Gladwin County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Gladwin 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.
-
C
Health Below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Michigan
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 76% of counties in Michigan
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 84% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Gladwin County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,693 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 49.8 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.16% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 51.2 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 11,280 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Gladwin County declined by 2.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,693 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Gladwin County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 27.9% of residents. That is 9.6 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,982 15.5% -5.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,066 15.8% -4.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,562 21.6% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,165 27.9% +9.6 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 49.6% of the people living in Gladwin County and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 50.4% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Gladwin County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Gladwin County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Gladwin County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,129 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.50% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.8% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Gladwin County is about 23% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Gladwin County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $98,213 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $689 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 86.1% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Gladwin County is about 11.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $689 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Gladwin County spend about 48 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 200 hours, about 8.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Gladwin County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.9 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.9 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 200 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,186 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.9% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,908 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 935 | 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 Gladwin County is 24 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
Gladwin County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Gladwin County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.8% | 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
Gladwin County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Gladwin County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.6% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.4% | 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).
Gladwin County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Gladwin County, MI is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 25,693 residents against a local median of 31,218. Gladwin County, MI's commute, at 23.9 min, runs 19% above the 20.1 min typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 5.1 min on commute, so Gladwin County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Gladwin County, MI has the 6th lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladwin County, MI | 25,693 | $56,129 #3/6 | $98,213 #5/6 | 23.9 min #6/6 |
| Midland County, MI | 83,757 | $78,496 | $157,692 | 18.8 min |
| Roscommon County, MI | 23,737 | $55,664 | $130,555 | 20.8 min |
| Ogemaw County, MI | 20,885 | $54,179 | $14,035 | 20.0 min |
| Clare County, MI | 31,218 | $49,410 | $112,500 | 23.9 min |
| Bay County, MI | 103,008 | $62,107 | $104,654 | 20.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Gladwin County, Michigan.
How big is Gladwin County, Michigan by population?
About 25,693 people live in Gladwin County, Michigan, in 11,280 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 51.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 14 years.
Is Gladwin County, Michigan mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Gladwin County, Michigan has 50 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 58% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Gladwin County, Michigan?
The median home costs 1.7 times the median household income ($98,213 against $56,129), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $689 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 Gladwin County, Michigan?
Unemployment in Gladwin County, Michigan is 6.8%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Gladwin County, Michigan have a college degree?
13.8% of adults in Gladwin County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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