Houghton County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Houghton 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 averageHealthier than 76% of counties in Michigan
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 87% of counties in Michigan
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C
Education Below averageBetter educated than 82% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Houghton County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 34,105 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 22.7 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.55% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 30.4 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,818 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Houghton County declined by 3.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 34,105 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Houghton County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 32.0% of residents. That is 10.8 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 10,911 32.0% +10.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,458 16.0% -4.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,576 16.4% -4.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,938 17.4% -0.9 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 45.3% of the people living in Houghton County and men 54.7%.
- Women 45.3% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 54.7% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Houghton County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Houghton County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Houghton County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $59,942 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.21% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Houghton County is about 18% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Houghton County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $102,273 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $840 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.1% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Houghton County is about 10.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $840 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Houghton 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 112 hours, about 4.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Houghton County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.5 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.9 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 112 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,475 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.0% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,724 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 571 | 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 Houghton 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
Houghton County has a education index of C, which means it is somewhat educated.
| Metric | Houghton County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.0% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.36 | 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
Houghton County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Houghton County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.8 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.2% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 19.6% | 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).
Houghton County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
How Houghton County, MI compares with the 1 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton County, MI | 34,105 | $59,942 #2/2 | $102,273 #2/2 | 13.5 min #1/2 |
| Marquette County, MI | 66,775 | $66,054 | $185,162 | 13.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Houghton County, Michigan.
How many people live in Houghton County, Michigan?
About 34,105 people live in Houghton County, Michigan, in 12,818 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 30.4, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 7 years.
Is Houghton County, Michigan mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Houghton County, Michigan has 23 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 26% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Houghton County, Michigan an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.7 times the median household income ($102,273 against $59,942), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $840 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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