm	DR-1777: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
September 7, 2005	Hurricane	EM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in Manistee County

Manistee County had 7,281 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $51,233 a year. Unemployment was 5.7% in 2023; in Onekama itself the ACS puts it at 1.8%.

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 Onekama

Bear Lake, MI
4.7 mi · 1,831 people · home $224,700
Arcadia, MI
6.3 mi · 657 people · home $239,600
Manistee, MI
6.9 mi · 4,022 people · home $193,900
Pleasanton, MI
7.4 mi · 870 people · home $232,900
Brown, MI
7.6 mi · 704 people · home $238,700
Parkdale, MI
8.2 mi · 607 people · home $122,100
Kaleva, MI
10.5 mi · 507 people · home $94,200
Manistee, MI
10.8 mi · 6,259 people · home $164,100

Onekama questions

Is Onekama, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Onekama scores better for retirees than 96% of Michigan towns and quieter than 94%. 43.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 62.6).

How much does a house cost in Onekama?

The median owner-occupied home in Onekama is valued at $282,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $70,380, so homes cost about 4.0 times income. Median rent is $1,517 a month.

What is the weather like in Onekama?

July highs average 79.5°F and January lows 17.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 36.2 inches of precipitation a year and 97.7 inches of snow.

Does Onekama get tornadoes?

1 tornado has passed within 10 miles of Onekama since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 3, 1956. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Onekama's Census boundary (GEOID 2610160760). 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.