Baraga County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Baraga County, MI Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 84% of counties in Michigan
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D
Income Well below averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in Michigan
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 76% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Baraga County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,191 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 7.7 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.62% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.5 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,433 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Baraga County declined by 7.8% from 2010 to 2024, reaching 8,191 in 2024.
Population Growth 2010–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Baraga County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.5% of residents. That is 2.0 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,558 19.0% -2.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,564 19.1% -1.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,844 22.5% +2.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,843 22.5% +4.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Michigan, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 44.3% of the people living in Baraga County and men 55.7%.
- Women 44.3% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 55.7% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Baraga County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Baraga County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Baraga County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $57,871 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.09% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.1% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Baraga County is about 21% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Baraga County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $154,167 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $615 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.5% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Baraga County is about 20.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $615 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Baraga County spend about 25 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 105 hours, about 4.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Baraga County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 12.5 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 25.1 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 105 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,241 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.8% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,759 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 342 | 1,585 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Michigan:
Luce County (11.4 min), Dickinson County (12.2 min), Schoolcraft County (12.5 min).
Slowest:
Lapeer County (31.3 min), Lake County (31.1 min), Livingston County (28.6 min).
The average commute time in Baraga County is 13 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Michigan.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Baraga County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Baraga County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.0% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.10 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Michigan:
Washtenaw County (0.4), Oakland County (0.4), Leelanau County (0.4).
Lowest:
Lake County (0.2), Oscoda County (0.2), Kalkaska County (0.2).
Health
Baraga County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Baraga County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.2 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.1% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.2% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Michigan:
Washtenaw County (0.8), Ottawa County (0.8), Livingston County (0.8).
Lowest:
Clare County (0.8), Oscoda County (0.8), Lake County (0.8).
Baraga County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Baraga County, MI is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 8,191 residents against a local median of 34,105. Baraga County, MI's median home price, at $154,167, runs 17% below the $185,162 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $274,999 on median home price, so Baraga County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Baraga County, MI has the 3rd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baraga County, MI | 8,191 | $57,871 #4/4 | $154,167 #3/4 | 12.5 min #2/4 |
| Houghton County, MI | 34,105 | $59,942 | $102,273 | 13.5 min |
| Marquette County, MI | 66,775 | $66,054 | $185,162 | 13.9 min |
| Dickinson County, MI | 25,954 | $65,732 | $377,272 | 12.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Baraga County, Michigan.
How big is Baraga County, Michigan by population?
About 8,191 people live in Baraga County, Michigan, in 3,433 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 46.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 9 years.
How densely populated is Baraga County, Michigan?
Averaged over its land area, Baraga County, Michigan has 8 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 9% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Baraga County, Michigan?
The median home costs 2.7 times the median household income ($154,167 against $57,871), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $615 a month takes about 13% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Baraga County, Michigan have a college degree?
15.0% of adults in Baraga County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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