Leelanau County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Leelanau 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 averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in Michigan
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B
Income Around averageWealthier than 93% of counties in Michigan
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A+
Education Top gradeAmong the top 3 best educated counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Leelanau County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,734 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 9.0 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.55% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 55.9 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,645 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Leelanau County grew by 3.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 22,734 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Leelanau County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 30.3% of residents. That is 12.0 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 3,282 14.4% -6.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 3,470 15.3% -5.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,975 21.9% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,899 30.3% +12.0 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 50.4% of the people living in Leelanau County and men 49.6%.
- Women 50.4% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 49.6% Michigan 49.5%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Leelanau County
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Economy
Leelanau County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Leelanau County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $99,683 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.79% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Leelanau County is about 37% higher than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Leelanau County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $294,921 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,227 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 91.6% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Leelanau County is about 20.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,227 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Leelanau County spend about 42 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 177 hours, about 7.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Leelanau County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.2 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 42.4 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 177 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,479 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 15.9% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,490 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,969 | 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 Leelanau County is about the same as 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
Leelanau County has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Leelanau County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.0% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | 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
Leelanau County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Leelanau County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 82.7 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.5% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.9% | 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).
Leelanau County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Leelanau County, MI is typical in size for this group, 22,734 residents against a local median of 25,729, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Leelanau County, MI's median household income, at $99,683, runs 33% above the $74,795 typical of the counties around it. That is the better end of the local range on this measure.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 21.2 min against a local median of 17.8 min, 19% above it. The picture is mixed rather than uniform: median household income runs ahead of the neighbourhood while commute runs behind it, so Leelanau County, MI is trading one against the other rather than simply out-performing what surrounds it. The counties themselves spread $18,004 on median household income, so Leelanau County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Leelanau County, MI has the highest median household income of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leelanau County, MI | 22,734 | $99,683 #1/5 | $294,921 #3/5 | 21.2 min #4/5 |
| Grand Traverse County, MI | 96,166 | $82,482 | $124,999 | 18.0 min |
| Charlevoix County, MI | 26,108 | $76,927 | $326,041 | 17.5 min |
| Manistee County, MI | 25,350 | $64,478 | $272,572 | 16.8 min |
| Antrim County, MI | 24,127 | $72,664 | $369,999 | 22.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Leelanau County, Michigan.
How many people live in Leelanau County, Michigan?
About 22,734 people live in Leelanau County, Michigan, in 9,645 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 55.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 19 years.
Is Leelanau County, Michigan mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Leelanau County, Michigan has 9 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 10% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Leelanau County, Michigan?
The median home costs 3.0 times the median household income ($294,921 against $99,683), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,227 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Leelanau County, Michigan?
Unemployment in Leelanau County, Michigan is only 3.4%, 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 Leelanau County, Michigan?
46.0% of adults in Leelanau County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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