Mecosta County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Mecosta 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 averageHealthier than 70% of counties in Michigan
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 85% of counties in Michigan
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Mecosta County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 41,242 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 72.2 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.55% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.0 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 16,708 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Mecosta County declined by 1.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 41,242 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Mecosta County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 27.2% of residents. That is 6.1 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 11,233 27.2% +6.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 6,752 16.4% -4.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 7,744 18.8% -1.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 8,368 20.3% +2.0 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 49.7% of the people living in Mecosta County and men 50.3%.
- Women 49.7% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 50.3% Michigan 49.5%
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100% of everyone living in Mecosta County
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Economy
Mecosta County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Mecosta County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,188 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.92% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.0% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Mecosta County is about 16% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Mecosta County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $118,181 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $934 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.9% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Mecosta County is about 10.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $934 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Mecosta County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 150 hours, about 6.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Mecosta County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.0 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.0 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 150 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,645 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 8.7% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,712 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,211 | 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 Mecosta County is 18 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
Mecosta County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Mecosta County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.6% | 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
Mecosta County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Mecosta County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.7% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.6% | 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).
Mecosta County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Mecosta County, MI is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 41,242 residents against a local median of 50,792. Where Mecosta County, MI breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 27% below the local median of $160,833 at $118,181.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 18.0 min against a local median of 23.3 min, 23% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 23% below the local median it puts Mecosta County, MI at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $112,418 on median home price, so Mecosta County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Mecosta County, MI has the 4th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecosta County, MI | 41,242 | $61,188 #3/6 | $118,181 #4/6 | 18.0 min #2/6 |
| Osceola County, MI | 23,226 | $58,333 | $76,471 | 22.1 min |
| Montcalm County, MI | 67,816 | $67,531 | $188,888 | 28.2 min |
| Isabella County, MI | 64,565 | $55,505 | $160,833 | 15.5 min |
| Newaygo County, MI | 50,792 | $63,785 | $175,000 | 23.3 min |
| Clare County, MI | 31,218 | $49,410 | $112,500 | 23.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Mecosta County, Michigan.
How many people live in Mecosta County, Michigan?
About 41,242 people live in Mecosta County, Michigan, in 16,708 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 40.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Mecosta County, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Mecosta County, Michigan has 72 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Mecosta County, Michigan?
The median home costs 1.9 times the median household income ($118,181 against $61,188), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $934 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Mecosta County, Michigan?
Unemployment in Mecosta County, Michigan is only 4.0%, 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 Mecosta County, Michigan?
21.6% of adults in Mecosta 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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