Thetford, Michigan

Township in Genesee County · population 6,640 (2020 Census)

Median home: $203,900
Household income: $73,984
Jan low / Jul high: 15° / 84°
Snow a year: 45 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 25
Median age: 46.9

Thetford is a township of 6,640 people in Genesee County, Michigan. The median home is worth $203,900, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks easier by car than 81% of Michigan towns.

How Thetford 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 Thetford is worth $203,900, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $73,984, which is more affordable than 55% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $759 a month. 83.6% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Thetford	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$203,900	$193,900
Median rent	$759	$955
Median household income	$73,984	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.8×	2.8×
Homeownership	83.6%	86.8%
Median year built	1975	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.0%	—

Who lives in Thetford

People	Thetford	Typical Michigan town
Median age	46.9	43.7
Age 65 and over	22.4%	20.7%
Under 18	18.4%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	13.6%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	15.2%	10.4%
Veterans	10.6%	—
Born outside the U.S.	1.1%	—
Work from home	3.9%	9.1%
Average commute	31.6 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	84.3%	88.8%

Weather in Thetford

July highs average 83.5°F and January lows 14.9°F. About 34.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 44.7 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 15 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 159 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 Burton 4N station (7.5 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

25 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Thetford since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F5, struck on June 8, 1953 about 5.1 miles from the town center and killed 116. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 117 deaths and 850 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on March 14, 2019.

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 41 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 17, 2013.

Severe weather in Genesee County since 1996

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

Genesee County has been included in 14 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, other, hurricane.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
March 27, 2020	Biological	DR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3455: Covid-19
January 16, 2016	Toxic Substances	EM-3375: Contaminated Water
September 7, 2005	Hurricane	EM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
June 30, 2004	Severe Storm	DR-1527: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding

Jobs and pay in Genesee County

Genesee County had 133,787 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,798 a year. Unemployment was 5% in 2023; in Thetford itself the ACS puts it at 10%.

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 Thetford

Mount Morris, MI
5.1 mi · 3,170 people · home $86,600
Forest, MI
5.2 mi · 4,447 people · home $200,900
Genesee, MI
5.3 mi · 20,581 people · home $125,400
Clio, MI
5.3 mi · 2,525 people · home $138,200
Arbela, MI
6.4 mi · 2,808 people · home $150,400
Vienna, MI
6.6 mi · 13,301 people · home $199,300
Beecher, MI
6.8 mi · 8,840 people · home $51,500
Richfield, MI
7.4 mi · 8,991 people · home $219,800

Thetford questions

Is Thetford, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Thetford scores better for retirees than 21% of Michigan towns and quieter than 50%. 22.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 46.9).

How much does a house cost in Thetford?

The median owner-occupied home in Thetford is valued at $203,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $73,984, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is $759 a month.

What is the weather like in Thetford?

July highs average 83.5°F and January lows 14.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 34.5 inches of precipitation a year and 44.7 inches of snow.

Does Thetford get tornadoes?

25 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Thetford since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F5 on June 8, 1953. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Thetford's Census boundary (GEOID 2604979460). 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.