Oceana County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Oceana 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 | Oceana County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 26,915 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 20.6 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.36% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.9 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 10,419 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Oceana County declined by 3.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 26,915 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Oceana County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.3% of residents. That is 3.9 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 5,096 18.9% -2.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,886 18.2% -2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 5,637 20.9% +0.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,989 22.3% +3.9 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 49.0% of the people living in Oceana County and men 51.0%.
- Women 49.0% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 51.0% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Oceana County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Oceana County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Oceana County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,098 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.13% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Oceana County is about 14% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Oceana County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $109,558 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $759 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 84.5% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Oceana County is about 12.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $759 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Oceana 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 155 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Oceana County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.6 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.2 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 155 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,799 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.4% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,997 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,059 | 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 Oceana County is 19 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
Oceana County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Oceana County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 18.1% | 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
Oceana County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Oceana County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.2 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.6% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.1% | 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).
Oceana County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Oceana County, MI is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 26,915 residents against a local median of 50,792. The measure that sets Oceana County, MI apart most is median home price: $109,558, 57% below the local median of $254,688.
The counties themselves spread $126,841 on median home price, so Oceana County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Oceana County, MI has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oceana County, MI | 26,915 | $63,098 #6/6 | $109,558 #6/6 | 18.6 min #5/6 |
| Mason County, MI | 29,204 | $66,292 | $254,688 | 16.0 min |
| Muskegon County, MI | 175,961 | $65,879 | $145,731 | 18.4 min |
| Ottawa County, MI | 301,203 | $90,732 | $259,210 | 18.1 min |
| Manistee County, MI | 25,350 | $64,478 | $272,572 | 16.8 min |
| Newaygo County, MI | 50,792 | $63,785 | $175,000 | 23.3 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Oceana County, Michigan.
What is the population of Oceana County, Michigan?
About 26,915 people live in Oceana County, Michigan, in 10,419 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 42.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Oceana County, Michigan mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Oceana County, Michigan has 21 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 24% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Oceana County, Michigan an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 1.7 times the median household income ($109,558 against $63,098), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $759 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Oceana County, Michigan?
18.1% of adults in Oceana County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →