Alger County, Michigan

MI · FIPS 26003 Republican

Located in Michigan, Alger County has a population of 8,762 residents and a median age of 49.1 years, making it the #2,582 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 10.4%. The median home value is $176,200, and the median household income is $61,286, which is 18% below the national median.

8,762
Population
#2,582 of 3,222
$61,286
Median Income
-18.4% #1,954 of 3,222
49.1 years
Median Age
+26.2% #278 of 3,222
10.4%
Poverty Rate
-17.8% #874 of 3,222

Demographics

Alger County has a population of 8,762, making it the #2,582 most populous county in the US. The median age is 49.1 years, which is 26.2% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.9%
Native Born
1.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Alger County is $61,286, ranking #1,954 out of 3,222 counties — 18.4% below the national median. The poverty rate is 10.4% and unemployment stands at 6.8%.

Income#1,954
$61,286
-18.4%
vs nation
39th percentile
Per Capita#2,452
$29,895
-27.5%
vs nation
24th percentile
Poverty#874
10.4%
-17.8%
vs nation
73th percentile
Unemployment#2,763
6.8%
+28.4%
vs nation
14th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Alger County is $176,200 (-37.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $714/mo and the homeownership rate is 86.3%.

Home Value#1,683
$176,200
-37.5%
vs nation
48th percentile
Rent#2,676
$714
-38.6%
vs nation
17th percentile
Homeownership#73
86.3%
+34.0%
vs nation
98th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Alger County, 21.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 37.7% below the national average, ranking #1,820 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.0% −37.7% vs nation
Rank #1,820 of 3,222
44th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Alger County is 78.9 years. 16.9% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.0% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#429
78.9
+5.0%
vs nation
86th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,040
16.9%
-13.6%
vs nation
67th percentile
Diabetes#894
9.6%
-13.8%
vs nation
72th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,157
35.9%
-3.8%
vs nation
63th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,998
5.8
+3.5%
vs nation
37th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#996
4.1
-8.0%
vs nation
68th percentile
Uninsured Rate#462
6.0%
-42.6%
vs nation
85th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,051
23.9%
-9.4%
vs nation
67th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,026
15.6%
+8.3%
vs nation
36th percentile

Substance Use

17.8% of adults in Alger County smoke , 34.7% are obese , and 21.8% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#1,595
17.8%
-0.9%
vs nation
49th percentile
Adult Obesity#668
34.7%
-8.5%
vs nation
79th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,313
21.8%
+9.8%
vs nation
26th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 21.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 16.8 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,741
21.4
+8.2%
vs nation
32th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,198
16.8
-16.9%
vs nation
58th percentile

Families & Children

16.0% of children in Alger County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 16.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,075
16.5
-24.6%
vs nation
64th percentile
Child Poverty#1,267
16.0%
-15.8%
vs nation
60th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Alger County is 67.1%. The mean commute time is 24.7 min, which is 10.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
67.1% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.7 min −10.5% vs nation
Rank #2,007 of 3,222
38th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Alger County voted Republican with a margin of 19.8%. The vote was 39.5% Dem / 59.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.0 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +19.8%
39.5% 59.3%
Dem 5,258 votes Rep
2020 REP +18.8%
40% 58.8%
Dem 5,128 votes Rep
2016 REP +20.5%
36.8% 57.3%
Dem 4,513 votes Rep
2012 REP +2.5%
48.1% 50.6%
Dem 4,603 votes Rep
2008 DEM +5.9%
52% 46.1%
Dem 4,750 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Alger County, Michigan

Alger County, Michigan has a total population of 8,762, making it the 2,582nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Alger County is 49.1 years, which is 26.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Alger County is $61,286, which ranks #1,954 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 18.4% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 10.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.8%.

The median home value in Alger County is $176,200, 37.5% below the national median. Renters in Alger County pay a median gross rent of $714 per month. The homeownership rate is 86.3%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Alger County, 21.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 37.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.7 min.

Alger County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 81.4% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (7.6%) and Two or More Races (5.9%).

All data for Alger County, Michigan comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.