Arenac County, Michigan Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Arenac 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 Arenac County, Michigan. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Arenac County, Michigan. The estimated population of Arenac County, Michigan is 15,009 people, with a median age of 50.1.

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

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
15,009
 -0.03% -1.50%
2020
15,013
 -0.38% -
2019
15,070
 -0.63% -
2018
15,165
 -0.48% -
2017
15,238
 - -

Population of Arenac 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
93.9%
94.9%
 -1.05%
Black/African American
0.5%
0.5%
 0.00%
Native
0.8%
1.3%
 -38.46%
Hispanic
2.2%
2%
 +10.00%
Asian
0.2%
0.4%
 -50.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
2.3%
0.9%
 +155.56%
Other
0.1%
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 Arenac 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 50.1 +0.2% 49.4 +0.2% 50.8 +0.2%
2020 50 0% 49.3 0% 50.7 -0.59%
2019 50 +0.81% 49.3 +0.41% 51 +1.39%
2018 49.6 +0.61% 49.1 +0.61% 50.3 +0.8%
2017 49.3 - 48.8 - 49.9 -

The median age of Arenac 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 9 735 -11.06% 667 +4.57% 656 697
10 to 19 897 +0.69% 798 -1.4% 900 783
20 to 29 766 -1.12% 710 -8.63% 757 649
30 to 39 732 -3.08% 762 -4% 709 731
40 to 49 861 -1.61% 834 -8.55% 847 764
50 to 59 1,286 -22.22% 1,251 -5.35% 1,022 1,185
60 to 69 1,344 +17% 1,326 -4.53% 1,587 1,266
70+ 1,093 +5.49% 1,176 +10.33% 1,154 1,302

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Arenac County, Michigan is $48,989.00.

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 Arenac County.

  • Under 25
    $39,375.00
  • 25 to 44
    $58,417.00
  • 45 to 64
    $50,364.00
  • 65 and over
    $42,922.00

Average Household Income

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

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Arenac 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 Arenac County, Michigan is currently $60,836.00.

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.

2.45% of households in Arenac 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 Arenac County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    21.31%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    29.53%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    22.25%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    12.83%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    9.68%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    1.95%
  • $200,000 or more
    2.45%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Arenac County is $26,950.00.

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

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Arenac 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 Arenac 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
    6.75%
  • Bachelor's degree
    16.12%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    16.09%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    57.32%
  • Less than high school diploma
    3.71%

Employment

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

The total population of Arenac County over the age of 16 is 12,578.

Of those people, a total of 51.20% 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 Arenac County is 47.30%.

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 605 48.60% 12.20%
20 to 24 years 660 79.40% 8.50%
25 to 29 years 746 88.10% 9.90%
30 to 34 years 741 80.70% 7.50%
35 to 44 years 1,486 80.80% 7.40%
45 to 54 years 1,813 72.90% 8.30%
55 to 59 years 1,218 56.10% 5.60%
60 to 64 years 1,546 44.80% 7.40%
65 to 74 years 2,318 18.30% 2.60%
75 years and over 1,445 3.70% 11.30%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Arenac 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 12,036 51.00% 7.40%
Black or African American 42 11.90% 20.00%
American Indian and Alaska Native 105 65.70% 34.80%
Asian 36 100.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0 0.00% 0.00%
Other 24 16.70% 0.00%
Two or more races 335 56.70% 7.40%
Hispanic or Latino 246 63.00% 2.60%
Not Hispanic or Latino 11,890 50.70% 7.50%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Arenac 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 Arenac County is 5,945, with median earnings of $31,234.00.

Women in Arenac County, Michigan earning approximately 66.90% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 5,945 $31,234.00
Male 3,172 $38,226.00
Female 2,773 $25,584.00

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 396 $39,844.00
Business and Financial 159 $48,250.00
Computer and Mathematical 35 $39,271.00
Architecture and Engineering 129 $56,750.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 20 $12,222.00
Community and Social Service 126 $41,250.00
Legal 24 $48,500.00
Educational and Library 193 $40,893.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 45 $11,875.00
Healthcare Practitioners 375 $52,298.00
Healthcare Support 330 $22,174.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 64 $13,333.00
Law Enforcement 57 $51,771.00
Food Preparation and Serving 305 $13,723.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 211 $20,481.00
Personal Care and Service 107 $15,987.00
Sales 644 $27,411.00
Office and Administrative Support 648 $29,082.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 109 $28,229.00
Construction and Extraction 340 $49,808.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 306 $41,447.00
Production 629 $31,982.00
Transportation and Material Moving 377 $32,083.00

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 233 $40,156.00 163 $37,125.00
Business and Financial 74 $40,625.00 85 $51,023.00
Computer and Mathematical 19 $58,750.00 16 $38,611.00
Architecture and Engineering 128 $57,000.00 1 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 13 $11,806.00 7 $68,750.00
Community and Social Service 53 $34,625.00 73 $41,875.00
Legal 3 $0.00 21 $48,250.00
Educational and Library 36 $75,625.00 157 $34,625.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 26 $10,833.00 19 $17,083.00
Healthcare Practitioners 60 $54,643.00 315 $51,331.00
Healthcare Support 12 $0.00 318 $21,957.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 42 $16,250.00 22 $10,833.00
Law Enforcement 46 $61,250.00 11 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 64 $12,083.00 241 $13,777.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 161 $21,932.00 50 $13,750.00
Personal Care and Service 24 $7,273.00 83 $16,382.00
Sales 284 $46,667.00 360 $16,962.00
Office and Administrative Support 162 $39,583.00 486 $27,396.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 93 $29,896.00 16 $15,625.00
Construction and Extraction 319 $48,558.00 21 $80,938.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 304 $41,480.00 2 $0.00
Production 462 $33,289.00 167 $24,219.00
Transportation and Material Moving 319 $41,544.00 58 $16,111.00

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 6,292 households in Arenac County, with an average household size of 2.36 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 3,922 families in Arenac County with an average family size of 2.97 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 3,141 261 520 2,370
Average Household Size 2.88 3.92 3.58 1.22
Total Families 3,141 261 520 0
Average Household Size 2.87 3.44 3.37 0

Poverty

Of the 3,922 families in Arenac County, 9.60% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Arenac 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 9,530 housing units in Arenac County, Michigan.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 6,292 66.02%
Vacant 3,238 33.98%

8.98% of the total 9,530 housing units in Arenac County are rental units. This is approximately 856 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 5,366 are occupied by the owner - or 56.31% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Arenac County is $595.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Arenac 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
    70
  • Less than $500
    302
  • $500 to $999
    454
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    77
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    0
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    9
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    14

Property Value

The median value of a property in Arenac County is $104,100.00.

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

  • Less than $50,000
    817
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,762
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    1,048
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    758
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    617
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    273
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    79
  • $1,000,000 or more
    12

Property Age

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

  • 1939 or earlier
    913
  • 1940 to 1949
    522
  • 1950 to 1959
    917
  • 1960 to 1969
    950
  • 1970 to 1979
    1,907
  • 1980 to 1989
    1,599
  • 1990 to 1999
    1,513
  • 2000 to 2009
    970
  • 2010 to 2013
    236
  • 2014 or later
    3

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 Arenac County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    477
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,920
  • 2 vehicles available
    2,515
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    1,380

Commuting to Work

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

28.5 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Arenac 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
    342
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    676
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    654
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    718
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    681
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    306
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    538
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    147
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    209
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    546
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    456
  • 90 or more minutes
    213

Summary

We've covered a LOT of demographic and population data for Arenac 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 Arenac County, Michigan

We have data for 14 places in Arenac County, Michigan. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.