Lake County, Michigan Population and Demographics

In this article, we'll explore the population statistics for Lake 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 Lake County, Michigan. The most basic data is the total population, which is the total number of people living in Lake County, Michigan. The estimated population of Lake County, Michigan is 12,248 people, with a median age of 54.2.

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

Year Population Change 5-Year Change
2021
12,248
+3.75%
+4.96%
2020
11,805
 -0.4% -
2019
11,852
+0.76%
-
2018
11,763
+0.81%
-
2017
11,669
 - -

Population of Lake 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
85.1%
84.8%
 +0.35%
Black/African American
7.5%
7.6%
 -1.32%
Native
0.8%
0.7%
 +14.29%
Hispanic
2.6%
2.6%
 0.00%
Asian
0.2%
0.2%
 0.00%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
0%
 0.00%
Two Or More Races
3.3%
4.1%
 -19.51%
Other
0.4%
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 Lake 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 54.2 +0.74% 53.4 +0.56% 54.7 +0.92%
2020 53.8 +1.13% 53.1 +1.34% 54.2 +0.93%
2019 53.2 +0.95% 52.4 +0.38% 53.7 +1.13%
2018 52.7 +1.15% 52.2 +0.77% 53.1 +0.76%
2017 52.1 - 51.8 - 52.7 -

The median age of Lake 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 9 563 -7.39% 503 +12.38% 521 565
10 to 19 547 +13.96% 553 +2.68% 625 566
20 to 29 506 -8.8% 498 -10.32% 462 447
30 to 39 554 +6.92% 509 0.06% 585 507
40 to 49 639 +8.86% 574 -4.83% 692 546
50 to 59 997 -4.84% 1,044 -8.44% 948 955
60 to 69 1,124 +6.99% 1,065 +13.18% 1,199 1,209
70+ 1,035 +21.88% 958 +18.22% 1,279 1,142

Median Household Income

The latest median household income of Lake County, Michigan is $40,753.00.

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 Lake County.

  • Under 25
    $28,472.00
  • 25 to 44
    $46,050.00
  • 45 to 64
    $45,464.00
  • 65 and over
    $37,402.00

Average Household Income

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

This is calculated by adding up all the incomes of all the households in Lake 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 Lake County, Michigan is currently $53,062.00.

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.

2.12% of households in Lake 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 Lake County against other areas.

  • Less than $24,999
    32.72%
  • $25,000 to $49,999
    25.87%
  • $50,000 to $74,999
    19.98%
  • $75,000 to $99,999
    9.29%
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    8.37%
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    1.66%
  • $200,000 or more
    2.12%

Per Capita Income

The per capita income in Lake County is $22,434.00.

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

This is different from the average or mean income because it includes and accounts for all people in Lake 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 Lake 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
    5.07%
  • Bachelor's degree
    16.65%
  • Some college or associate's degree
    15.63%
  • High school diploma or equivalent
    57.52%
  • Less than high school diploma
    5.13%

Employment

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

The total population of Lake County over the age of 16 is 10,451.

Of those people, a total of 38.70% 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 Lake County is 35.80%.

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 480 41.00% 13.20%
20 to 24 years 485 63.70% 15.50%
25 to 29 years 424 68.90% 14.40%
30 to 34 years 508 48.40% 8.10%
35 to 44 years 1,110 69.40% 8.20%
45 to 54 years 1,468 61.00% 8.20%
55 to 59 years 1,147 51.60% 3.90%
60 to 64 years 1,160 35.80% 1.70%
65 to 74 years 2,311 12.20% 0.00%
75 years and over 1,358 3.50% 0.00%

Employment by Race

Another very interesting employment statistic we can look at is the employment and unemployment rates by race in Lake 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 9,166 40.30% 6.70%
Black or African American 781 27.40% 10.70%
American Indian and Alaska Native 104 12.50% 23.10%
Asian 20 40.00% 0.00%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 1 100.00% 0.00%
Other 114 20.20% 26.10%
Two or more races 265 34.00% 23.30%
Hispanic or Latino 235 23.80% 14.30%
Not Hispanic or Latino 9,021 40.50% 6.70%

Occupations

In this section we can look at the most common occupations in Lake 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 Lake County is 3,743, with median earnings of $26,762.00.

Women in Lake County, Michigan earning approximately 63.90% of the men's earnings.

