Gratiot County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Gratiot 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
-
D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 90% of counties in Michigan
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 74% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Gratiot County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,391 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 72.4 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.08% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.0 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 14,777 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Gratiot County declined by 2.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 41,391 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Gratiot County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 22.7% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,375 22.7% +1.5 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,800 21.3% +0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,242 19.9% -0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,321 17.7% -0.6 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 46.5% of the people living in Gratiot County and men 53.5%.
- Women 46.5% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 53.5% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Gratiot County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Gratiot County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Gratiot County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,123 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.19% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Gratiot County is about 12% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Gratiot County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $98,617 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $834 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.9% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Gratiot County is about 9.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $834 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Gratiot County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 153 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Gratiot County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.4 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.8 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 153 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,758 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.7% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,975 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,138 | 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 Gratiot 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
Gratiot County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Gratiot County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.6% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 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
Gratiot County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Gratiot County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.0% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.3% | 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).
Gratiot County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Gratiot County, MI is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 41,391 residents against a local median of 79,626. The measure that sets Gratiot County, MI apart most is median home price: $98,617, 39% below the local median of $160,833.
The counties themselves spread $93,742 on median home price, so Gratiot County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Gratiot County, MI has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gratiot County, MI | 41,391 | $64,123 #4/6 | $98,617 #5/6 | 18.4 min #3/6 |
| Clinton County, MI | 79,626 | $88,737 | $165,901 | 21.3 min |
| Midland County, MI | 83,757 | $78,496 | $157,692 | 18.8 min |
| Isabella County, MI | 64,565 | $55,505 | $160,833 | 15.5 min |
| Montcalm County, MI | 67,816 | $67,531 | $188,888 | 28.2 min |
| Saginaw County, MI | 188,665 | $60,674 | $95,147 | 18.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Gratiot County, Michigan.
What is the population of Gratiot County, Michigan?
About 41,391 people live in Gratiot County, Michigan, in 14,777 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
How densely populated is Gratiot County, Michigan?
Averaged over its land area, Gratiot County, Michigan has 72 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Gratiot County, Michigan an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.5 times the median household income ($98,617 against $64,123), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $834 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Gratiot County, Michigan?
Unemployment in Gratiot County, Michigan is only 4.2%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Gratiot County, Michigan have a college degree?
16.6% of adults in Gratiot County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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