Charlevoix County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Charlevoix 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 77% of counties in Michigan
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 82% of counties in Michigan
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B
Education Around averageBetter educated than 85% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Charlevoix County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,108 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 18.8 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.03% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 50.6 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,267 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Charlevoix County grew by 0.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,108 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Charlevoix County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 25.9% of residents. That is 7.6 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,336 16.6% -4.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,491 17.2% -3.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,839 22.4% +1.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,763 25.9% +7.6 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 50.3% of the people living in Charlevoix County and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 49.7% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Charlevoix County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Charlevoix County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Charlevoix County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $76,927 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.92% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Charlevoix County is about 5% higher than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Charlevoix County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $326,041 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $949 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.5% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Charlevoix County is about 28.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $949 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Charlevoix County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 146 hours, about 6.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Charlevoix County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.5 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.1 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 146 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,530 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.4% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,605 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 900 | 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 Charlevoix County is 18 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
Charlevoix County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Charlevoix County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.6% | 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
Charlevoix County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Charlevoix County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.3 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.3% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 18.1% | 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).
Charlevoix County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Charlevoix County, MI is typical in size for this group, 26,108 residents against a local median of 29,126, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Charlevoix County, MI breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 55% above the local median of $209,960 at $326,041.
The counties themselves spread $260,909 on median home price, so Charlevoix County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Charlevoix County, MI has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlevoix County, MI | 26,108 | $76,927 #4/5 | $326,041 #2/5 | 17.5 min #2/5 |
| Emmet County, MI | 34,125 | $78,983 | $109,091 | 17.3 min |
| Antrim County, MI | 24,127 | $72,664 | $369,999 | 22.3 min |
| Leelanau County, MI | 22,734 | $99,683 | $294,921 | 21.2 min |
| Grand Traverse County, MI | 96,166 | $82,482 | $124,999 | 18.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Charlevoix County, Michigan.
How many people live in Charlevoix County, Michigan?
About 26,108 people live in Charlevoix County, Michigan, in 12,267 households of 2.1 people on average. The median age is 50.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 13 years.
Is Charlevoix County, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Charlevoix County, Michigan has 19 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 22% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Charlevoix County, Michigan?
The median home costs 4.2 times the median household income ($326,041 against $76,927), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $949 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Charlevoix County, Michigan?
Unemployment in Charlevoix County, Michigan is only 3.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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