Genesee County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Genesee 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 89% of counties in Michigan
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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Genesee County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 403,150 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 620.4 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.33% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.9 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 167,323 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Genesee County declined by 6.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 403,150 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Genesee County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.1% of residents. That is 0.6 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 82,131 20.4% -0.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 80,129 19.9% -0.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 85,141 21.1% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 75,448 18.7% +0.4 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 51.7% of the people living in Genesee County and men 48.3%.
- Women 51.7% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 48.3% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Genesee County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Genesee County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Genesee County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,288 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.64% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.1% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Genesee County is about 15% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Genesee County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $96,479 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $988 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 70.8% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Genesee County is about 8.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $988 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Genesee County spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 181 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Genesee County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.7 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.4 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 181 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,604 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.9% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 13,575 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,836 | 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 Genesee 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
Genesee County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Genesee County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.0% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 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
Genesee County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Genesee County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 75.3 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.9% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.9% | 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).
Genesee County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Genesee County, MI is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 403,150 residents against a local median of 188,665. Genesee County, MI's median home price, at $96,479, runs 42% below the $166,666 typical of the counties around it.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $62,288 against a local median of $76,664, 19% below it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: commute runs ahead of the neighbourhood while median household income runs behind it, so Genesee County, MI is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread $164,015 on median home price, so Genesee County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Genesee County, MI has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesee County, MI | 403,150 | $62,288 #5/6 | $96,479 #5/6 | 21.7 min #2/6 |
| Shiawassee County, MI | 67,991 | $67,783 | $166,666 | 26.0 min |
| Livingston County, MI | 195,818 | $103,306 | $164,261 | 28.6 min |
| Saginaw County, MI | 188,665 | $60,674 | $95,147 | 18.2 min |
| Oakland County, MI | 1,277,811 | $98,107 | $259,162 | 23.4 min |
| Lapeer County, MI | 88,837 | $76,664 | $169,473 | 31.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Genesee County, Michigan.
How big is Genesee County, Michigan by population?
About 403,150 people live in Genesee County, Michigan, in 167,323 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 40.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Genesee County, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Genesee County, Michigan has 620 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 7.2 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Genesee County, Michigan?
The median home costs 1.5 times the median household income ($96,479 against $62,288), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $988 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Genesee County, Michigan?
Unemployment in Genesee County, Michigan is 8.1%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Genesee County, Michigan have a college degree?
21.0% of adults in Genesee 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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