Muskegon County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Muskegon 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
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Muskegon County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 175,961 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 120.6 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.27% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.0 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 67,732 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Muskegon County grew by 1.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 175,961 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Muskegon County is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 21.1% of residents. That is 0.4 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 36,000 20.5% -0.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 37,137 21.1% +0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 35,618 20.2% -0.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 31,453 17.9% -0.5 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 Muskegon 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 Muskegon County
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Economy
Muskegon County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Muskegon County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,879 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.18% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Muskegon County is about 10% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Muskegon County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $145,731 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,028 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 78.1% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Muskegon County is about 11.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,028 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Muskegon County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 153 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Muskegon County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.4 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.8 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 153 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,753 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 7,582 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,162 | 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 Muskegon 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
Muskegon County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Muskegon County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.0% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.51 | 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
Muskegon County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Muskegon County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.0 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.9% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.7% | 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).
Muskegon County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Muskegon County, MI is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 175,961 residents against a local median of 50,792. Where Muskegon County, MI breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 17% below the local median of $175,000 at $145,731.
The counties themselves spread $149,652 on median home price, so Muskegon County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Muskegon County, MI has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskegon County, MI | 175,961 | $65,879 #4/6 | $145,731 #5/6 | 18.4 min #3/6 |
| Oceana County, MI | 26,915 | $63,098 | $109,558 | 18.6 min |
| Ottawa County, MI | 301,203 | $90,732 | $259,210 | 18.1 min |
| Mason County, MI | 29,204 | $66,292 | $254,688 | 16.0 min |
| Allegan County, MI | 121,456 | $83,773 | $166,666 | 22.2 min |
| Newaygo County, MI | 50,792 | $63,785 | $175,000 | 23.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Muskegon County, Michigan.
How many people live in Muskegon County, Michigan?
About 175,961 people live in Muskegon County, Michigan, in 67,732 households of 2.5 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 Muskegon County, Michigan mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Muskegon County, Michigan has 121 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Muskegon County, Michigan?
The median home costs 2.2 times the median household income ($145,731 against $65,879), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,028 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Muskegon County, Michigan?
19.0% of adults in Muskegon 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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