Manistee County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Manistee 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
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 72% of counties in Michigan
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Manistee County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,350 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 19.8 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.44% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 50.3 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,561 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Manistee County grew by 2.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,350 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Manistee County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 26.2% of residents. That is 7.9 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,278 16.9% -4.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,409 17.4% -3.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,579 22.0% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,646 26.2% +7.9 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 48.4% of the people living in Manistee County and men 51.6%.
- Women 48.4% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 51.6% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Manistee County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Manistee County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Manistee County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $64,478 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.32% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Manistee County is about 12% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Manistee County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $272,572 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $841 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 85.8% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Manistee County is about 27.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $841 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Manistee County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 140 hours, about 5.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Manistee County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.8 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.7 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 140 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,351 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.8% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,240 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 632 | 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 Manistee County is 17 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
Manistee County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Manistee County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.0% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.26 | 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
Manistee County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Manistee County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.2% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.1% | 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).
Manistee County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Manistee County, MI is typical in size for this group, 25,350 residents against a local median of 29,204, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Manistee County, MI breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 53% above the local median of $177,633 at $272,572.
The counties themselves spread $145,129 on median home price, so Manistee County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Manistee County, MI has the highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manistee County, MI | 25,350 | $64,478 #2/4 | $272,572 #1/4 | 16.8 min #2/4 |
| Mason County, MI | 29,204 | $66,292 | $254,688 | 16.0 min |
| Oceana County, MI | 26,915 | $63,098 | $109,558 | 18.6 min |
| Wexford County, MI | 34,076 | $61,341 | $177,633 | 17.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Manistee County, Michigan.
How many people live in Manistee County, Michigan?
About 25,350 people live in Manistee County, Michigan, in 10,561 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 50.3, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 13 years.
How densely populated is Manistee County, Michigan?
Averaged over its land area, Manistee County, Michigan has 20 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 23% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Manistee County, Michigan?
The median home costs 4.2 times the median household income ($272,572 against $64,478), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $841 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Manistee County, Michigan?
21.0% of adults in Manistee 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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