Washington, Michigan

Township in Sanilac County · population 1,524 (2020 Census)

Median home: $150,900
Household income: $66,282
Jan low / Jul high: 16° / 78°
Snow a year: 41 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 7
Median age: 41.3

Washington is a township of 1,524 people in Sanilac County, Michigan. The median home is worth $150,900, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900).

How Washington 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 Washington is worth $150,900, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.3 times the median household income of $66,282, which is more affordable than 84% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $1,058 a month. 84.9% of households own their home.

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

Housing	Washington	Typical Michigan town
Median home value	$150,900	$193,900
Median rent	$1,058	$955
Median household income	$66,282	$69,792
Home value ÷ income	2.3×	2.8×
Homeownership	84.9%	86.8%
Median year built	1975	1975
Seasonal / vacation homes	1.2%	—

Who lives in Washington

People	Washington	Typical Michigan town
Median age	41.3	43.7
Age 65 and over	16.8%	20.7%
Under 18	26.2%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	14.5%	21.5%
Below the poverty line	15.3%	10.4%
Veterans	9.1%	—
Born outside the U.S.	0.6%	—
Work from home	5.6%	9.1%
Average commute	38.1 min	25.6 min
Homes with broadband	88.9%	88.8%

Weather in Washington

July highs average 78.3°F and January lows 16.1°F. About 35.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 40.7 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 6 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 Lexington Wtp station (10.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 1 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Washington since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on November 6, 2015 about 2.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 14, 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 10 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 6, 1977.

Severe weather in Sanilac County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Sanilac County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

Sanilac County has been included in 12 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 Sanilac County

Sanilac County had 10,437 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $48,626 a year. Unemployment was 4.8% in 2023; in Washington itself the ACS puts it at 5.2%.

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 Washington

Sanilac, MI
5.2 mi · 2,301 people · home $174,400
Buel, MI
5.6 mi · 1,161 people · home $164,000
Watertown, MI
6.1 mi · 1,263 people · home $175,100
Bridgehampton, MI
6.8 mi · 745 people · home $123,400
Lexington, MI
6.8 mi · 3,485 people · home $203,400
Port Sanilac, MI
7.6 mi · 567 people · home $158,800
Croswell, MI
7.8 mi · 2,322 people · home $149,600
Sandusky, MI
8.3 mi · 2,709 people · home $113,800

Washington questions

Is Washington, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Washington scores better for retirees than 67% of Michigan towns and quieter than 66%. 16.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.3).

How much does a house cost in Washington?

The median owner-occupied home in Washington is valued at $150,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $66,282, so homes cost about 2.3 times income. Median rent is $1,058 a month.

What is the weather like in Washington?

July highs average 78.3°F and January lows 16.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 35.4 inches of precipitation a year and 40.7 inches of snow.

Does Washington get tornadoes?

7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Washington since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on November 6, 2015. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Washington's Census boundary (GEOID 2615184140). 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.