Alger County, Michigan Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Alger County, Michigan, including popular demographics data like median age, number of households, household income, gender, employment and unemployment rates, occupations, religion, and more.

We are using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year survey data from the US Census Bureau, which is accurate up to 2021.

Table of Contents

Population

There is a lot of data that lets us see how many people live in Alger County, Michigan. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Alger County, Michigan. The estimated population of Alger County, Michigan is 8,911 people, with a median age of 49.3.

We can look at the total population in Alger County over the last 5 years to see how much it has changed.

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
8,911
 -2.06% -3.71%
2020
9,098
 -0.58% -
2019
9,151
 -0.47% -
2018
9,194
 -0.65% -
2017
9,254
 - -

Population of Alger County, Michigan by Race and Ethnicity

We can also look at how the population has changed over the last 5 years by each of the race/ethnicity types as defined by the US Census Bureau.

Race 2021 2017 Change
White
82.6%
84.2%
 -1.90%
Black/African American
7.1%
7.2%
 -1.39%
Native
2.9%
3.3%
 -12.12%
Hispanic
1.8%
1.4%
 +28.57%
Asian
0.5%
0.1%
 +400.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
4.9%
3.9%
 +25.64%
Other
0.2%
0%
 0.00%

This data can be very important for a number of reasons, including social and economic research, planning and development, and marketing to a multi-cultural population.

Note that the Native group includes both Native American and Alaskan Native people.

Population of Alger County, Michigan by Age and Gender

The age and gender of a population is another interesting demographic statistic because it lets us track trends in the population over time. For example, we can see how the population has changed over the last 5 years by median age as a total, and also by male and female.

Year Total Male Female
2021 49.3 -0.6% 45.8 -0.22% 52.6 -1.13%
2020 49.6 +0.2% 45.9 +1.1% 53.2 +1.14%
2019 49.5 +0.2% 45.4 -0.22% 52.6 -0.57%
2018 49.4 +0.2% 45.5 -0.44% 52.9 +0.57%
2017 49.3 - 45.7 - 52.6 -

The median age of Alger County, Michigan gives you an idea of the age distribution, with half of the population being older than the median age and half being younger.

This can then be used to infer and compare against birth rates, parent ages, and more metrics to understand the population. For example, an increasing median age indicates an aging population, which can be a sign of a declining population in terms of birth rates and workforce participation.

Age 2021 2017
(Years) Male Female Male Female
0 to 9 382 -26.72% 331 +19.97% 287 400
10 to 19 436 +22.58% 461 -17.28% 540 384
20 to 29 709 -1.8% 309 -3.53% 693 298
30 to 39 737 -11.22% 369 -4.96% 654 345
40 to 49 503 +16.08% 457 -17.68% 580 381
50 to 59 694 +0.87% 740 -13.29% 697 645
60 to 69 945 -15.28% 719 +3.01% 807 738
70+ 682 +5.43% 780 -4.35% 717 745

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Alger County, Michigan is $48,822.00.

In simple terms, the median income is the middle income of a group of people. Half of the people in the group make more than the median income, and half make less. The median income is a good indicator of the overall income of a group of people, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more.

Median Income by Age

We can also look at the median income by age to see how the median income varies by age, and how it compares to the overall median income for Alger County.

  • Under 25
    $0.00
  • 25 to 44
    $61,625.00
  • 45 to 64
    $58,380.00
  • 65 and over
    $40,500.00

Average Household Income

Whenever we ask what is the average household income in Alger County, we are actually talking about the mean household income.

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Alger County, and then dividing that number by the total number of households. This is a good way to get a general idea of the average income of a group of people, but it can be skewed by a very high or very low incomes.

The average household income of Alger County, Michigan is currently $58,098.00.

In terms of accurately summarizing income at a geographic level, the median income is a better metric than the average income because it isn't affected by a small number of very high or very low incomes.

If you had an area where the average income was greater than the median, it can mean that there is significant income inequality, with income being concentrated in a small number of wealthy households.

1.34% of households in Alger County are classed as high income households (making $200,000+ per year).

Household Income Tiers

The US Census Bureau divides households into income tiers based on the median income for the area. This is a good way to compare the income of Alger County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    23.43%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    28.17%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    22.84%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    10.72%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    11.54%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    1.96%
  • $200,000 or more
    1.34%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Alger County is $21,998.00.

