Sylvan, Michigan

Township in Washtenaw County · population 3,311 (2020 Census)

Median home: $396,200
Household income: $102,656
Jan low / Jul high: 16° / 82°
Snow a year: 33 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 13
Median age: 43.6

Sylvan is a township of 3,311 people in Washtenaw County, Michigan. The median home is worth $396,200, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks better for families than 98% of Michigan towns, more upscale than 96% of Michigan towns, better for retirees than 95% of Michigan towns.

Sylvan in our rankings:

How Sylvan 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 Sylvan is worth $396,200, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 3.9 times the median household income of $102,656, which is more affordable than 9% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,940 a month. 94.2% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Sylvan	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$396,200	$193,900
Median rent	$1,940	$955
Median household income	$102,656	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	3.9×	2.8×
Homeownership	94.2%	86.8%
Median year built	1985	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	3.9%	—

Who lives in Sylvan

People	Sylvan	Typical Michigan town
Median age	43.6	43.7
Age 65 and over	24.2%	20.7%
Under 18	24.7%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	53.4%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	2.0%	10.4%
Veterans	10.0%	—
Born outside the U.S.	3.9%	—
Work from home	23.5%	9.1%
Average commute	26.1 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	95.1%	88.8%

Weather in Sylvan

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 16.4°F. About 34.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 32.9 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 141 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 Chelsea station (4.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sylvan since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on March 15, 2012 about 9.4 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 3 deaths and 6 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on July 26, 2023.

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 36 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 27, 2015.

Severe weather in Washtenaw County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Washtenaw County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 6 deaths recorded.

Washtenaw County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, tornado.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
June 30, 2026	Flood	DR-4925: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
July 15, 2021	Severe Storm	DR-4607: Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes
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

Jobs and pay in Washtenaw County

Washtenaw County had 217,948 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $74,298 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Sylvan itself the ACS puts it at 2.2%.

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 Sylvan

Chelsea, MI
3.3 mi · 5,467 people · home $312,700
Lyndon, MI
6.4 mi · 2,656 people · home $350,200
Grass Lake, MI
6.5 mi · 6,069 people · home $297,300
Lima, MI
6.8 mi · 4,024 people · home $404,700
Waterloo, MI
7.6 mi · 2,931 people · home $243,600
Dexter, MI
9.3 mi · 6,696 people · home $466,300
Dexter, MI
10.5 mi · 4,500 people · home $421,000
Leoni, MI
11.4 mi · 13,847 people · home $196,200

Sylvan questions

Is Sylvan, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sylvan scores better for retirees than 95% of Michigan towns and quieter than 42%. 24.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.6).

How much does a house cost in Sylvan?

The median owner-occupied home in Sylvan is valued at $396,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $102,656, so homes cost about 3.9 times income. Median rent is $1,940 a month.

What is the weather like in Sylvan?

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 16.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 34.7 inches of precipitation a year and 32.9 inches of snow.

Does Sylvan get tornadoes?

13 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sylvan since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on March 15, 2012. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Sylvan's Census boundary (GEOID 2616177800). 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 2026-11-12.