United States › Michigan › Traverse City CITY
Traverse City Michigan · 15,832 residents (2025 est.) · 8.28 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Traverse City is a city of 15,593 people in Michigan. About 47% of adults have finished a four-year degree. The foreign-born share is 2%. The median age is 42.7, about 4 years above the US median. The average commute runs 17 minutes. There are 1,884 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 42.7
US median: 38.9
More educated
47% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 84%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 14,532 in 2000
15,832 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1,884 / sq mi
+9%since 2009
from 1,731 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 38.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
14K 15K 15K 15K 16K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Traverse City Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $74,087
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $37,330 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $22,247 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 23.3% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 8.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.476 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Public administration 6.1%
Transportation & warehousing 1.7%
Education & health services 1.3%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.2%
Professional, scientific, technical 1.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 0.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$415,400
+84%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $123,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$995
−10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $605 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 59.1% in 2000
36.3% rent
from 9.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.09 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 38.1% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 43.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 4.6 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 95%(13,803)
Hispanic / Latino 1.7%(242)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 87.7%(13,669)
Hispanic / Latino 3.6%(563)
from 14 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 27 more ancestry groups with data from 31.2% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 88.7% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 11.6% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 11.5 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 75.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 6.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 2.6% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 9.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 2.8% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 7.9% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 68.2% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 82.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 36.5% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 9.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 12.9% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 13.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 79.4% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 92.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 83.4% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 96.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 0.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 40.6%(2,708)
Women 15+
Never married 31.6%(2,134)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 13.4% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 56.0% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 22.5% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 23.9% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 17.2% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 2.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 72.8% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 37.6% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
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) 12.2%(64)
Gulf War (1990s) 22.7%(119)
Share of the 524 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
Drill deeper
Places similar to Traverse City Head to head
Compare Traverse City to nearby cities TRAVERSE CITY VS
Cadillac
Income $51,773 −30%
Home value $134,300 −68%
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TRAVERSE CITY VS
Big Rapids
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TRAVERSE CITY VS
Sturgeon Bay
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Home value $236,300 −43%
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TRAVERSE CITY VS
Mount Pleasant
Income $44,706 −40%
Home value $173,100 −58%
Population 20,925 +32%
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Traverse City, Michigan? Traverse City, Michigan has about 15,593 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Traverse City, Michigan? The typical household in Traverse City, Michigan earns about $74,087 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Traverse City, Michigan expensive? In Traverse City, Michigan, the median home is worth about $415,400, and the typical rent is about $995 a month.
How educated are people in Traverse City, Michigan? About 47.4% of adults age 25 and over in Traverse City, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Traverse City, Michigan? About 12.3% of people in Traverse City, Michigan live below the federal poverty line.
Has Traverse City, Michigan grown since 1990? Yes, Traverse City, Michigan has grown since 1990. The population has added about 436 residents, a change of about 3 percent over that period.
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