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COUNTY

Houghton County

Michigan · 37,842 residents (2025 est.) · 1,009 sq mi
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Part of the Houghton micropolitan area
The short version

With 37,693 people, Houghton County is a county in Michigan. This skews young, with a median age of 32.2. The typical home is worth $159,900, having roughly tripled since 2000. Getting to work takes 16 minutes on average. The foreign-born share is 5%. Density works out to 37 people per square mile.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 32.2
US median: 38.9
Average education
37% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 54%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
37,693
+5%since 2000
from 36,016 in 2000
37,842 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
37 / sq mi
+7%since 2009
from 35 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
32.2
−5%since 2000
from 34.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
1,009 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
35K36K36K37K38K19902000201020202024Houghton County
202438K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55%(1,870)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.4%(2,018)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.7%(2,160)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 1911.5%(4,345)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2414.2%(5,370)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411%(4,150)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 449.5%(3,564)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 549%(3,408)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6410.7%(4,033)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.3%(3,893)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 845.7%(2,138)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2%(744)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$58,899
+12%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $28,817 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$31,893
+112%since 2000
from $15,078 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
41.0%
+25.4 ptssince 2009
from 15.6% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
16.5%
−0.3 ptssince 2000
from 16.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.464
+1%since 2010
from 0.459 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade10.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Information10.6%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade6.6%
US avg: 6.9%
Other services3.8%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance3.4%
US avg: 5.9%
Public administration2.9%
US avg: 4.8%
Professional, scientific, technical2.5%
US avg: 5.1%
Transportation & warehousing1.7%
US avg: 2.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.5%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction1.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.3%
US avg: 1.9%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$159,900
+54%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $57,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$840
+25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $368 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
71.8%
+0.4 ptssince 2000
from 71.4% in 2000
28.2% rent
Vacancy rate
24.2%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 24.2% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.33 people
+3%since 2009
from 2.26 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
15.1%
−10.1 ptssince 2009
from 25.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
51.0%
−8.7 ptssince 2009
from 59.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.7
+4%since 2009
from 2.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
83
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic95.1%(34,239)
Black0.9%(334)
Hispanic / Latino0.7%(251)
Asian1.8%(643)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic90.9%(34,270)
Black1.1%(416)
Hispanic / Latino1.8%(697)
Asian2.9%(1,084)
Other3.3%(1,226)
Diversity Score
21
+53%since 2009
from 14 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
28
−17%since 2020
from 34 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican1.1%(430)
Puerto Rican0.2%(57)
Spaniard0.1%(49)
Colombian0.1%(41)
Cuban0.1%(26)
Chilean0%(6)
+ 1 more hispanic origin group with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.7%(268)
Filipino0.2%(70)
Bangladeshi0.2%(62)
Pakistani0.1%(56)
Korean0.1%(54)
Vietnamese0.1%(54)
Japanese0.1%(32)
Thai0%(3)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(3)
Ancestry
Finnish25.3%(9,532)
German17%(6,398)
English8.7%(3,273)
Irish8.5%(3,205)
Italian6%(2,278)
French4.7%(1,757)
Polish4.5%(1,706)
Swedish4.5%(1,681)
American3.1%(1,159)
Dutch2.4%(888)
Norwegian1.8%(686)
+ 36 more ancestry groups with data
Scottish1.5%(562)
Croatian1%(376)
Hungarian0.6%(217)
Scotch-Irish0.6%(209)
Russian0.4%(156)
Czech0.4%(155)
Slovene0.4%(151)
Welsh0.3%(124)
Nigerian0.3%(106)
Lithuanian0.2%(94)
Iranian0.2%(83)
Austrian0.2%(78)
Ukrainian0.2%(75)
British0.2%(71)
Swiss0.2%(66)
Arab0.2%(64)
Kenyan0.2%(61)
Danish0.2%(59)
Belgian0.2%(58)
Lebanese0.1%(56)
Canadian0.1%(55)
Slovak0.1%(43)
Greek0.1%(36)
Turkish0.1%(35)
Romanian0.1%(31)
Macedonian0.1%(29)
Brazilian0%(15)
Somali0%(11)
Haitian0%(5)
Syrian0%(4)
Latvian0%(4)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
37.2%
+14.3 ptssince 2000
from 23.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
94.5%
+9.8 ptssince 2000
from 84.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
16.6%
+7.7 ptssince 2000
from 8.9% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
15.6 min
+47%since 2000
from 10.6 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
63.7%
−4.6 ptssince 2009
from 68.3% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
10.1%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
2.4%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 2.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
11.0%
+6.9 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
10.4%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 9.1% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.5%
−1.1 ptssince 2009
from 7.6% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.7%
−3.0 ptssince 2011
from 8.7% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
57.8%
−0.5 ptssince 2011
from 58.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.9%
+1.1 ptssince 2020
from 70.8% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
16.8%
−2.4 ptssince 2009
from 19.2% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
42.5%
+10.5 ptssince 2009
from 32.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
54.7%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 53.8% in 2009
Female
45.3%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 46.2% in 2009
Foreign born
5.3%
+2.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.1% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.7%
−4.4 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
11.6%
−0.9 ptssince 2012
from 12.5% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.1%
−5.6 ptssince 2013
from 10.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
88.7%
+15.9 ptssince 2017
from 72.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
93.0%
+4.4 ptssince 2020
from 88.6% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
80.1%
−1.6 ptssince 2020
from 81.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
93.5%
−0.1 ptssince 2016
from 93.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
0.8%
−0.1 ptssince 2016
from 0.9% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married50.3%(8,778)
Married40.7%(7,089)
Widowed2.3%(401)
Divorced6.7%(1,169)
Women 15+
Never married34.5%(4,907)
Married47.5%(6,745)
Widowed6.6%(940)
Divorced11.4%(1,616)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.1%
−5.6 ptssince 2013
from 10.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
56.8%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 53.8% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.7%
+1.3 ptssince 2020
from 17.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
18.8%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 18.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
20.4%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 21.9% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.2%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 3.2% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
73.1%
+3.5 ptssince 2020
from 69.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
37.3%
−0.9 ptssince 2020
from 38.2% 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)17.9%(359)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.9%(399)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era37.1%(745)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.8%(96)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II1.7%(34)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 2,008 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

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Head to head

Compare Houghton County to nearby counties

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Income$55,327−6%
Home value$138,100−14%
Population8,169−78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
HOUGHTON COUNTY VS
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Home value$169,800+6%
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HOUGHTON COUNTY VS
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Income$54,398−8%
Home value$111,700−30%
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HOUGHTON COUNTY VS
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Income$65,429+11%
Home value$216,500+35%
Population68,064+80%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Houghton County, Michigan?

Houghton County, Michigan has about 37,693 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Houghton County, Michigan?

The typical household in Houghton County, Michigan earns about $58,899 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Houghton County, Michigan expensive?

In Houghton County, Michigan, the median home is worth about $159,900, and the typical rent is about $840 a month.

How educated are people in Houghton County, Michigan?

About 37.2% of adults age 25 and over in Houghton County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Houghton County, Michigan?

About 16.5% of people in Houghton County, Michigan live below the federal poverty line.

Has Houghton County, Michigan grown since 1990?

Yes, Houghton County, Michigan has grown since 1990. The population has added about 2,247 residents, a change of about 6 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

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