Ontonagon County, Michigan Income Statistics
Ontonagon County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
-
D
Ontonagon County Well below averageLess wealthy than 84% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Ontonagon County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $54,540 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $48,195 | $59,920 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 5.7% | 4.6% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.1% | 11.4% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 2.1% | 9.5% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Ontonagon County is about 25% lower than in Michigan. Income has been growing faster in Ontonagon County (5.7%/yr) than in Michigan (4.6%/yr).
About 5% of adults in Ontonagon County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Michigan average of 11%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Ontonagon County, Michigan grew by 60.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $54,540 in 2024. That's an average of about 5.7% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Ontonagon County
| Metric | Ontonagon County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.489 | 0.539 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $56,397 | $69,354 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $50,923 | $54,749 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 9.7% | 21.1% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Ontonagon County, it is 0.489, lower than Michigan's 0.539, so income is more evenly distributed here than there, and lower than the US's 0.552, so income is more evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 11% more than women's income in Ontonagon County, Michigan. Over a 35-year career, a 11% wage gap accumulates to roughly $191,590 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Ontonagon County, Michigan has narrowed from about 28% to 10% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 32% in 2017. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $5,973 since 2009.
Employment
| Metric | Ontonagon County | Michigan Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.3% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 11.7% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 17 | 21 | 22 |
Approximately 121 people are unemployed in Ontonagon County, Michigan.
The average commute time in Ontonagon County is 17 minutes, shorter than the 21 minutes in Michigan.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Ontonagon County, Michigan has fallen from 12.3% to 5.3% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 15.3% in 2014.
Ontonagon County, MI Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Ontonagon County, MI is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 5,848 residents against a local median of 14,317. Nothing separates Ontonagon County, MI sharply from the counties around it. Each measure below lands within 15% of the local median, close enough that the differences are within what survey sampling alone would produce.
The largest of those small differences is income growth, 13% above the local median at 5.7%/yr against 5.1%/yr. Ontonagon County, MI has the 2nd highest income growth of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontonagon County, MI | 5,848 | $54,540 #5/6 | 5.7%/yr #2/6 | 5.3% #4/6 | 0.489 #3/6 |
| Gogebic County, MI | 14,317 | $52,407 | 4.9%/yr | 6.5% | 0.501 |
| Houghton County, MI | 34,105 | $59,942 | 5.2%/yr | 5.7% | 0.580 |
| Vilas County, WI | 23,647 | $68,038 | 6.4%/yr | 4.0% | 0.483 |
| Iron County, WI | 6,210 | $60,580 | 5.1%/yr | 2.5% | 0.461 |
| Baraga County, MI | 8,191 | $57,871 | 4.1%/yr | 5.1% | 0.569 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Ontonagon County, Michigan has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Michigan, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Ontonagon County, Michigan.
How Wealthy Is Ontonagon County, Michigan?
Ontonagon County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $54,540, about 25% lower than the Michigan average of $72,977.
How has median household income changed in Ontonagon County, Michigan?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Ontonagon County, Michigan rose 60%, from $34,025 to $54,540. Over the same years, income here outpaced Michigan as a whole: +60% against +50%.
What was the median household income in Ontonagon County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Ontonagon County, Michigan was $51,685, up 6% from $48,768 in 2022. The Michigan median that year was $71,362.
What was the median household income in Ontonagon County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Ontonagon County, Michigan was $41,962. By 2024 it had risen 30% to $54,540.
What is the Gini coefficient in Ontonagon County, Michigan?
The Gini coefficient in Ontonagon County is 0.489. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is lower than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed more equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Ontonagon County, Michigan?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Ontonagon County, Michigan has narrowed from about 28% to 10% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 32% in 2017. In dollar terms, the gap has narrowed by $5,973 since 2009.
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 →