Iron County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Iron 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
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 74% of counties in Michigan
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Iron County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,667 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 9.6 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.31% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 51.6 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,547 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Iron County declined by 2.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 11,667 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Iron County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 29.1% of residents. That is 10.8 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,668 14.3% -6.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,750 15.0% -5.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,532 21.7% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,395 29.1% +10.8 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 50.1% of the people living in Iron County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 49.9% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Iron County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Iron County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Iron County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,137 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.79% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.4% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Iron County is about 23% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Iron County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $159,374 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $716 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.5% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Iron County is about 18.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $716 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Iron County spend about 28 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 116 hours, about 4.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Iron County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.9 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 27.9 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 116 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,601 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.6% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,131 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 219 | 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 Iron County is 14 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
Iron County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Iron County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.6% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.05 | 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
Iron County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Iron County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.4 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.5% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.9% | 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).
Iron County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
How Iron County, MI compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron County, MI | 11,667 | $56,137 #3/3 | $159,374 #2/3 | 13.9 min #3/3 |
| Dickinson County, MI | 25,954 | $65,732 | $377,272 | 12.2 min |
| Houghton County, MI | 34,105 | $59,942 | $102,273 | 13.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Iron County, Michigan.
How many people live in Iron County, Michigan?
About 11,667 people live in Iron County, Michigan, in 5,547 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 51.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 14 years.
How densely populated is Iron County, Michigan?
Averaged over its land area, Iron County, Michigan has 10 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 11% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Iron County, Michigan?
The median home costs 2.8 times the median household income ($159,374 against $56,137), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $716 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Iron County, Michigan have a college degree?
19.6% of adults in Iron County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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