Osceola County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Osceola 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 82% of counties in Michigan
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 78% of counties in Michigan
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 93% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Osceola County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,226 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 40.5 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.03% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.2 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 9,356 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Osceola County grew by 0.7% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 23,226 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Osceola County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 22.5% of residents. That is 4.2 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 4,390 18.9% -2.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 4,204 18.1% -2.6 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,913 21.2% +0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 5,221 22.5% +4.2 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 Osceola County and men 50.9%.
- Women 49.1% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 50.9% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Osceola County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Osceola County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Osceola County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,332 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.09% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Osceola County is about 20% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Osceola County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $76,471 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $807 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 83.7% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Osceola County is about 7.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $807 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Osceola County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 184 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Osceola County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.1 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.2 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 184 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,709 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.2% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,336 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 944 | 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 Osceola County is 22 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
Osceola County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Osceola County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.4% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.44 | 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
Osceola County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Osceola County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.3 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.1% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.9% | 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).
Osceola County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Osceola County, MI is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 23,226 residents against a local median of 34,076. Where Osceola County, MI breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 35% below the local median of $118,181 at $76,471.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 22.1 min against a local median of 18.0 min, 23% above it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 23% above the local median it puts Osceola County, MI at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $65,134 on median home price, so Osceola County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Osceola County, MI has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osceola County, MI | 23,226 | $58,333 #3/4 | $76,471 #4/4 | 22.1 min #3/4 |
| Mecosta County, MI | 41,242 | $61,188 | $118,181 | 18.0 min |
| Wexford County, MI | 34,076 | $61,341 | $177,633 | 17.8 min |
| Clare County, MI | 31,218 | $49,410 | $112,500 | 23.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Osceola County, Michigan.
How big is Osceola County, Michigan by population?
About 23,226 people live in Osceola County, Michigan, in 9,356 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.
Is Osceola County, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Osceola County, Michigan has 41 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 47% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Osceola County, Michigan?
The median home costs 1.3 times the median household income ($76,471 against $58,333), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $807 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in Osceola County, Michigan have a college degree?
15.4% of adults in Osceola County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 6), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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