Hillsdale County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hillsdale 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
-
D
Income Well below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hillsdale County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 45,654 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 75.2 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.10% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.0 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 17,860 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hillsdale County declined by 1.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 45,654 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hillsdale County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.5% of residents. That is 3.2 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,247 20.3% -0.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 8,197 18.0% -2.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 9,475 20.8% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 9,817 21.5% +3.2 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 49.8% of the people living in Hillsdale County and men 50.2%.
- Women 49.8% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 50.2% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hillsdale County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hillsdale County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Hillsdale County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,646 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.60% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hillsdale County is about 13% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Hillsdale County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $100,000 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $832 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 82.0% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hillsdale County is about 10.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $832 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hillsdale County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 171 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hillsdale County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.5 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.0 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 171 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,293 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.1% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,208 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 625 | 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 Hillsdale County is 20 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
Hillsdale County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Hillsdale County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.9% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.47 | 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
Hillsdale County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Hillsdale County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.6 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.9% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.6% | 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).
Hillsdale County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Hillsdale County, MI is typical in size for this group, 45,654 residents against a local median of 45,300, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Hillsdale County, MI's commute, at 20.5 min, runs 15% above the 17.8 min typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
The counties themselves spread 5.9 min on commute, so Hillsdale County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hillsdale County, MI has the 5th lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsdale County, MI | 45,654 | $63,646 #5/6 | $100,000 #4/6 | 20.5 min #5/6 |
| Williams County, OH | 36,719 | $61,606 | $115,123 | 17.0 min |
| Jackson County, MI | 160,066 | $66,829 | $152,125 | 17.9 min |
| Branch County, MI | 45,300 | $64,556 | $97,058 | 17.8 min |
| Steuben County, IN | 34,726 | $74,906 | $65,909 | 17.0 min |
| Lenawee County, MI | 98,415 | $70,175 | $152,038 | 22.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hillsdale County, Michigan.
How many people live in Hillsdale County, Michigan?
About 45,654 people live in Hillsdale County, Michigan, in 17,860 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
How densely populated is Hillsdale County, Michigan?
Averaged over its land area, Hillsdale County, Michigan has 75 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Hillsdale County, Michigan?
The median home costs 1.6 times the median household income ($100,000 against $63,646), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $832 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Hillsdale County, Michigan?
17.9% of adults in Hillsdale 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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