Houghton County, Michigan Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Houghton 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 Houghton County, Michigan. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Houghton County, Michigan. The estimated population of Houghton County, Michigan is 37,485 people, with a median age of 32.8.

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

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
37,485
+4.44%
+3.17%
2020
35,890
 -0.5% -
2019
36,070
 -0.8% -
2018
36,360
+0.07%
-
2017
36,333
 - -

Population of Houghton 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
92%
92.4%
 -0.43%
Black/African American
1%
0.7%
 +42.86%
Native
0.5%
0.3%
 +66.67%
Hispanic
1.7%
1.5%
 +13.33%
Asian
2.8%
2.9%
 -3.45%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0.1%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
1.8%
2%
 -10.00%
Other
0.2%
0.2%
 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 Houghton 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 32.8 -1.2% 28.4 +1.43% 38.3 0%
2020 33.2 +0.61% 28 -1.75% 38.3 +0.79%
2019 33 +0.92% 28.5 -1.04% 38 +1.33%
2018 32.7 -0.61% 28.8 -0.35% 37.5 -0.27%
2017 32.9 - 28.9 - 37.6 -

The median age of Houghton 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 1,994 +7.11% 1,807 0.87% 2,138 1,800
10 to 19 3,368 +4.84% 2,533 +3.1% 3,522 2,602
20 to 29 4,726 +0.72% 2,619 +6.77% 4,758 2,800
30 to 39 1,797 +1.43% 1,784 -5.73% 1,812 1,679
40 to 49 1,821 +3.13% 1,533 +15.36% 1,872 1,777
50 to 59 2,076 +2.77% 2,153 -13.38% 2,127 1,874
60 to 69 2,054 +5.62% 1,768 +22.63% 2,162 2,198
70+ 1,877 +4.62% 2,423 -0.9% 1,965 2,399

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Houghton County, Michigan is $48,623.00.

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 Houghton County.

  • Under 25
    $19,335.00
  • 25 to 44
    $63,490.00
  • 45 to 64
    $67,334.00
  • 65 and over
    $41,321.00

Average Household Income

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

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Houghton 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 Houghton County, Michigan is currently $68,333.00.

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.

4.21% of households in Houghton 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 Houghton County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    27.92%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    23.48%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    16.25%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    11.63%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    12.30%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    4.21%
  • $200,000 or more
    4.21%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Houghton County is $27,087.00.

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

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Houghton 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 Houghton 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
    15.79%
  • Bachelor's degree
    28.94%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    11.31%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    42.64%
  • Less than high school diploma
    1.32%

Employment

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

The total population of Houghton County over the age of 16 is 30,645.

Of those people, a total of 57.00% 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 Houghton County is 53.70%.

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 3,222 33.20% 12.20%
20 to 24 years 5,292 67.00% 7.30%
25 to 29 years 2,266 85.00% 7.80%
30 to 34 years 1,882 75.90% 3.40%
35 to 44 years 3,546 81.30% 4.30%
45 to 54 years 3,554 81.00% 4.20%
55 to 59 years 2,159 71.50% 4.70%
60 to 64 years 2,297 55.30% 2.00%
65 to 74 years 3,742 20.20% 8.30%
75 years and over 2,685 5.80% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Houghton 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 28,368 55.90% 5.80%
Black or African American 344 57.60% 1.50%
American Indian and Alaska Native 175 54.30% 0.00%
Asian 939 78.00% 7.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 22 50.00% 0.00%
Other 151 45.70% 0.00%
Two or more races 646 78.30% 5.30%
Hispanic or Latino 512 65.40% 4.20%
Not Hispanic or Latino 28,147 55.80% 5.80%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Houghton 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 Houghton County is 16,455, with median earnings of $28,488.00.

