Thompson, Michigan

Township in Schoolcraft County · population 808 (2020 Census)

Median home: $230,500
Household income: $82,031
Jan low / Jul high: 10° / 73°
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 3
Median age: 62.1

Thompson is a township of 808 people in Schoolcraft County, Michigan. The median home is worth $230,500, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks quieter than 98% of Michigan towns, better for retirees than 93% of Michigan towns, better for a vacation home than 82% of Michigan towns.

How Thompson 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 Thompson is worth $230,500, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.8 times the median household income of $82,031, which is more affordable than 55% of Michigan towns. 92.4% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Thompson	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$230,500	$193,900
Median rent	—	$955
Median household income	$82,031	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.8×	2.8×
Homeownership	92.4%	86.8%
Median year built	1994	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	40.8%	—

Who lives in Thompson

People	Thompson	Typical Michigan town
Median age	62.1	43.7
Age 65 and over	41.6%	20.7%
Under 18	11.0%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	29.7%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	16.7%	10.4%
Veterans	6.8%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.9%	—
Work from home	5.5%	9.1%
Average commute	13.9 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	89.4%	88.8%

Weather in Thompson

July highs average 73.0°F and January lows 10.4°F. About 33.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year. Expect about 0 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 168 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 Manistique Wwtp station (5.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Thompson since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on July 11, 1987 about 4.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on October 5, 1997.

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 5 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on August 27, 1990.

Severe weather in Schoolcraft County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Schoolcraft County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Schoolcraft County has been included in 6 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for drought, freezing, hurricane.

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
May 10, 1994	Freezing	DR-1028: Severe Deep Freeze
January 27, 1978	Snowstorm	EM-3057: Blizzards & Snowstorms

Jobs and pay in Schoolcraft County

Schoolcraft County had 2,702 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,979 a year. Unemployment was 7.3% in 2023; in Thompson itself the ACS puts it at 11.1%.

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 Thompson

Manistique, MI
5.0 mi · 2,828 people · home $93,300
Garden, MI
8.5 mi · 772 people · home $153,400
Inwood, MI
10.1 mi · 654 people · home $229,100
Manistique, MI
14.8 mi · 1,045 people · home $200,900
Hiawatha, MI
18.4 mi · 1,305 people · home $184,500
Doyle, MI
20.2 mi · 563 people · home $198,400
Ensign, MI
25.6 mi · 746 people · home $180,800
Masonville, MI
25.9 mi · 1,645 people · home $166,200

Thompson questions

Is Thompson, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Thompson scores better for retirees than 93% of Michigan towns and quieter than 98%. 41.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 62.1).

How much does a house cost in Thompson?

The median owner-occupied home in Thompson is valued at $230,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $82,031, so homes cost about 2.8 times income. Median rent is — a month.

What is the weather like in Thompson?

July highs average 73.0°F and January lows 10.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.3 inches of precipitation a year.

Does Thompson get tornadoes?

3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Thompson since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on July 11, 1987. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Thompson's Census boundary (GEOID 2615379580). 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.