Oscoda County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Oscoda 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 averageAmong the 3 least healthy counties in Michigan
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 79% of counties in Michigan
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Oscoda County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 8,425 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 14.7 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.08% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 50.2 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,788 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Oscoda County declined by 5.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 8,425 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Oscoda County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 29.3% of residents. That is 11.0 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,241 14.7% -6.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,210 14.4% -6.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,847 21.9% +1.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 2,471 29.3% +11.0 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 Oscoda County and men 51.0%.
- Women 49.0% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 51.0% Michigan 49.5%
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100% of everyone living in Oscoda County
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Economy
Oscoda County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Oscoda County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,477 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.40% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 8.0% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Oscoda County is about 32% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Oscoda County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $5,000 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $680 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 87.2% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Oscoda County is about 0.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $680 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Oscoda 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 154 hours, about 6.4 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Oscoda County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.5 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.0 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 154 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,774 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.1% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | — | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 535 | 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 Oscoda 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
Oscoda County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Oscoda County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.1% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.21 | 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
Oscoda County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Oscoda County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.5 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.6% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.9% | 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).
Oscoda County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Oscoda County, MI is the smallest of the 4 counties compared here, 8,425 residents against a local median of 23,737. The measure that sets Oscoda County, MI apart most is median home price: $5,000, 96% below the local median of $130,555.
The counties themselves spread $759,775 on median home price, so Oscoda County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Oscoda County, MI has the 4th highest median home price of the 4 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oscoda County, MI | 8,425 | $49,477 #4/4 | $5,000 #4/4 | 18.5 min #2/4 |
| Ogemaw County, MI | 20,885 | $54,179 | $14,035 | 20.0 min |
| Otsego County, MI | 25,584 | $68,296 | $773,809 | 16.2 min |
| Roscommon County, MI | 23,737 | $55,664 | $130,555 | 20.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Oscoda County, Michigan.
How big is Oscoda County, Michigan by population?
About 8,425 people live in Oscoda County, Michigan, in 3,788 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 50.2, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 13 years.
Is Oscoda County, Michigan mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Oscoda County, Michigan has 15 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 17% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is Oscoda County, Michigan an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 0.1 times the median household income ($5,000 against $49,477), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $680 a month takes about 16% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Oscoda County, Michigan?
Unemployment in Oscoda County, Michigan is 8.0%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How common is a college degree in Oscoda County, Michigan?
13.1% of adults in Oscoda County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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