Oakland County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Oakland 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 averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in Michigan
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B
Income Around averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in Michigan
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A+
Education Top gradeAmong the top 3 best educated counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Oakland County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,277,811 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1408.3 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.44% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.2 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 530,205 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Oakland County grew by 6.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 1,277,811 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Oakland County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.9% of residents. That is 1.4 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 252,524 19.8% -1.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 279,089 21.8% +1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 280,292 21.9% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 227,155 17.8% -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 50.8% of the people living in Oakland County and men 49.2%.
- Women 50.8% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 49.2% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Oakland County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Oakland County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Oakland County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $98,107 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.32% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Oakland County is about 34% higher than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Oakland County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $259,162 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,375 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.7% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Oakland County is about 15.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,375 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Oakland County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 195 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Oakland County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.4 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.8 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 195 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,042 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 20.2% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 20,109 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,208 | 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 Oakland County is 23 minutes, longer 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
Oakland County has a education index of A+, which means it is exceptionally educated.
| Metric | Oakland County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.5% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.39 | 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
Oakland County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Oakland County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.0 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.3% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.3% | 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).
Oakland County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Oakland County, MI is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 1,277,811 residents against a local median of 403,150. The measure that sets Oakland County, MI apart most is median home price: $259,162, 58% above the local median of $164,261.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $98,107 against a local median of $76,664, 28% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 28% above the local median it puts Oakland County, MI at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $145,616 on median home price, so Oakland County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Oakland County, MI has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland County, MI | 1,277,811 | $98,107 #2/6 | $259,162 #1/6 | 23.4 min #3/6 |
| Wayne County, MI | 1,771,784 | $60,677 | $56,306 | 22.5 min |
| Lapeer County, MI | 88,837 | $76,664 | $169,473 | 31.3 min |
| Macomb County, MI | 879,566 | $77,943 | $201,923 | 23.5 min |
| Genesee County, MI | 403,150 | $62,288 | $96,479 | 21.7 min |
| Livingston County, MI | 195,818 | $103,306 | $164,261 | 28.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Oakland County, Michigan.
How many people live in Oakland County, Michigan?
About 1,277,811 people live in Oakland County, Michigan, in 530,205 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
How densely populated is Oakland County, Michigan?
Averaged over its land area, Oakland County, Michigan has 1,408 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 16 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Oakland County, Michigan an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($259,162 against $98,107), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,375 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Oakland County, Michigan?
46.5% of adults in Oakland County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 2), well above the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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