Per capita income is the average income of a person in a given area. It is calculated by dividing the total income of Alger County by the total population of Alger County.

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Alger County, Michigan, including people like children, the elderly, unemployed people, retired people, and more.

Education Levels

We can also look at the education levels in Alger County to see how many people have a high school degree, a bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree.

Educational attainment is a good indicator of the overall education level of a population, and can be used to compare against other metrics such as the average income, per capita income, and more to see how education levels affect income, unemployment rates, and more.

  • Master's degree or higher
    6.41%
  • Bachelor's degree
    20.88%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    13.38%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    57.43%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.90%

Employment

Employment rates are all based around the total population in Alger County that are over the age of 16.

The total population of Alger County over the age of 16 is 7,741.

Of those people, a total of 39.50% are working or actively looking for work. This is called the labor force participation rate.

The participation rate is a useful market measure because it shows the relative amount of labor resources available to the economy.

The employment to total population rate in Alger County is 36.70%.

Employment by Age

We can look at the employment rates by age to see how it compares to the overall employment rate.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
16 to 19 years 441 25.60% 5.30%
20 to 24 years 466 47.00% 24.20%
25 to 29 years 525 54.10% 12.00%
30 to 34 years 441 49.40% 4.10%
35 to 44 years 967 65.00% 4.10%
45 to 54 years 1,109 65.00% 7.40%
55 to 59 years 785 59.50% 6.20%
60 to 64 years 723 28.80% 2.90%
65 to 74 years 1,439 12.60% 0.00%
75 years and over 845 2.10% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Alger County. The table below shows the rates for each of the ethnicity groups types defined by the US Census Bureau.

Age Population Participation Unemployment Rate
White 6,433 42.90% 6.00%
Black or African American 635 2.40% 13.30%
American Indian and Alaska Native 191 25.10% 0.00%
Asian 14 0.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 55 58.20% 18.80%
Two or more races 413 49.40% 20.60%
Hispanic or Latino 138 50.00% 15.90%
Not Hispanic or Latino 6,383 42.90% 5.90%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Alger County as well as the gender breakdown and earnings of them.

The total population of civilian employees that are 16 years old or older in Alger County is 2,843, with median earnings of $30,967.00.

Women in Alger County, Michigan earning approximately 76.70% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 2,843 $30,967.00
Male 1,472 $36,223.00
Female 1,371 $27,798.00

Occupations by Category

In the table below, we can break down the population and earnings even further by occupation. The list of occupation categories below will show you how many people are employed in each category and the median earnings of each profession.

Occupation Employed Earnings
Management 215 $46,635.00
Business and Financial 76 $61,500.00
Computer and Mathematical 11 $222,708.00
Architecture and Engineering 6 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 15 $47,321.00
Community and Social Service 72 $29,375.00
Legal 16 $187,778.00
Educational and Library 173 $41,178.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 6 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 81 $40,893.00
Healthcare Support 146 $17,391.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 26 $21,250.00
Law Enforcement 55 $60,625.00
Food Preparation and Serving 229 $15,927.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 200 $14,167.00
Personal Care and Service 80 $14,697.00
Sales 250 $16,000.00
Office and Administrative Support 309 $35,240.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 48 $16,667.00
Construction and Extraction 102 $35,833.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 94 $60,833.00
Production 329 $38,388.00
Transportation and Material Moving 73 $45,250.00

Occupations by Gender

The table below shows the same occupations from the list above, but we have split them by male and female to see how many male and females work in each occupation, the median earnings, and the male to female ratio of earnings.

That last metric is important because it can be used to look at the gender pay gap between men and women.

