Sturgis, Michigan

Township in St. Joseph County · population 2,042 (2020 Census)

Median home: $205,500
Household income: $69,958
Jan low / Jul high: 17° / 83°
Snow a year: 41 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 16
Median age: 39.1

Sturgis is a township of 2,042 people in St. Joseph County, Michigan. The median home is worth $205,500, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks more vibrant than 74% of Michigan towns, more walkable than 73% of Michigan towns.

How Sturgis 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 Sturgis is worth $205,500, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $69,958, which is more affordable than 48% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $799 a month. 88.6% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Sturgis	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$205,500	$193,900
Median rent	$799	$955
Median household income	$69,958	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.9×	2.8×
Homeownership	88.6%	86.8%
Median year built	1970	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	2.0%	—

Who lives in Sturgis

People	Sturgis	Typical Michigan town
Median age	39.1	43.7
Age 65 and over	16.1%	20.7%
Under 18	25.4%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.0%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	4.9%	10.4%
Veterans	5.0%	—
Born outside the U.S.	3.7%	—
Work from home	6.2%	9.1%
Average commute	20.0 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	91.8%	88.8%

Weather in Sturgis

July highs average 82.9°F and January lows 16.5°F. About 38.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 41.2 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 140 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 Lagrange station (10.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 1 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sturgis since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 8 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 11, 1965 about 7.2 miles from the town center and killed 5. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 10 deaths and 102 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 11, 2026.

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 27 times; the largest was 4.25 inches on May 6, 2004.

Severe weather in St. Joseph County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, St. Joseph County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

St. Joseph County has been included in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
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
June 30, 2004	Severe Storm	DR-1527: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
January 10, 2001	Snowstorm	EM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in St. Joseph County

St. Joseph County had 21,098 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,550 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Sturgis itself the ACS puts it at 4.3%.

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 Sturgis

Sturgis, MI
3.1 mi · 11,082 people · home $152,600
Sherman, MI
5.0 mi · 3,444 people · home $262,700
Howe, IN
5.2 mi · 610 people · home $163,000
White Pigeon, MI
6.1 mi · 3,762 people · home $180,400
Fawn River, MI
6.7 mi · 1,587 people · home $148,200
Florence, MI
7.8 mi · 1,153 people · home $170,300
Burr Oak, MI
8.0 mi · 2,639 people · home $155,300
Burr Oak, MI
8.9 mi · 753 people · home $106,400

Sturgis questions

Is Sturgis, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sturgis scores better for retirees than 17% of Michigan towns and quieter than 20%. 16.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.1).

How much does a house cost in Sturgis?

The median owner-occupied home in Sturgis is valued at $205,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $69,958, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $799 a month.

What is the weather like in Sturgis?

July highs average 82.9°F and January lows 16.5°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 38.5 inches of precipitation a year and 41.2 inches of snow.

Does Sturgis get tornadoes?

16 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sturgis since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 11, 1965. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Sturgis's Census boundary (GEOID 2614976980). 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.