Tuscola County, Michigan Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Tuscola 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 average
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C
Income Below average
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F
Education Well below averageLess educated than 90% of counties in Michigan
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Tuscola County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 52,980 | 10,068,405 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 58.0 | 104.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.24% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.7 | 40.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 21,498 | 4,073,089 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Tuscola County declined by 6.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 52,980 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Tuscola County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.1% of residents. That is 1.5 points above Michigan as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 9,916 18.7% -2.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 10,000 18.9% -1.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 11,684 22.1% +1.5 pts
- Boomers 61–79 11,614 21.9% +3.6 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 49.4% of the people living in Tuscola County and men 50.6%.
- Women 49.4% Michigan 50.5%
- Men 50.6% Michigan 49.5%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Tuscola County
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Economy
Tuscola County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Tuscola County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,906 | $72,977 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.71% | 4.60% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% | 5.7% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Tuscola County is about 12% lower than in Michigan.
Housing
| Metric | Tuscola County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $135,750 | $138,713 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $819 | $1,129 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 86.4% | 73.2% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Tuscola County is about 13.8 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $819 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Tuscola County spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 195 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Tuscola County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.4 | 21.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.8 | 42.6 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 195 | 178 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,042 | $5,509 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 5.0% | 13.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 17,776 | 8,204 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,029 | 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 Tuscola County is 23 minutes, longer 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
Tuscola County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Tuscola County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 14.3% | 28.8% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 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
Tuscola County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Tuscola County | Michigan Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.2 | 78.3 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.8% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.3% | 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).
Tuscola County, MI Compared With Nearby Counties
Tuscola County, MI is the smallest of the 5 counties compared here, 52,980 residents against a local median of 145,836. Where Tuscola County, MI breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 35% above the local median of $100,567 at $135,750.
The counties themselves spread $74,326 on median home price, so Tuscola County, MI sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Tuscola County, MI has the 2nd highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscola County, MI | 52,980 | $63,906 #2/5 | $135,750 #2/5 | 23.4 min #4/5 |
| Lapeer County, MI | 88,837 | $76,664 | $169,473 | 31.3 min |
| Genesee County, MI | 403,150 | $62,288 | $96,479 | 21.7 min |
| Bay County, MI | 103,008 | $62,107 | $104,654 | 20.1 min |
| Saginaw County, MI | 188,665 | $60,674 | $95,147 | 18.2 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Tuscola County, Michigan.
What is the population of Tuscola County, Michigan?
About 52,980 people live in Tuscola County, Michigan, in 21,498 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 43.7, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Tuscola County, Michigan?
Averaged over its land area, Tuscola County, Michigan has 58 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Tuscola County, Michigan?
The median home costs 2.1 times the median household income ($135,750 against $63,906), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $819 a month takes about 15% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Tuscola County, Michigan?
14.3% of adults in Tuscola County, Michigan hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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