Ontonagon County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Ontonagon 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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C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 73% of counties in Michigan
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 84% of counties in Michigan
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 71% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Ontonagon County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 5,848 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1.6 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.65% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 58.5 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,149 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Ontonagon County declined by 15.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 5,848 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Ontonagon County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 36.0% of residents. That is 17.7 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 703 12.0% -9.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 716 12.2% -8.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,426 24.4% +3.9 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,107 36.0% +17.7 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 49.1% of the people living in Ontonagon County and men 50.9%.
- Women 49.1% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 50.9% Michigan 49.5%
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100% of everyone living in Ontonagon County
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Economy
Ontonagon County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Ontonagon County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,540 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.72% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Ontonagon County is about 25% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Ontonagon County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $24,720 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $539 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 87.1% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Ontonagon County is about 3.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $539 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Ontonagon County spend about 35 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 147 hours, about 6.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Ontonagon County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 17.6 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 35.2 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 147 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,545 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 11.7% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 724 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 104 | 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 Ontonagon 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
Ontonagon County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Ontonagon County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.5% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 1.84 | 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
Ontonagon County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Ontonagon County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.6 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.6% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 21.5% | 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).
Ontonagon County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
How Ontonagon County, MI compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontonagon County, MI | 5,848 | $54,540 #3/3 | $24,720 #3/3 | 17.6 min #3/3 |
| Houghton County, MI | 34,105 | $59,942 | $102,273 | 13.5 min |
| Vilas County, WI | 23,647 | $68,038 | $215,000 | 16.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Ontonagon County, Michigan.
How big is Ontonagon County, Michigan by population?
About 5,848 people live in Ontonagon County, Michigan, in 3,149 households of 1.8 people on average. The median age is 58.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 21 years.
Is Ontonagon County, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Ontonagon County, Michigan has 2 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 2% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Ontonagon County, Michigan?
The median home costs 0.5 times the median household income ($24,720 against $54,540), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $539 a month takes about 12% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Ontonagon County, Michigan?
14.5% of adults in Ontonagon County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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