Barry County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Barry 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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B
Health Around averageHealthier than 85% of counties in Michigan
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 90% of counties in Michigan
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Barry County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 63,409 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 109.9 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.84% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.3 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 24,480 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Barry County grew by 7.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 63,409 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Barry County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.0% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 11,692 18.4% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 12,788 20.2% -0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,957 22.0% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 12,349 19.5% +1.2 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 49.8% of the people living in Barry County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 50.2% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Barry County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Barry County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Barry County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,210 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.03% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Barry County is about 7% higher than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Barry County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $157,432 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $971 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 87.3% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Barry County is about 13.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $971 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Barry County spend about 54 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 226 hours, about 9.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Barry County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 27.1 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 54.2 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 226 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $7,000 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.5% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,418 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,071 | 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 Barry County is 27 minutes, longer 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
Barry County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Barry County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.3% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.57 | 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
Barry County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Barry County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.4 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 13.5% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.0% | 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).
Barry County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Barry County, MI is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 63,409 residents against a local median of 133,799. Barry County, MI's commute, at 27.1 min, runs 45% above the 18.7 min typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $157,432 against a local median of $136,642, 15% above it. The counties themselves spread 8.4 min on commute, so Barry County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Barry County, MI has the 6th lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry County, MI | 63,409 | $78,210 #3/6 | $157,432 #2/6 | 27.1 min #6/6 |
| Kalamazoo County, MI | 262,419 | $72,425 | $141,172 | 18.2 min |
| Ionia County, MI | 66,574 | $75,790 | $82,024 | 25.8 min |
| Calhoun County, MI | 133,799 | $63,881 | $100,765 | 17.4 min |
| Eaton County, MI | 109,130 | $80,261 | $136,642 | 20.1 min |
| Kent County, MI | 662,843 | $83,335 | $223,510 | 18.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Barry County, Michigan.
What is the population of Barry County, Michigan?
About 63,409 people live in Barry County, Michigan, in 24,480 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 40.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
How densely populated is Barry County, Michigan?
Averaged over its land area, Barry County, Michigan has 110 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Barry County, Michigan?
The median home costs 2.0 times the median household income ($157,432 against $78,210), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $971 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Barry County, Michigan?
22.3% of adults in Barry County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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