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COUNTY

Lake County

Michigan · 13,182 residents (2025 est.) · 567.594 sq mi
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The short version

Lake County has notably lower household income than the US average, with a median household income of $50,805. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. 13% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national rate of 36%. Median home value has more than doubled since 2000, reaching $133,900. With a median age of 50.5, the population is older than the US median of 38.9. Households here earn about 30% less than the Michigan median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 50.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
13% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
12,563
+11%since 2000
from 11,333 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
22 / sq mi
+12%since 2009
from 20 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
50.5
+17%since 2000
from 43.1 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:13,182 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
8K9K11K12K13K1990201020202024Lake County
202413K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 53.3%(415)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.4%(556)
US avg: 6%
10 to 144.4%(550)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 195.3%(664)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 245.5%(693)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 348%(1,005)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4413.1%(1,648)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5411.4%(1,431)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6417.3%(2,178)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7417.4%(2,188)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 847.8%(980)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2%(255)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$50,805
+5%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,622 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$28,058
+94%since 2000
from $14,457 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
27.7%
+15.1 ptssince 2009
from 12.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
20.5%
+1.1 ptssince 2000
from 19.4% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.429
−1%since 2010
from 0.433 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Retail trade20.1%
US avg: 9.9%
Information12.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.7%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance5.7%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services5.3%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical5%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration4.2%
US avg: 4.8%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing2.7%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction2.4%
US avg: 1.2%
Arts, entertainment, food2.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.5%
US avg: 2.2%
Education & health services0.6%
US avg: 0.9%
Manufacturing0.3%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$133,900
+25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $59,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$875
+24%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $387 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
82.0%
−1.0 ptssince 2000
from 83.0% in 2000
18.0% rent
Vacancy rate
61.4%
−11.2 ptssince 2009
from 72.6% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
26.8%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 29.5% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
45.0%
−4.7 ptssince 2009
from 49.7% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
2.6
−14%since 2009
from 3.1 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
41
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Lake County on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic83.9%(9,511)
Black11%(1,252)
Hispanic / Latino1.7%(191)
Asian0.2%(17)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic75.5%(9,490)
Black7.8%(984)
Hispanic / Latino9.3%(1,163)
Asian0.3%(38)
Other7.1%(888)
Diversity Score
51
+52%since 2009
from 34 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
17
−51%since 2020
from 35 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
Mexican4.5%(569)
Puerto Rican2.7%(343)
Spaniard0.8%(101)
Guatemalan0.5%(58)
Peruvian0.2%(30)
Panamanian0.1%(17)
Bolivian0.1%(14)
Asian origin
Japanese0.1%(16)
Vietnamese0.1%(13)
Korean0.1%(9)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(5)
Ancestry
German14.7%(1,847)
English12.9%(1,625)
Irish10%(1,251)
American5.1%(641)
Dutch4.3%(539)
Polish3.7%(468)
French2.8%(356)
Swedish1.6%(197)
Scottish1.5%(191)
Italian1.3%(160)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(138)
+ 26 more ancestry groups with data
Lithuanian1%(131)
Norwegian0.7%(93)
Welsh0.6%(76)
Czech0.4%(50)
British0.3%(42)
Finnish0.3%(36)
Swiss0.3%(35)
Austrian0.3%(33)
Greek0.3%(33)
Russian0.2%(28)
Hungarian0.2%(26)
Ukrainian0.2%(26)
Kenyan0.2%(25)
Danish0.2%(24)
Canadian0.2%(21)
Belgian0.1%(16)
Slovak0.1%(8)
Croatian0.1%(7)
Latvian0.1%(7)
Iranian0%(2)
Israeli0%(1)
RANKED:Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population · Largest Mexican population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
12.7%
+4.9 ptssince 2000
from 7.8% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
85.7%
+13.4 ptssince 2000
from 72.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
3.6%
+1.3 ptssince 2000
from 2.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
34.0 min
+64%since 2000
from 20.7 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
79.5%
+3.1 ptssince 2009
from 76.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.1%
−4.6 ptssince 2009
from 11.7% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
1.3%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 1.0% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
9.9%
+3.5 ptssince 2009
from 6.3% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
0.8%
−2.6 ptssince 2009
from 3.4% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.5%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.9%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 7.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
7.4%
−7.4 ptssince 2011
from 14.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
44.7%
+2.6 ptssince 2011
from 42.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
10.2%
−7.1 ptssince 2009
from 17.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
25.6%
−32.5 ptssince 2009
from 58.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
53.6%
+2.7 ptssince 2009
from 50.9% in 2009
Female
46.4%
−2.7 ptssince 2009
from 49.1% in 2009
Foreign born
1.0%
+0.5 ptssince 2009
from 0.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
8.4%
−42.3 ptssince 2009
from 50.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
24.3%
−1.1 ptssince 2012
from 25.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
7.3%
−76.5 ptssince 2013
from 83.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
81.2%
+24.4 ptssince 2017
from 56.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
95.4%
−2.4 ptssince 2016
from 97.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
3.0%
+1.9 ptssince 2016
from 1.1% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34.2%(2,036)
Married44.2%(2,629)
Widowed2.9%(172)
Divorced18.8%(1,117)
Women 15+
Never married22.1%(1,123)
Married51.4%(2,613)
Widowed12.3%(624)
Divorced14.3%(728)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

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Head to head

Compare Lake County to nearby counties

LAKE COUNTY VS
Osceola County
Income$58,267+15%
Home value$155,400+16%
Population23,516+78%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAKE COUNTY VS
Wexford County
Income$61,085+20%
Home value$170,400+27%
Population34,445+161%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAKE COUNTY VS
Newaygo County
Income$63,304+25%
Home value$186,700+39%
Population51,622+292%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAKE COUNTY VS
Manistee County
Income$63,516+25%
Home value$182,200+36%
Population25,656+95%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Lake County, Michigan?

Lake County, Michigan has about 12,563 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in Lake County, Michigan earns about $50,805 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Lake County, Michigan expensive?

In Lake County, Michigan, the median home is worth about $133,900, and the typical rent is about $875 a month.

How educated are people in Lake County, Michigan?

About 12.7% of adults age 25 and over in Lake County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Lake County, Michigan?

About 20.5% of people in Lake County, Michigan live below the federal poverty line.

Has Lake County, Michigan grown since 1990?

Yes, Lake County, Michigan has grown since 1990. The population has added about 3,980 residents, a change of about 46 percent over that period.

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Explore from here

4 census tracts
Census Tract 9611Census Tract 9613Census Tract 9612Census Tract 9601
6 ZIP codes
ZIP 49304ZIP 49656ZIP 49644ZIP 49402ZIP 49623ZIP 49642
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →