Cass County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Cass 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 average
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 76% of counties in Michigan
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Cass County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,520 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 101.4 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.07% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.7 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 21,207 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Cass County grew by 2.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 51,520 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Cass County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.2% of residents. That is 1.7 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,688 18.8% -2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 9,320 18.1% -2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,446 22.2% +1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 11,443 22.2% +3.9 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 49.7% of the people living in Cass County and men 50.3%.
- Women 49.7% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 50.3% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Cass County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Cass County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Cass County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,806 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.03% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.0% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Cass County is about 3% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Cass County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $113,846 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $916 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 81.6% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Cass County is about 10.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $916 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Cass County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 184 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Cass County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.1 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.2 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 184 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,713 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.8% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,239 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,552 | 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 Cass County is 22 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
Cass County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Cass County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.5% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 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
Cass County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Cass County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.9 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.5% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.0% | 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).
Cass County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Cass County, MI is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 51,520 residents against a local median of 207,132. Where Cass County, MI breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 26% below the local median of $152,902 at $113,846.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 22.1 min against a local median of 18.2 min, 21% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 21% above the local median it puts Cass County, MI at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $56,172 on median home price, so Cass County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cass County, MI has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County, MI | 51,520 | $70,806 #2/6 | $113,846 #6/6 | 22.1 min #5/6 |
| Elkhart County, IN | 207,132 | $69,750 | $152,902 | 17.9 min |
| St. Joseph County, IN | 273,015 | $66,946 | $121,815 | 18.6 min |
| St. Joseph County, MI | 60,969 | $67,257 | $165,178 | 16.9 min |
| Van Buren County, MI | 75,795 | $68,304 | $177,987 | 22.3 min |
| Kalamazoo County, MI | 262,419 | $72,425 | $141,172 | 18.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cass County, Michigan.
How big is Cass County, Michigan by population?
About 51,520 people live in Cass County, Michigan, in 21,207 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 45.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 8 years.
Is Cass County, Michigan mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Cass County, Michigan has 101 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.
How affordable is housing in Cass County, Michigan?
The median home costs 1.6 times the median household income ($113,846 against $70,806), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $916 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Cass County, Michigan have a college degree?
19.5% of adults in Cass County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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