The Town Files

Saugatuck, Michigan

Township in Allegan County · population 3,443 (2020 Census)

Map: where Saugatuck is in MichiganSaugatuck
Median home
$422,600
Household income
$93,618
Jan low / Jul high
20° / 82°
Snow a year
109 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
9
Median age
53.2

Saugatuck is a township of 3,443 people in Allegan County, Michigan. The median home is worth $422,600, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 99% of Michigan towns, better for retirees than 96% of Michigan towns, more upscale than 93% of Michigan towns.

Saugatuck in our rankings:

How Saugatuck 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.

Saugatuck lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement96th pctFamilies59th pctQuiet60th pctWalkability70th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals84th pctVibrancy64th pctHip & trendy92nd pctCollege town59th pctUpscale93rd pctVacation homes99th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit85th pctDriving26th 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 Saugatuck is worth $422,600, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 4.5 times the median household income of $93,618, which is more affordable than 4% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,103 a month. 94.7% of households own their home.

Saugatuck vs Allegan County vs typical Michigan townSaugatuckAllegan CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$422,600$267,100$193,900Household income$93,618$83,283$69,792Monthly rent$1,103$1,100$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingSaugatuckTypical Michigan town
Median home value$422,600$193,900
Median rent$1,103$955
Median household income$93,618$69,792
Home value ÷ income4.5×2.8×
Homeownership94.7%86.8%
Median year built19991975
Seasonal / vacation homes21.5%—

Who lives in Saugatuck

PeopleSaugatuckTypical Michigan town
Median age53.243.7
Age 65 and over30.7%20.7%
Under 1818.7%—
Bachelor's degree or higher49.7%21.5%
Below the poverty line2.5%10.4%
Veterans5.6%—
Born outside the U.S.5.4%—
Work from home22.8%9.1%
Average commute23.1 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband95.7%88.8%

Weather in Saugatuck

July highs average 81.7°F and January lows 19.9°F. About 34.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 109.0 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 123 nights at or below freezing.

Saugatuck monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing32°20°Jan34°21°Feb44°28°Mar57°37°Apr69°48°May78°58°Jun82°62°Jul80°60°Aug74°52°Sep61°43°Oct48°34°Nov37°26°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue1.935.91.822.92.17.93.51.73.83.52.83.13.04.20.53.27.32.132.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Holland Tulip City Ap station (8.9 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 1 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Saugatuck since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 4 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F5, struck on April 3, 1956 about 3.6 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 15 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on August 20, 2016.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Saugatuck by decade11950s11960s11970s31980s11990s02000s22010s02020s
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 13 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on April 7, 2020.

Severe weather in Allegan County since 1996

Storm events in Allegan County since 1996 by typeHail59Flood6Tornado16Blizzard8High Wind15Ice Storm4Heavy Snow45Flash Flood14
NOAA Storm Events Database, Allegan County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

Allegan County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, tornado, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
June 30, 2026FloodDR-4925: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
June 18, 2013FloodDR-4121: Flooding
July 14, 2008Severe StormDR-1777: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Allegan County

Allegan County had 41,360 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $60,226 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Saugatuck itself the ACS puts it at 1.4%.

Largest industries in Allegan CountyManufacturing13,777 jobs · $78,769Retail3,192 jobs · $40,124Hotels & restaurants3,120 jobs · $23,486Construction2,974 jobs · $69,986Health care & social assistan…2,612 jobs · $43,069Wholesale trade2,079 jobs · $77,664
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Allegan County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023Allegan 3.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Saugatuck

Saugatuck questions

Is Saugatuck, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Saugatuck scores better for retirees than 96% of Michigan towns and quieter than 60%. 30.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 53.2).

How much does a house cost in Saugatuck?

The median owner-occupied home in Saugatuck is valued at $422,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $93,618, so homes cost about 4.5 times income. Median rent is $1,103 a month.

What is the weather like in Saugatuck?

July highs average 81.7°F and January lows 19.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 34.8 inches of precipitation a year and 109.0 inches of snow.

Does Saugatuck get tornadoes?

9 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Saugatuck since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F5 on April 3, 1956. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Saugatuck's Census boundary (GEOID 2600571720). 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.