Arenac County, Michigan

MI · FIPS 26011 Republican

Located in Michigan, Arenac County has a population of 15,077 residents and a median age of 50.2 years, making it the #2,158 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.7%. The median home value is $150,600, and the median household income is $58,811, which is 22% below the national median.

15,077
Population
#2,158 of 3,222
$58,811
Median Income
-21.7% #2,190 of 3,222
50.2 years
Median Age
+29.0% #212 of 3,222
11.7%
Poverty Rate
-6.9% #1,204 of 3,222

Demographics

Arenac County has a population of 15,077, making it the #2,158 most populous county in the US. The median age is 50.2 years, which is 29.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.2%
Native Born
0.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Arenac County is $58,811, ranking #2,190 out of 3,222 counties — 21.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.7% and unemployment stands at 6.0%.

Income#2,190
$58,811
-21.7%
vs nation
32th percentile
Per Capita#2,089
$32,082
-22.2%
vs nation
35th percentile
Poverty#1,204
11.7%
-6.9%
vs nation
63th percentile
Unemployment#2,538
6.0%
+13.2%
vs nation
21th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Arenac County is $150,600 (-46.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $761/mo and the homeownership rate is 86.2%.

Home Value#2,244
$150,600
-46.6%
vs nation
30th percentile
Rent#2,405
$761
-34.6%
vs nation
25th percentile
Homeownership#76
86.2%
+33.9%
vs nation
98th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Arenac County, 16.0% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 52.7% below the national average, ranking #2,679 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.0% −52.7% vs nation
Rank #2,679 of 3,222
17th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Arenac County is 73.9 years. 18.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,953
73.9
-1.6%
vs nation
36th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,399
18.2%
-7.0%
vs nation
56th percentile
Diabetes#1,096
9.9%
-11.1%
vs nation
65th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#821
34.5%
-7.5%
vs nation
74th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,937
5.8
+3.0%
vs nation
38th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,776
4.5
+1.6%
vs nation
44th percentile
Uninsured Rate#605
6.5%
-38.4%
vs nation
81th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,455
25.5%
-3.3%
vs nation
54th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,521
17.3%
+20.1%
vs nation
20th percentile

Substance Use

20.2% of adults in Arenac County smoke , 38.3% are obese , and 21.5% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 24.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,319
20.2%
+12.5%
vs nation
26th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,526
38.3%
+1.0%
vs nation
52th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,200
21.5%
+8.1%
vs nation
30th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#851
24.4
-24.4%
vs nation
60th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 13.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 19.0 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#440
13.1
-33.6%
vs nation
83th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,352
17.3
-3.1%
vs nation
45th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,474
19.0
-6.0%
vs nation
48th percentile

Families & Children

22.8% of children in Arenac County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 18.2 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,283
18.2
-16.6%
vs nation
57th percentile
Child Poverty#2,284
22.8%
+20.0%
vs nation
27th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Arenac County is 72.2%. The mean commute time is 28.8 min, which is 4.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
72.2% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
28.8 min +4.5% vs nation
Rank #1,076 of 3,222
67th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Arenac County voted Republican with a margin of 40.6%. The vote was 29.1% Dem / 69.7% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +40.6%
29.1% 69.7%
Dem 9,158 votes Rep
2020 REP +35.7%
31.4% 67.1%
Dem 8,831 votes Rep
2016 REP +33.1%
30% 63.1%
Dem 7,457 votes Rep
2012 REP +4.9%
46.9% 51.8%
Dem 7,826 votes Rep
2008 DEM +4.3%
51.1% 46.8%
Dem 8,128 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Arenac County, Michigan

Arenac County, Michigan has a total population of 15,077, making it the 2,158th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Arenac County is 50.2 years, which is 29.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Arenac County is $58,811, which ranks #2,190 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 21.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.0%.

The median home value in Arenac County is $150,600, 46.6% below the national median. Renters in Arenac County pay a median gross rent of $761 per month. The homeownership rate is 86.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Arenac County, 16.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 52.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.0% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.8 min.

Arenac County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 93.0% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.2%).

All data for Arenac 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.