Grand Traverse County, Michigan

MI · FIPS 26055 Republican

Located in Michigan, Grand Traverse County has a population of 96,166 residents and a median age of 43.5 years, making it the #642 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 9.6%. The median home value is $339,400, and the median household income is $81,647, which is 9% above the national median.

96,166
Population
#642 of 3,222
$81,647
Median Income
+8.6% #516 of 3,222
43.5 years
Median Age
+11.8% #1,062 of 3,222
9.6%
Poverty Rate
-23.5% #704 of 3,222

Demographics

Grand Traverse County has a population of 96,166, making it the #642 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.5 years, which is 11.8% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.0%
Native Born
2.0%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Grand Traverse County is $81,647, ranking #516 out of 3,222 counties — 8.6% above the national median. The poverty rate is 9.6% and unemployment stands at 3.8%.

Income#516
$81,647
+8.6%
vs nation
84th percentile
Per Capita#413
$45,034
+9.1%
vs nation
87th percentile
Poverty#704
9.6%
-23.5%
vs nation
78th percentile
Unemployment#1,197
3.8%
-28.3%
vs nation
63th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Grand Traverse County is $339,400 (+20.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,288/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.2%.

Home Value#462
$339,400
+20.4%
vs nation
86th percentile
Rent#433
$1,288
+10.7%
vs nation
87th percentile
Homeownership#1,126
77.2%
+19.8%
vs nation
65th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Grand Traverse County, 40.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 20.4% above the national average, ranking #264 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
40.6% +20.4% vs nation
Rank #264 of 3,222
92th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Grand Traverse County is 78.7 years. 12.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#468
78.7
+4.8%
vs nation
85th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#117
12.6%
-35.6%
vs nation
96th percentile
Diabetes#134
7.9%
-29.0%
vs nation
96th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#219
31.1%
-16.6%
vs nation
93th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,232
5.5
-2.7%
vs nation
61th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#360
3.7
-17.7%
vs nation
89th percentile
Uninsured Rate#366
5.7%
-45.3%
vs nation
88th percentile
Physical Inactivity#115
17.7%
-32.9%
vs nation
96th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,291
13.4%
-7.0%
vs nation
59th percentile

Substance Use

13.4% of adults in Grand Traverse County smoke , 30.8% are obese , and 20.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 18.5 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#348
13.4%
-25.4%
vs nation
89th percentile
Adult Obesity#231
30.8%
-18.8%
vs nation
93th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,967
20.9%
+5.3%
vs nation
37th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#467
18.5
-42.7%
vs nation
78th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Grand Traverse County is 1.5 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 16.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 9.0 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#49
1.5
-80.9%
vs nation
97th percentile
Suicide Rate#965
16.2
-17.7%
vs nation
62th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#195
7.8
-56.1%
vs nation
92th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#269
9.0
-55.6%
vs nation
91th percentile

Families & Children

9.1% of children in Grand Traverse County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.1 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 9.7 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#304
5.1
-25.1%
vs nation
78th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#403
9.7
-55.5%
vs nation
87th percentile
Child Poverty#250
9.1%
-52.1%
vs nation
92th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Grand Traverse County is 82.4%. The mean commute time is 22.6 min, which is 18.0% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
82.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
22.6 min −18.0% vs nation
Rank #2,414 of 3,222
25th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Grand Traverse County voted Republican with a margin of 1.8%. The vote was 48.3% Dem / 50.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +1.2 toward Democrats .

2024 REP +1.8%
48.3% 50.1%
Dem 62,760 votes Rep
2020 REP +3.0%
47.6% 50.6%
Dem 60,236 votes Rep
2016 REP +12.6%
40.7% 53.3%
Dem 51,460 votes Rep
2012 REP +11.8%
43.6% 55.4%
Dem 47,901 votes Rep
2008 REP +3.0%
47.7% 50.7%
Dem 48,733 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Grand Traverse County, Michigan

Grand Traverse County, Michigan has a total population of 96,166, making it the 642nd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Grand Traverse County is 43.5 years, which is 11.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Grand Traverse County is $81,647, which ranks #516 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 8.6% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 9.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.8%.

The median home value in Grand Traverse County is $339,400, 20.4% above the national median. Renters in Grand Traverse County pay a median gross rent of $1,288 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Grand Traverse County, 40.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 20.4% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.7% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.6 min.

Grand Traverse County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 90.5% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (3.4%).

All data for Grand Traverse 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.