Clare County, Michigan

MI · FIPS 26035 Republican

Located in Michigan, Clare County has a population of 31,218 residents and a median age of 49.0 years, making it the #1,441 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 21.6%. The median home value is $133,800, and the median household income is $49,384, which is 34% below the national median.

31,218
Population
#1,441 of 3,222
$49,384
Median Income
-34.3% #2,804 of 3,222
49.0 years
Median Age
+26.0% #286 of 3,222
21.6%
Poverty Rate
+71.8% #2,809 of 3,222

Demographics

Clare County has a population of 31,218, making it the #1,441 most populous county in the US. The median age is 49.0 years, which is 26.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

99.1%
Native Born
0.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Clare County is $49,384, ranking #2,804 out of 3,222 counties — 34.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 21.6% and unemployment stands at 9.5%.

Income#2,804
$49,384
-34.3%
vs nation
13th percentile
Per Capita#2,611
$28,794
-30.2%
vs nation
19th percentile
Poverty#2,809
21.6%
+71.8%
vs nation
13th percentile
Unemployment#3,062
9.5%
+78.7%
vs nation
5th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Clare County is $133,800 (-52.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $765/mo and the homeownership rate is 86.9%.

Home Value#2,476
$133,800
-52.5%
vs nation
23th percentile
Rent#2,375
$765
-34.2%
vs nation
26th percentile
Homeownership#57
86.9%
+34.9%
vs nation
98th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Clare County, 12.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 61.8% below the national average, ranking #3,037 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
12.9% −61.8% vs nation
Rank #3,037 of 3,222
6th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Clare County is 73.7 years. 18.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 8.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,044
73.7
-2.0%
vs nation
33th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,524
18.7%
-4.4%
vs nation
52th percentile
Diabetes#1,311
10.3%
-7.5%
vs nation
58th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#917
34.9%
-6.5%
vs nation
71th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,755
6.3
+12.5%
vs nation
12th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,488
5.0
+12.2%
vs nation
21th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,279
8.3%
-20.8%
vs nation
59th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,572
26.0%
-1.4%
vs nation
50th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,998
20.6%
+43.0%
vs nation
5th percentile

Substance Use

20.1% of adults in Clare County smoke , 42.3% are obese , and 19.3% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 27.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,293
20.1%
+11.9%
vs nation
27th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,684
42.3%
+11.6%
vs nation
15th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,290
19.3%
-3.0%
vs nation
59th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,051
27.9
-13.7%
vs nation
50th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Clare County is 4.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 22.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 21.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#555
4.6
-42.1%
vs nation
64th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,817
22.1
+11.8%
vs nation
29th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,590
19.4
+8.4%
vs nation
36th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,789
21.8
+7.5%
vs nation
37th percentile

Families & Children

28.8% of children in Clare County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 24.0 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,859
24.0
+10.0%
vs nation
38th percentile
Child Poverty#2,782
28.8%
+51.6%
vs nation
12th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Clare County is 66.5%. The mean commute time is 30.8 min, which is 11.6% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
66.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
30.8 min +11.6% vs nation
Rank #754 of 3,222
77th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Clare County voted Republican with a margin of 37.6%. The vote was 30.5% Dem / 68.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.8 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +37.6%
30.5% 68.1%
Dem 17,288 votes Rep
2020 REP +34.8%
31.9% 66.7%
Dem 16,281 votes Rep
2016 REP +31.8%
31.8% 63.6%
Dem 13,385 votes Rep
2012 REP +4.8%
47% 51.8%
Dem 13,492 votes Rep
2008 DEM +4.9%
51.5% 46.6%
Dem 14,567 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Clare County, Michigan

Clare County, Michigan has a total population of 31,218, making it the 1,441st most populous county in the United States. The median age in Clare County is 49.0 years, which is 26.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Clare County is $49,384, which ranks #2,804 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 34.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 21.6%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 9.5%.

The median home value in Clare County is $133,800, 52.5% below the national median. Renters in Clare County pay a median gross rent of $765 per month. The homeownership rate is 86.9%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Clare County, 12.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 61.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 30.8 min.

Clare County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.8% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.3%).

All data for Clare 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.