Mackinac County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Mackinac 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 70% of counties in Michigan
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 73% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Mackinac County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,957 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 5.2 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.05% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 53.8 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 5,199 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Mackinac County grew by 0.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 10,957 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Mackinac County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 27.9% of residents. That is 9.6 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,646 15.0% -6.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,791 16.3% -4.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 2,580 23.5% +3.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,055 27.9% +9.6 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 49.6% of the people living in Mackinac County and men 50.4%.
- Women 49.6% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 50.4% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Mackinac County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Mackinac County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Mackinac County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,879 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.68% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 7.9% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Mackinac County is about 14% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Mackinac County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $329,687 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $760 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 77.9% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Mackinac County is about 36.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $760 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Mackinac County spend about 31 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 130 hours, about 5.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Mackinac County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 15.6 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.2 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 130 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,030 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.5% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,115 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 532 | 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 Mackinac County is 16 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
Mackinac County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Mackinac County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.9% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.03 | 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
Mackinac County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Mackinac County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.9 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.0% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.6% | 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).
Mackinac County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Mackinac County, MI is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 10,957 residents against a local median of 30,116. The measure that sets Mackinac County, MI apart most is median home price: $329,687, 104% above the local median of $161,533.
The counties themselves spread $216,951 on median home price, so Mackinac County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mackinac County, MI has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mackinac County, MI | 10,957 | $62,879 #5/5 | $329,687 #1/5 | 15.6 min #2/5 |
| Emmet County, MI | 34,125 | $78,983 | $109,091 | 17.3 min |
| Chippewa County, MI | 36,295 | $62,983 | $178,274 | 13.5 min |
| Charlevoix County, MI | 26,108 | $76,927 | $326,041 | 17.5 min |
| Cheboygan County, MI | 25,865 | $63,766 | $144,791 | 21.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Mackinac County, Michigan.
What is the population of Mackinac County, Michigan?
About 10,957 people live in Mackinac County, Michigan, in 5,199 households of 2.0 people on average. The median age is 53.8, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 16 years.
Is Mackinac County, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Mackinac County, Michigan has 5 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 6% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Mackinac County, Michigan an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 5.2 times the median household income ($329,687 against $62,879), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $760 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Mackinac County, Michigan?
Unemployment in Mackinac County, Michigan is 7.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Mackinac County, Michigan have a college degree?
23.9% of adults in Mackinac County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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