Saginaw, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Saginaw, 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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D
Health Well below average
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Saginaw | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 43,642 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2450.7 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -1.64% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 35.8 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 17,887 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Saginaw declined by 22.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 43,642 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Saginaw is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.1% of residents. That is 1.9 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 10,070 23.1% +1.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 9,145 21.0% +0.2 pts
- Gen X 45–60 8,618 19.7% -0.8 pts
- Boomers 61–79 6,187 14.2% -4.1 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 51.8% of the people living in Saginaw and men 48.2%.
- Women 51.8% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 48.2% Michigan 49.5%
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Economy
Saginaw has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Saginaw | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $38,361 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 3.58% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 10.1% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Saginaw is about 47% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Saginaw | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $39,424 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $921 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 60.1% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Saginaw is about 3.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $921 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Saginaw spend about 32 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 134 hours, about 5.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Saginaw | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.1 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 32.1 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 134 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,151 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.7% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,469 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,752 | 1,585 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Saginaw is 16 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
Saginaw has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Saginaw | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.6% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 2.42 | 2.53 |
Health
Saginaw has a health index of D, which means it is barely healthy.
| Metric | Saginaw | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 72.6 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 27.7% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 29.7% | 20.9% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Saginaw, Michigan.
How big is Saginaw, Michigan by population?
About 43,642 people live in Saginaw, Michigan, in 17,887 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 35.8, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Saginaw, Michigan mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Saginaw, Michigan has 2,451 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 28 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Saginaw, Michigan?
The median home costs 1.0 times the median household income ($39,424 against $38,361), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $921 a month takes about 29% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Saginaw, Michigan?
Unemployment in Saginaw, Michigan is 10.1%, 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 Saginaw, Michigan?
11.6% of adults in Saginaw, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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