Road bridge across Tittabawassee River, Sanford, Michigan, not later than 1911, 1911
Sanford’s story
155 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1911.
- 1871Sanford is settled
SanfordMI
A town of 761, settled in 1871.
Population
761
2025 Census estimate · −2.7% since 2020
Typical home
$218K
+7.3% in a year
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
43.6
years
Jobs based here
286
Balanced
Is Sanford a good place to live?
14% of residents are under 18 in Sanford, below both the Michigan town median (21%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). Sanford’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, where Michigan’s towns sit at 0.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4. The biggest park or preserve is Sanford Lake Park, at 69 acres. Sanford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
761 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Jerome TownshipLincoln TownshipSanford
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Sanford: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sanford, and how to reach them.
PowerConsumers Energy20.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMidland Co., Water Dist. No. 1 of2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Sanford’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Michigan you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereJerome Township ClerkJerome Township; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code4865748657 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Sanford.
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Sanford
Sanford has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 16° and about 49 inches of snow falls in a winter.
49″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–32°
Spring35–56°
Summer58–81°
Fall40–60°
Oct 16
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer children than Michigan overall
40% of Sanford adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Sanford has lost 2.7% of its people since 2020, down to 761 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
43.6median age · MI 40.2
| Sanford | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 26% | 29% |
| Median age | 43.6 years | 42.5 years | 40.5 years |
SanfordMichiganUnited States
Ages · share of residents
23%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma4%
High school21%
Some college29%
Associate’s7%
Bachelor’s29%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.1 points. Across Michigan, 50.4% of residents are women.
| Sanford | MI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.9% | 11.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.7% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.9% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 23.2% | 13.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.2% | 12.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.6% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.8% | 11.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.7% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.2% | 7.9% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.8% | 28% | 26% |
| Some college | 28.5% | 21.9% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.9% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 29% | 19.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.6% | 12.7% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 800, single groups can be off by several points
Housing
Sanford’s typical home value is about $218K
The typical Sanford home is worth about $218,000, up 7.3% in a year, 17% below the Michigan typical home. The median rent in Sanford is $950 a month.
$218KZillow home value
| Sanford | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $950 a month | $1,046 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 84% | 84% | 73% |
Typical home value
Sanford$218K
Michigan$264K
+7.3%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
About one in three of Sanford’s working residents commute to Midland
Most working residents leave Sanford for work: only 2% work in town. Jobs based in Sanford grew to 286 in 2021, 132 more than in 2011. The top destinations are Midland (37%), Jerome Township (4%) and Mount Pleasant (3%).
2%work in town
| Sanford | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.2% | 5.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $77,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Sanford2%
Midland37%
Jerome Township4%
Mount Pleasant3%
Larkin Township3%
12 mi
median commute distance
286
jobs based in Sanford
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2021 · ACS
Natural hazards
Sanford faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 2014, 25 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sanford.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
25
paid flood claims since 2014
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
Sanford has set aside 11.3% of its land for conservation
2.0 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
11.3%conserved
11.3%
conserved · 111 of 986 acres
2.0 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Village of Sanford Park | 1.1 mi | 26 |
| 2. Sanford Lake Park | 0.9 mi | 69 |
| 3. Porte Park | — | 26 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Health
How healthy Sanford is
Sanford beats the Michigan average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 29% of adults feel lonely in Sanford.
| Sanford | Michigan towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 34% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 37% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 27% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Michigan
4 better27 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Sanford | MI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.1% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.4% | 8.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.3% | 8.9% |
Mclaren Central Michigan
19.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 17 attractions →USS Edson and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sanford. Close and well known come first.
26 mi MuseumUSS Edson
8 mi GardenDow Gardens
7 mi GardenChippewa Nature Center
26 mi MuseumSaginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum
28 mi TheatreTemple Theatre29 mi Zoo & aquariumChildren's Zoo at Celebration SquareSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
USS Edson: U.S. Navy, Public domain · Dow Gardens: Chris.Schiemann, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Chippewa Nature Center: Christian Collins, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum: John McCullough, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Temple Theatre: Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Sanford
17pages on Sanford
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Sanford
About 9 of every 100 Sanford residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Michigan.
About Sanford
Village in Michigan, United States
Sanford is a village in Midland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 813 at the 2020 census. The village is located within Jerome Township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 630 ft
- ZIP code
- 48657
Questions about Sanford
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Sanford, MI a good place to live?
Sanford has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.