Population Earnings
Total 3,743 $26,762.00
Male 1,916 $31,709.00
Female 1,827 $20,247.00

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 407 $43,854.00
Business and Financial 87 $54,531.00
Computer and Mathematical 16 $51,250.00
Architecture and Engineering 30 $49,500.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 8 $69,167.00
Community and Social Service 74 $60,833.00
Legal 2 $0.00
Educational and Library 170 $30,000.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 11 $78,958.00
Healthcare Practitioners 82 $65,000.00
Healthcare Support 149 $16,607.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 38 $7,727.00
Law Enforcement 63 $47,212.00
Food Preparation and Serving 488 $13,077.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 207 $24,821.00
Personal Care and Service 60 $16,364.00
Sales 314 $25,469.00
Office and Administrative Support 374 $30,500.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 54 $19,545.00
Construction and Extraction 237 $27,348.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 156 $34,125.00
Production 356 $28,857.00
Transportation and Material Moving 153 $44,609.00

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 215 $39,464.00 192 $44,773.00
Business and Financial 27 $78,125.00 60 $49,583.00
Computer and Mathematical 14 $61,250.00 2 $0.00
Architecture and Engineering 29 $49,375.00 1 $0.00
Life, Physical, and Social Science 5 $0.00 3 $0.00
Community and Social Service 56 $61,410.00 18 $7,143.00
Legal 2 $0.00 0 $0.00
Educational and Library 25 $66,250.00 145 $21,042.00
Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media 0 $0.00 11 $78,958.00
Healthcare Practitioners 12 $88,125.00 70 $58,333.00
Healthcare Support 20 $0.00 129 $12,450.00
Firefighters and Protective Service 23 $8,977.00 15 $0.00
Law Enforcement 48 $45,769.00 15 $0.00
Food Preparation and Serving 152 $11,364.00 336 $13,558.00
Building and Grounds Cleaning 134 $28,958.00 73 $12,411.00
Personal Care and Service 18 $21,944.00 42 $12,000.00
Sales 122 $43,929.00 192 $17,000.00
Office and Administrative Support 78 $46,250.00 296 $27,813.00
Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 54 $19,545.00 0 $0.00
Construction and Extraction 229 $27,104.00 8 $0.00
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 156 $34,125.00 0 $0.00
Production 219 $29,107.00 137 $28,829.00
Transportation and Material Moving 141 $47,847.00 12 $27,500.00

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 4,349 households in Lake County, with an average household size of 2.75 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 2,445 families in Lake County with an average family size of 3.71 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 2,061 131 253 1,904
Average Household Size 3.36 7.08 6.26 1.32
Total Families 2,061 131 253 0
Average Household Size 3.27 6.36 5.96 0

Poverty

Of the 2,445 families in Lake County, 10.10% are considered to be below the poverty threshold.

The table below shows the latest poverty thresholds in Lake 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 13,550 housing units in Lake County, Michigan.

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

Total Percentage
Occupied 4,349 32.10%
Vacant 9,201 67.90%

3.95% of the total 13,550 housing units in Lake County are rental units. This is approximately 535 properties.

For owner-occupied housing units, a total of 3,677 are occupied by the owner - or 27.14% of the total.

Rental Rates

The median rent for a property in Lake County is $664.00.

In the chart below, we can look at the number of rental properties in Lake 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
    137
  • Less than $500
    172
  • $500 to $999
    283
  • $1,000 to $1,499
    74
  • $1,500 to $1,999
    3
  • $2,000 to $2,499
    0
  • $2,500 to $2,999
    0
  • $3,000 or more
    3

Property Value

The median value of a property in Lake County is $98,300.00.

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

  • Less than $50,000
    724
  • $50,000 to $99,999
    1,150
  • $100,000 to $149,999
    629
  • $150,000 to $199,999
    470
  • $200,000 to $299,999
    358
  • $300,000 to $499,999
    256
  • $500,000 to $999,999
    66
  • $1,000,000 or more
    24

Property Age

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

  • 1939 or earlier
    892
  • 1940 to 1949
    464
  • 1950 to 1959
    1,202
  • 1960 to 1969
    1,569
  • 1970 to 1979
    3,108
  • 1980 to 1989
    2,000
  • 1990 to 1999
    2,346
  • 2000 to 2009
    1,586
  • 2010 to 2013
    367
  • 2014 or later
    16

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 Lake County that have a particular number of vehicles available.

  • No vehicles available
    405
  • 1 vehicle available
    1,626
  • 2 vehicles available
    1,552
  • 3 or more vehicles available
    766

Commuting to Work

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

30.6 minutes is the average travel time to work for people in Lake 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
    101
  • 5 to 9 minutes
    404
  • 10 to 14 minutes
    455
  • 15 to 19 minutes
    348
  • 20 to 24 minutes
    393
  • 25 to 29 minutes
    165
  • 30 to 34 minutes
    483
  • 35 to 39 minutes
    157
  • 40 to 44 minutes
    220
  • 45 to 59 minutes
    300
  • 60 to 89 minutes
    177
  • 90 or more minutes
    230

Summary

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

We have data for 17 places in Lake County, Michigan. Click on a place below to see more information about the demographics of that place.