Dowagiac is a city of 5,732 people in Michigan. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 12% of adults. The typical home is worth $130,800, having more than doubled since 2000. Households here earn about 34% less than in Michigan as a whole. 21.4% of residents live below the federal poverty line. The median household earns $48,166, about 41% below the national median.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $48,166, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 37.2
US median: 38.9
Less educated
12% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Dowagiac
What changed most since 1990
White share78.9% → 74.9%(−4.1 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree7.7% → 12.4%(+4.6 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Population6,409 → 5,732(−11%)US over the same years: +35%
Dowagiac's population equals 11% of Cass County's. Its number of people who work from home equals 4.7% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 22% 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)34.2%(102)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)6%(18)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era18.8%(56)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.4%(13)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.3%(7)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 298 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
Dowagiac, decade by decade
Dowagiac 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
6,409
$49,509
$71,522
7.7%
44.1
2000
6,147
$54,515
$115,675
12.0%
49.4
2010
5,879
$46,063
$120,265
9.5%
58.5
2020
5,721
$49,495
$90,539
10.8%
67.6
2024
5,732
$48,166
$130,800
12.4%
52.4
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.
