Kalkaska County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Kalkaska 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.
-
C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 87% of counties in Michigan
-
C
Income Below average
-
F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Kalkaska County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 18,239 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 32.0 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.69% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.3 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,789 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Kalkaska County grew by 6.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 18,239 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Kalkaska County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.4% of residents. That is 4.1 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,294 18.1% -3.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,572 19.6% -1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,959 21.7% +1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,083 22.4% +4.1 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 49.5% of the people living in Kalkaska County and men 50.5%.
- Women 49.5% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 50.5% Michigan 49.5%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Kalkaska County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Kalkaska County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Kalkaska County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,228 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.14% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Kalkaska County is about 7% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Kalkaska County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $68,749 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $852 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 88.2% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Kalkaska County is about 6.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $852 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Kalkaska County spend about 54 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 225 hours, about 9.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Kalkaska County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 26.9 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 53.9 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 225 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,961 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.4% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,562 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 649 | 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 Kalkaska County is 27 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
Kalkaska County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Kalkaska County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.1% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.31 | 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
Kalkaska County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Kalkaska County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.7 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.8% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.9% | 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).
Kalkaska County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Kalkaska County, MI is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 18,239 residents against a local median of 24,127. Kalkaska County, MI's median home price, at $68,749, runs 47% below the $130,555 typical of the counties around it.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 26.9 min against a local median of 20.8 min, 30% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 30% above the local median it puts Kalkaska County, MI at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $245,000 on median home price, so Kalkaska County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Kalkaska County, MI has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalkaska County, MI | 18,239 | $68,228 #3/4 | $68,749 #4/4 | 26.9 min #4/4 |
| Antrim County, MI | 24,127 | $72,664 | $369,999 | 22.3 min |
| Grand Traverse County, MI | 96,166 | $82,482 | $124,999 | 18.0 min |
| Roscommon County, MI | 23,737 | $55,664 | $130,555 | 20.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Kalkaska County, Michigan.
How many people live in Kalkaska County, Michigan?
About 18,239 people live in Kalkaska County, Michigan, in 7,789 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 43.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Kalkaska County, Michigan?
Averaged over its land area, Kalkaska County, Michigan has 32 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 37% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Kalkaska County, Michigan?
The median home costs 1.0 times the median household income ($68,749 against $68,228), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $852 a month takes about 15% 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 Kalkaska County, Michigan?
Unemployment in Kalkaska County, Michigan is only 3.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Kalkaska County, Michigan?
16.1% of adults in Kalkaska 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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