Women in Houghton County, Michigan earning approximately 73.10% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 16,455 $28,488.00
Male 9,046 $32,515.00
Female 7,409 $23,755.00

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 1,227 $60,055.00
Business and Financial 494 $55,500.00
Computer and Mathematical 371 $43,125.00
Architecture and Engineering 478 $67,692.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 290 $33,333.00
Community and Social Service 171 $65,368.00
Legal 50 $46,818.00
Educational and Library 1,641 $48,380.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 418 $20,640.00
Healthcare Practitioners 1,002 $48,308.00
Healthcare Support 671 $13,512.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 125 $4,227.00
Law Enforcement 132 $52,286.00
Food Preparation and Serving 1,315 $12,180.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 958 $19,133.00
Personal Care and Service 407 $11,082.00
Sales 1,553 $19,987.00
Office and Administrative Support 1,658 $25,234.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 90 $4,444.00
Construction and Extraction 915 $42,153.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 637 $46,326.00
Production 921 $25,018.00
Transportation and Material Moving 387 $35,888.00

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 815 $61,464.00 412 $46,058.00
Business and Financial 227 $73,875.00 267 $52,188.00
Computer and Mathematical 266 $47,500.00 105 $31,587.00
Architecture and Engineering 448 $69,135.00 30 $11,146.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 139 $37,250.00 151 $27,375.00
Community and Social Service 84 $41,964.00 87 $70,114.00
Legal 25 $46,932.00 25 $44,750.00
Educational and Library 733 $59,129.00 908 $37,857.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 181 $14,125.00 237 $21,113.00
Healthcare Practitioners 248 $48,750.00 754 $48,294.00
Healthcare Support 150 $8,269.00 521 $15,404.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 85 $4,110.00 40 $8,750.00
Law Enforcement 122 $57,917.00 10 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 558 $11,447.00 757 $12,382.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 576 $24,415.00 382 $13,289.00
Personal Care and Service 141 $8,173.00 266 $15,000.00
Sales 813 $27,807.00 740 $16,279.00
Office and Administrative Support 370 $22,386.00 1,288 $25,808.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 59 $10,284.00 31 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 901 $41,875.00 14 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 633 $46,477.00 4 $0.00
Production 711 $25,346.00 210 $21,563.00
Transportation and Material Moving 328 $36,776.00 59 $12,083.00

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 13,884 households in Houghton County, with an average household size of 2.49 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 7,521 families in Houghton 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 6,035 524 962 6,363
Average Household Size 3.3 3.11 3.79 1.48
Total Families 6,035 524 962 0
Average Household Size 3.29 2.75 3.46 0

Poverty

Of the 7,521 families in Houghton County, 7.60% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Houghton 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 18,624 housing units in Houghton County, Michigan.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 13,884 74.55%
Vacant 4,740 25.45%

21.55% of the total 18,624 housing units in Houghton County are rental units. This is approximately 4,014 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 9,545 are occupied by the owner - or 51.25% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Houghton County is $684.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Houghton 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
    325
  • Less than $500
    992
  • $500 to $999
    2,117
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    620
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    221
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    11
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    53

Property Value

The median value of a property in Houghton County is $115,300.00.

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

  • Less than $50,000
    1,599
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    2,651
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    1,418
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    1,198
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    1,517
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    913
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    218
  • $1,000,000 or more
    31

Property Age

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

  • 1939 or earlier
    7,132
  • 1940 to 1949
    952
  • 1950 to 1959
    1,129
  • 1960 to 1969
    1,462
  • 1970 to 1979
    2,309
  • 1980 to 1989
    1,508
  • 1990 to 1999
    1,673
  • 2000 to 2009
    1,607
  • 2010 to 2013
    848
  • 2014 or later
    4

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 Houghton County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    1,350
  • 1 vehicle available
    4,836
  • 2 vehicles available
    4,971
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    2,727

Commuting to Work

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

16.5 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Houghton 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
    1,086
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    3,761
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    2,970
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    2,726
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    1,727
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    522
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    846
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    170
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    112
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    302
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    159
  • 90 or more minutes
    299

Summary

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

We have data for 21 places in Houghton County, Michigan. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.