Alpena is a city of 10,154 people in Michigan. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 16% of adults. The median age is 46.0, about 7 years above the US median. Getting to work takes 11 minutes on average. The typical home is worth $118,700, having risen by half since 2000. 1% of people here were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $47,545, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 46.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
16% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
More affordable
home values down 8%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Alpena
What changed most since 1990
Adults with a bachelor's degree13.1% → 16.2%(+3.1 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
White share98.7% → 90.9%(−7.8 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Population11,354 → 10,154(−11%)US over the same years: +35%
Its weight in Alpena County
Alpena's population equals 35% of Alpena County's. Its number of households without a car equals 58% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 25% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)22.6%(166)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)10.1%(74)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era40.4%(296)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.9%(43)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 733 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Alpena, decade by decade
Alpena population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
11,354
$49,134
$90,003
13.1%
3.3
2000
11,304
$55,293
$129,702
14.5%
6.8
2010
10,483
$45,262
$126,307
19.2%
9.7
2020
10,197
$46,373
$99,630
17.3%
19.3
2024
10,154
$47,545
$118,700
16.2%
21.5
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
