Saginaw County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Saginaw 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.
-
C
Health Below averageLess healthy than 85% of counties in Michigan
-
C
Income Below average
-
D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Saginaw County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 188,665 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 231.1 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.46% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.9 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 77,958 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Saginaw County declined by 7.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 188,665 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Saginaw County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.1% of residents. That is about the same share as Michigan.
- Gen Z 13–28 39,781 21.1% on par
- Millennials 29–44 35,850 19.0% -1.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 38,844 20.6% on par
- Boomers 61–79 36,703 19.5% +1.1 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 51.4% of the people living in Saginaw County and men 48.6%.
- Women 51.4% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 48.6% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Saginaw County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Saginaw County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Saginaw County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $60,674 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.22% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Saginaw County is about 17% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Saginaw County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $95,147 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $947 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.1% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Saginaw County is about 8.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $947 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Saginaw County spend about 36 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 151 hours, about 6.3 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Saginaw County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.2 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 36.3 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 151 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,691 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.0% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,284 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,788 | 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 Saginaw 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
Saginaw County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Saginaw County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.7% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.34 | 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
Saginaw County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Saginaw County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.4 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 19.4% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.1% | 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).
Saginaw County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Saginaw County, MI is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 188,665 residents against a local median of 83,757. Saginaw County, MI sits close to the middle of its own neighbourhood. No measure below is more than 15% off the local median, so the choice between these counties turns on things this data does not capture.
The largest of those small differences is commute, 9% below the local median at 18.2 min against 20.1 min. Saginaw County, MI has the lowest commute of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saginaw County, MI | 188,665 | $60,674 #6/6 | $95,147 #6/6 | 18.2 min #1/6 |
| Shiawassee County, MI | 67,991 | $67,783 | $166,666 | 26.0 min |
| Bay County, MI | 103,008 | $62,107 | $104,654 | 20.1 min |
| Midland County, MI | 83,757 | $78,496 | $157,692 | 18.8 min |
| Genesee County, MI | 403,150 | $62,288 | $96,479 | 21.7 min |
| Gratiot County, MI | 41,391 | $64,123 | $98,617 | 18.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Saginaw County, Michigan.
How big is Saginaw County, Michigan by population?
About 188,665 people live in Saginaw County, Michigan, in 77,958 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 41.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Saginaw County, Michigan mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Saginaw County, Michigan has 231 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 2.7 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Saginaw County, Michigan?
The median home costs 1.6 times the median household income ($95,147 against $60,674), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $947 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Saginaw County, Michigan?
20.7% of adults in Saginaw County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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