Pontiac, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Pontiac, 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.
-
D
Health Well below average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Pontiac | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 62,501 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3085.9 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.47% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.8 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 25,783 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Pontiac declined by 6.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 62,501 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Pontiac is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.1% of residents. That is 2.9 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 15,061 24.1% +2.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 13,814 22.1% +1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 12,823 20.5% on par
- Boomers 61–79 7,932 12.7% -5.6 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 51.1% of the people living in Pontiac and men 48.9%.
- Women 51.1% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 48.9% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Pontiac
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Pontiac has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Pontiac | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,484 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.94% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 10.1% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Pontiac is about 39% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Pontiac | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $215,970 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,064 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 46.8% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Pontiac is about 16.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,064 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Pontiac spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 152 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Pontiac | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.3 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.6 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 152 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,722 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 27,124 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,687 | 1,585 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Pontiac 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
Pontiac has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Pontiac | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.8% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.37 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Health
Pontiac has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Pontiac | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.2 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 26.0% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 25.4% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
Pontiac, MI Compared With Nearby Cities
How Pontiac, MI compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pontiac, MI | 62,501 | $44,484 #2/2 | $215,970 #1/2 | 18.3 min #1/2 |
| Auburn Hills, MI | 24,784 | $82,887 | $187,481 | 18.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Pontiac, Michigan.
How big is Pontiac, Michigan by population?
About 62,501 people live in Pontiac, Michigan, in 25,783 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 37.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Pontiac, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Pontiac, Michigan has 3,086 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 36 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Pontiac, Michigan an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.9 times the median household income ($215,970 against $44,484), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,064 a month takes about 29% 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 Pontiac, Michigan?
Unemployment in Pontiac, Michigan is 10.1%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
How educated are people in Pontiac, Michigan?
14.8% of adults in Pontiac, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), 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 →