Ionia County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ionia 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
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 77% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Ionia County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 66,574 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 114.8 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.48% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.0 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 23,355 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ionia County grew by 4.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 66,574 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ionia County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 23.0% of residents. That is 2.3 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 14,513 21.8% +0.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 15,302 23.0% +2.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 13,810 20.7% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 10,845 16.3% -2.0 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 45.8% of the people living in Ionia County and men 54.2%.
- Women 45.8% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 54.2% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Ionia County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Ionia County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Ionia County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $75,790 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.35% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ionia County is about 4% higher than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Ionia County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $82,024 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $883 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.3% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ionia County is about 7.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $883 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ionia County spend about 52 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 215 hours, about 9.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ionia County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 25.8 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 51.6 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 215 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,670 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.1% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 11,198 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,235 | 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 Ionia County is 26 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
Ionia County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Ionia County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.4% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.71 | 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
Ionia County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Ionia County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.5 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.3% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.0% | 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).
Ionia County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Ionia County, MI is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 66,574 residents against a local median of 79,626. The measure that sets Ionia County, MI apart most is median home price: $82,024, 51% below the local median of $165,901.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 25.8 min against a local median of 21.3 min, 21% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 21% above the local median it puts Ionia County, MI at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $86,869 on median home price, so Ionia County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Ionia County, MI has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ionia County, MI | 66,574 | $75,790 #5/6 | $82,024 #6/6 | 25.8 min #4/6 |
| Montcalm County, MI | 67,816 | $67,531 | $188,888 | 28.2 min |
| Barry County, MI | 63,409 | $78,210 | $157,432 | 27.1 min |
| Eaton County, MI | 109,130 | $80,261 | $136,642 | 20.1 min |
| Clinton County, MI | 79,626 | $88,737 | $165,901 | 21.3 min |
| Kent County, MI | 662,843 | $83,335 | $223,510 | 18.7 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ionia County, Michigan.
How big is Ionia County, Michigan by population?
About 66,574 people live in Ionia County, Michigan, in 23,355 households of 2.7 people on average. The median age is 37.0, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Ionia County, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Ionia County, Michigan has 115 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Ionia County, Michigan an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.1 times the median household income ($82,024 against $75,790), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $883 a month takes about 14% 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 Ionia County, Michigan?
Unemployment in Ionia County, Michigan is only 3.9%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How common is a college degree in Ionia County, Michigan?
15.4% of adults in Ionia 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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