Delta County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Delta 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.
-
B
Health Around average
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Delta County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 36,813 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 18.5 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.09% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 45.7 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 15,971 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Delta County declined by 1.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 36,813 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Delta County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 24.2% of residents. That is 5.8 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,426 17.5% -3.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,313 17.1% -3.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,079 21.9% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,897 24.2% +5.8 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 49.5% of the people living in Delta County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 50.5% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Delta County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Delta County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Delta County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,589 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.17% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Delta County is about 20% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Delta County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $52,647 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $691 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.0% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Delta County is about 6.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $691 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Delta County spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 111 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Delta County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.3 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.6 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 111 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,434 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.8% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,889 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 189 | 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 Delta 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
Delta County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Delta County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.7% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.26 | 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
Delta County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Delta County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.9 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.5% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.6% | 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).
Delta County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Delta County, MI is the largest of the 5 counties compared here, 36,813 residents against a local median of 24,600. The measure that sets Delta County, MI apart most is median home price: $52,647, 76% below the local median of $217,542.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $58,589 against a local median of $70,228, 17% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 17% below the local median it puts Delta County, MI at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $257,707 on median home price, so Delta County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Delta County, MI has the 5th highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta County, MI | 36,813 | $58,589 #4/5 | $52,647 #5/5 | 13.3 min #2/5 |
| Menominee County, MI | 23,247 | $56,919 | $140,164 | 16.3 min |
| Door County, WI | 30,445 | $74,724 | $119,565 | 13.6 min |
| Dickinson County, MI | 25,954 | $65,732 | $377,272 | 12.2 min |
| Leelanau County, MI | 22,734 | $99,683 | $294,921 | 21.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Delta County, Michigan.
What is the population of Delta County, Michigan?
About 36,813 people live in Delta County, Michigan, in 15,971 households of 2.3 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 Delta County, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Delta County, Michigan has 19 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 21% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Delta County, Michigan an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.9 times the median household income ($52,647 against $58,589), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $691 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Delta County, Michigan?
18.7% of adults in Delta 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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