Mason County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Mason 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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C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 71% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Mason County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 29,204 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 23.5 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.19% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 48.6 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,800 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Mason County grew by 1.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 29,204 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Mason County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 24.8% of residents. That is 6.4 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,121 17.5% -3.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,128 17.6% -3.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,117 20.9% +0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,231 24.8% +6.4 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 50.1% of the people living in Mason County and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 49.9% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Mason County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Mason County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Mason County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,292 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.50% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.5% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Mason County is about 9% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Mason County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $254,688 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $895 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.3% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Mason County is about 23.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $895 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Mason County spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 133 hours, about 5.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Mason County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.0 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 31.9 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 133 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,125 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.0% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,714 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,225 | 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 Mason 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
Mason County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Mason County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.6% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.25 | 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
Mason County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Mason County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.2% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.5% | 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).
Mason County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Mason County, MI is typical in size for this group, 29,204 residents against a local median of 26,915, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. Where Mason County, MI breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 75% above the local median of $145,731 at $254,688.
The counties themselves spread $163,014 on median home price, so Mason County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mason County, MI has the 2nd highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason County, MI | 29,204 | $66,292 #1/4 | $254,688 #2/4 | 16.0 min #1/4 |
| Oceana County, MI | 26,915 | $63,098 | $109,558 | 18.6 min |
| Manistee County, MI | 25,350 | $64,478 | $272,572 | 16.8 min |
| Muskegon County, MI | 175,961 | $65,879 | $145,731 | 18.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Mason County, Michigan.
How many people live in Mason County, Michigan?
About 29,204 people live in Mason County, Michigan, in 12,800 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 48.6, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 11 years.
Is Mason County, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Mason County, Michigan has 24 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 27% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Mason County, Michigan?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($254,688 against $66,292), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $895 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Mason County, Michigan have a college degree?
22.6% of adults in Mason 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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