Occupation Male Female
Population Earnings Population Earnings
Management 119 $46,458.00 96 $46,786.00
Business and Financial 39 $57,344.00 37 $61,750.00
Computer and Mathematical 11 $222,708.00 0 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 6 $0.00 0 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 3 $0.00 12 $46,786.00
Community and Social Service 23 $22,656.00 49 $31,193.00
Legal 1 $0.00 15 $187,917.00
Educational and Library 67 $41,352.00 106 $26,250.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 1 $0.00 5 $0.00
Healthcare Practitioners 18 $82,500.00 63 $39,063.00
Healthcare Support 22 $0.00 124 $16,413.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 26 $21,250.00 0 $0.00
Law Enforcement 44 $61,667.00 11 $56,719.00
Food Preparation and Serving 97 $12,313.00 132 $17,027.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 128 $13,389.00 72 $29,091.00
Personal Care and Service 42 $0.00 38 $23,750.00
Sales 53 $26,583.00 197 $11,384.00
Office and Administrative Support 69 $37,750.00 240 $35,000.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 41 $26,875.00 7 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 102 $35,833.00 0 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 94 $60,833.00 0 $0.00
Production 191 $50,347.00 138 $33,000.00
Transportation and Material Moving 69 $46,250.00 4 $0.00

Households and Family Size

A household defined bu the US Census Bureau is a group of people who occupy a housing unit. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, group of rooms, or single room occupied as separate living quarters.

There are currently 3,060 households in Alger County, with an average household size of 2.58 people.

A family is defined as a group of two or more people related by birth, marriage, or adoption who live together in the same household.

There are 1,958 families in Alger County with an average family size of 3.27 people.

Households by Marital Status

The four categories of household by marital status are:

  • Married-couple family
  • Male householder with no spouse present
  • Female household with no spouse present
  • Nonfamily household

The table below shows the total number of households and families, with the average sizes of each.

Married Male Female Nonfamily
Total Households 1,659 126 173 1,102
Average Household Size 3.15 4.65 4.43 1.2
Total Families 1,659 126 173 0
Average Household Size 3.1 4.22 4.2 0

Poverty

Of the 1,958 families in Alger County, 6.20% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Alger County:

Household Size Poverty Threshold
1 Person $14,580.00
2 People $19,720.00
3 People $24,860.00
4 People $30,000.00
5 People $35,140.00
6 People $40,280.00
7 People $45,420.00
8 People $50,560.00

Housing

There are 6,231 housing units in Alger County, Michigan.

The table below shows the split between occupied and vacant units:

Total Percentage
Occupied 3,060 49.11%
Vacant 3,171 50.89%

8.01% of the total 6,231 housing units in Alger County are rental units. This is approximately 499 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 2,486 are occupied by the owner - or 39.90% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Alger County is $646.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Alger County that fall into a particular rent range. These can then be used to compare with other areas, or to see how they have changed over time.

  • No rent paid
    75
  • Less than $500
    105
  • $500 to $999
    372
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    20
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    2
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    0

Property Value

The median value of a property in Alger County is $143,700.00.

Just like with rental rates, we can look at the number of properties in Alger County that fall into a particular value range.

  • Less than $50,000
    168
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    543
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    606
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    491
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    409
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    212
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    49
  • $1,000,000 or more
    8

Property Age

We can also look at the age of properties in Alger County. The chart below shows the number of properties in Alger County that fall into a particular age range.

  • 1939 or earlier
    836
  • 1940 to 1949
    455
  • 1950 to 1959
    709
  • 1960 to 1969
    916
  • 1970 to 1979
    996
  • 1980 to 1989
    726
  • 1990 to 1999
    881
  • 2000 to 2009
    628
  • 2010 to 2013
    82
  • 2014 or later
    2

Vehicles per Household

The number of vehicles available per household can be a good indicator of the level of affluence in an area. The chart below shows the number of households in Alger County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    198
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,080
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,195
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    587

Commuting to Work

In this section, we can also look at how people in Alger County get to work. The chart below shows the number of people in Alger County that commute to work in a particular way.

26.7 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Alger County.

These commute times can be compared to other date like income and educational levels to see how they relate to each other and if there are any trends in the data that might suggest a correlation.

  • Less than 5 minutes
    292
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    372
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    328
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    225
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    199
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    226
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    162
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    83
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    127
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    274
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    109
  • 90 or more minutes
    107

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Alger County, Michigan in this article! Hopefully you have found it very useful in your research of the area.

If you use any of the data found on this page, please consider linking back to USPopulation.org as the source and if you have any feedback or data requests, click here to contact us.

Places in Alger County, Michigan

We have data for 10 places in Alger County, Michigan. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.