Jackson County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Jackson 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 average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Jackson County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 160,066 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 221.2 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.02% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.9 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 62,382 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Jackson County declined by 1.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 160,066 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Jackson County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.2% of residents. That is 0.7 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 32,521 20.3% -0.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 32,678 20.4% -0.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 33,894 21.2% +0.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 29,696 18.6% +0.2 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 48.8% of the people living in Jackson County and men 51.2%.
- Women 48.8% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 51.2% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Jackson County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Jackson County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Jackson County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,829 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.28% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.5% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Jackson County is about 8% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Jackson County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $152,125 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $984 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 75.0% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Jackson County is about 12.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $984 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Jackson County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 149 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Jackson County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.9 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.8 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 149 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,619 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 9.8% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,090 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,283 | 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 Jackson 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
Jackson County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Jackson County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.4% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.41 | 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
Jackson County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Jackson County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.1 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.9% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.9% | 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).
Jackson County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Jackson County, MI is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 160,066 residents against a local median of 109,130. Jackson County, MI's median home price, at $152,125, runs 17% above the $129,821 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $52,038 on median home price, so Jackson County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Jackson County, MI has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, MI | 160,066 | $66,829 #3/6 | $152,125 #1/6 | 17.9 min #3/6 |
| Ingham County, MI | 283,163 | $65,698 | $129,821 | 17.9 min |
| Hillsdale County, MI | 45,654 | $63,646 | $100,000 | 20.5 min |
| Lenawee County, MI | 98,415 | $70,175 | $152,038 | 22.9 min |
| Eaton County, MI | 109,130 | $80,261 | $136,642 | 20.1 min |
| Calhoun County, MI | 133,799 | $63,881 | $100,765 | 17.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Jackson County, Michigan.
How many people live in Jackson County, Michigan?
About 160,066 people live in Jackson County, Michigan, in 62,382 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 41.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Jackson County, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Jackson County, Michigan has 221 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.6 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Jackson County, Michigan?
The median home costs 2.3 times the median household income ($152,125 against $66,829), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $984 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Jackson County, Michigan?
20.4% of adults in Jackson 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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