St. Joseph County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
St. Joseph 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.
-
B
Health Around averageLess healthy than 71% of counties in Michigan
-
C
Income Below average
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D
Education Well below averageLess educated than 82% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | St. Joseph County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 60,969 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 117.1 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.01% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.7 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 23,620 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in St. Joseph County declined by 2.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 60,969 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in St. Joseph County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 20.6% of residents. That is 0.1 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 12,391 20.3% -0.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 11,850 19.4% -1.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 12,590 20.6% +0.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 11,056 18.1% -0.2 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 50.0% of the people living in St. Joseph County and men 50.0%.
- Women 50.0% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 50.0% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in St. Joseph County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
St. Joseph County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | St. Joseph County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,257 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.05% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in St. Joseph County is about 8% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | St. Joseph County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $165,178 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $849 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.1% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in St. Joseph County is about 16.2 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $849 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in St. Joseph County spend about 34 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 141 hours, about 5.9 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | St. Joseph County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 16.9 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 33.8 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 141 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,367 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 7.2% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 6,496 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 978 | 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 St. Joseph County is 17 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
St. Joseph County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | St. Joseph County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.9% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.56 | 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
St. Joseph County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | St. Joseph County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.6 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.2% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 22.5% | 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).
St. Joseph County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
St. Joseph County, MI is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 60,969 residents against a local median of 51,520. St. Joseph County, MI's median home price, at $165,178, runs 36% above the $121,830 typical of the counties around it.
The counties themselves spread $55,844 on median home price, so St. Joseph County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. St. Joseph County, MI has the highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph County, MI | 60,969 | $67,257 #5/6 | $165,178 #1/6 | 16.9 min #1/6 |
| LaGrange County, IN | 40,805 | $83,276 | $121,830 | 20.2 min |
| Kalamazoo County, MI | 262,419 | $72,425 | $141,172 | 18.2 min |
| Elkhart County, IN | 207,132 | $69,750 | $152,902 | 17.9 min |
| Cass County, MI | 51,520 | $70,806 | $113,846 | 22.1 min |
| Branch County, MI | 45,300 | $64,556 | $97,058 | 17.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about St. Joseph County, Michigan.
How big is St. Joseph County, Michigan by population?
About 60,969 people live in St. Joseph County, Michigan, in 23,620 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 38.7, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is St. Joseph County, Michigan urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, St. Joseph County, Michigan has 117 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is St. Joseph County, Michigan an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.5 times the median household income ($165,178 against $67,257), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $849 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
What share of adults in St. Joseph County, Michigan have a college degree?
15.9% of adults in St. Joseph 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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