The Town Files

White Pigeon, Michigan

Village in St. Joseph County · population 1,718 (2020 Census)

Map: where White Pigeon is in MichiganWhite Pigeon
Median home
$149,600
Household income
$51,250
Jan low / Jul high
17° / 82°
Snow a year
41 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
15
Median age
38.1

White Pigeon is a village of 1,718 people in St. Joseph County, Michigan. The median home is worth $149,600, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). It ranks easier by car than 79% of Michigan towns.

How White Pigeon 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 Pigeon lifestyle rankings vs other Michigan townsRetirement9th pctFamilies22nd pctQuiet46th pctWalkability69th pctFirst-time buyers54th pctYoung professionals52nd pctVibrancy55th pctHip & trendy32nd pctCollege town6th pctUpscale20th pctVacation homes65th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransitbottomDriving79th 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 Pigeon is worth $149,600, below the typical Michigan town ($193,900). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $51,250, which is more affordable than 48% of Michigan towns. Median rent is $775 a month. 66.8% of households own their home.

White Pigeon vs St. Joseph County vs typical Michigan townWhite PigeonSt. Joseph CountyTypical Michigan townHome value$149,600$178,300$193,900Household income$51,250$66,425$69,792Monthly rent$775$849$955
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Michigan towns with 500+ people.
HousingWhite PigeonTypical Michigan town
Median home value$149,600$193,900
Median rent$775$955
Median household income$51,250$69,792
Home value ÷ income2.9×2.8×
Homeownership66.8%86.8%
Median year built19571975
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in White Pigeon

PeopleWhite PigeonTypical Michigan town
Median age38.143.7
Age 65 and over16.4%20.7%
Under 1823.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher11.6%21.5%
Below the poverty line26.0%10.4%
Veterans7.3%—
Born outside the U.S.1.5%—
Work from home6.7%9.1%
Average commute18.9 min25.6 min
Homes with broadband91.0%88.8%

Weather in White Pigeon

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 16.7°F. About 39.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 41.1 inches of snow (typical Michigan town: 52.1 in). Expect about 13 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 145 nights at or below freezing.

White Pigeon monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing31°17°Jan34°18°Feb45°26°Mar58°36°Apr69°48°May79°57°Jun82°61°Jul80°59°Aug74°51°Sep61°40°Oct47°31°Nov36°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue2.914.32.110.22.34.03.40.74.44.14.04.03.63.73.02.82.49.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Three Rivers station (9.3 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of White Pigeon since 1950, compared with 10 for the typical Michigan town. 8 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 11, 1965 about 7.8 miles from the town center and killed 31. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 67 deaths and 566 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on June 11, 2026.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of White Pigeon by decade21950s51960s21970s11980s01990s12000s12010s32020s
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 29 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on September 10, 1987.

Severe weather in St. Joseph County since 1996

Storm events in St. Joseph County since 1996 by typeHail61Flood5Tornado12High Wind14Ice Storm7Lightning6Heavy Snow16Winter Storm33
NOAA Storm Events Database, St. Joseph County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 4 deaths recorded.

St. Joseph County has been included in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
March 27, 2020BiologicalDR-4494: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3455: Covid-19
September 7, 2005HurricaneEM-3225: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation
June 30, 2004Severe StormDR-1527: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding
January 10, 2001SnowstormEM-3160: Snow

Jobs and pay in St. Joseph County

St. Joseph County had 21,098 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,550 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in White Pigeon itself the ACS puts it at 5.6%.

Largest industries in St. Joseph CountyManufacturing7,477 jobs · $71,284Retail2,453 jobs · $34,717Health care & social assistan…2,247 jobs · $37,715Hotels & restaurants1,596 jobs · $19,700Agriculture, forestry & fishi…859 jobs · $53,454Construction741 jobs · $75,206
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in St. Joseph County, 2000–20230%4%8%12%16%2000200420082012201620202023St. Joseph 4.4%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in White Pigeon

2 public schools with 751 students, about 16.3 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
White Pigeon JrSr High School6-1239615.8
Central Elementary SchoolK-535516.9

Towns near White Pigeon

White Pigeon questions

Is White Pigeon, Michigan a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, White Pigeon scores better for retirees than 9% of Michigan towns and quieter than 46%. 16.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 38.1).

How much does a house cost in White Pigeon?

The median owner-occupied home in White Pigeon is valued at $149,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $51,250, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $775 a month.

What is the weather like in White Pigeon?

July highs average 82.3°F and January lows 16.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 39.7 inches of precipitation a year and 41.1 inches of snow.

Does White Pigeon get tornadoes?

15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of White Pigeon since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 11, 1965. The typical Michigan town has had 10.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to White Pigeon's Census boundary (GEOID 2686920). 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.