The Town Files

White Oak, Michigan

Township in Ingham County · population 1,199 (2020 Census)

Map: where White Oak is in MichiganWhite Oak
Median home
$236,900
Household income
$98,250
Jan low / Jul high
14° / 83°
Snow a year
39 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
21
Median age
51.0

White Oak is a township of 1,199 people in Ingham County, Michigan. The median home is worth $236,900, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks easier by car than 96% of Michigan towns, better for cycling than 81% of Michigan towns, better for retirees than 73% of Michigan towns.

How White Oak 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.

White Oak lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement73rd pctFamilies39th pctQuiet49th pctWalkability46th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals56th pctVibrancy49th pctHip & trendy54th pctCollege town73rd pctUpscale67th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling81st pctTransit66th pctDriving96th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in White Oak is worth $236,900, above the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $98,250, which is more affordable than 80% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $873 a month. 89.0% of households own their home.

White Oak vs Ingham County vs typical Michigan townWhite OakIngham CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$236,900$198,800$193,900Household income$98,250$65,526$69,792Monthly rent$873$1,084$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingWhite OakTypical Michigan town
Median home value$236,900$193,900
Median rent$873$955
Median household income$98,250$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.4×2.8×
Homeownership89.0%86.8%
Median year built19791975
Seasonal / vacation homes2.8%—

Who lives in White Oak

PeopleWhite OakTypical Michigan town
Median age51.043.7
Age 65 and over20.8%20.7%
Under 1818.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher20.1%21.5%
Below the poverty line5.8%10.4%
Veterans6.2%—
Born outside the U.S.2.1%—
Work from home16.7%9.1%
Average commute33.5 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband89.4%88.8%

Weather in White Oak

July highs average 83.2°F and January lows 14.4°F. About 33.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 39.1 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 154 nights at or below freezing.

White Oak monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing31°14°Jan35°15°Feb44°24°Mar58°34°Apr69°45°May79°55°Jun83°58°Jul81°57°Aug75°49°Sep62°38°Oct48°29°Nov36°21°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.112.91.68.52.04.92.90.93.63.73.03.63.12.90.22.41.92.09.8
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Howell Wwtp station (13.9 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of White Oak since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on August 24, 2023 about 5.8 miles from the town center and killed 2. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 5 deaths and 7 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 15, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of White Oak by decade01950s01960s41970s61980s41990s32000s02010s42020s
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 14 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 9, 1991.

Severe weather in Ingham County since 1996

Storm events in Ingham County since 1996 by typeHail57Flood5Tornado10High Wind9Ice Storm5Heavy Snow13Flash Flood8Funnel Cloud3
NOAA Storm Events Database, Ingham County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 6 deaths recorded.

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

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
February 8, 2024FloodDR-4757: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
July 14, 2008Severe StormDR-1777: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation

Jobs and pay in Ingham County

Ingham County had 155,500 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $68,532 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in White Oak itself the ACS puts it at 1.6%.

Largest industries in Ingham CountyHealth care & social assistan…24,527 jobs · $64,361Retail12,012 jobs · $37,737Hotels & restaurants10,705 jobs · $23,284Manufacturing10,106 jobs · $81,443Professional & technical serv…7,664 jobs · $97,319Finance & insurance6,758 jobs · $91,243
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Ingham County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Ingham 3.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near White Oak

White Oak questions

Is White Oak, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, White Oak scores better for retirees than 73% of Michigan towns and quieter than 49%. 20.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 51.0).

How much does a house cost in White Oak?

The median owner-occupied home in White Oak is valued at $236,900 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $98,250, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $873 a month.

What is the weather like in White Oak?

July highs average 83.2°F and January lows 14.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 33.1 inches of precipitation a year and 39.1 inches of snow.

Does White Oak get tornadoes?

21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of White Oak since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on August 24, 2023. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to White Oak's Census boundary (GEOID 2606586900). 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. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.