Hillsdale County, Michigan

MI · FIPS 26059 Republican

Located in Michigan, Hillsdale County has a population of 45,654 residents and a median age of 43.1 years, making it the #1,087 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.4%. The median home value is $176,100, and the median household income is $64,242, which is 15% below the national median.

45,654
Population
#1,087 of 3,222
$64,242
Median Income
-14.5% #1,687 of 3,222
43.1 years
Median Age
+10.8% #1,185 of 3,222
14.4%
Poverty Rate
+14.1% #1,830 of 3,222

Demographics

Hillsdale County has a population of 45,654, making it the #1,087 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.1 years, which is 10.8% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.5%
Native Born
1.5%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Hillsdale County is $64,242, ranking #1,687 out of 3,222 counties — 14.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.4% and unemployment stands at 4.4%.

Income#1,687
$64,242
-14.5%
vs nation
48th percentile
Per Capita#1,935
$32,981
-20.1%
vs nation
40th percentile
Poverty#1,830
14.4%
+14.1%
vs nation
43th percentile
Unemployment#1,569
4.4%
-17.4%
vs nation
51th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Hillsdale County is $176,100 (-37.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $832/mo and the homeownership rate is 82.0%.

Home Value#1,685
$176,100
-37.5%
vs nation
48th percentile
Rent#1,879
$832
-28.5%
vs nation
42th percentile
Homeownership#365
82.0%
+27.3%
vs nation
89th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Hillsdale County, 21.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 37.2% below the national average, ranking #1,794 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
21.2% −37.2% vs nation
Rank #1,794 of 3,222
44th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Hillsdale County is 75.3 years. 17.6% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,503
75.3
+0.3%
vs nation
51th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,237
17.6%
-10.0%
vs nation
61th percentile
Diabetes#1,028
9.8%
-12.0%
vs nation
67th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#936
35.0%
-6.2%
vs nation
70th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,779
5.7
+1.7%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,943
4.6
+3.6%
vs nation
38th percentile
Uninsured Rate#659
6.6%
-37.1%
vs nation
79th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,648
26.4%
+0.1%
vs nation
48th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,027
15.6%
+8.3%
vs nation
36th percentile

Substance Use

20.2% of adults in Hillsdale County smoke , 36.8% are obese , and 20.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 19.7 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,320
20.2%
+12.5%
vs nation
26th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,099
36.8%
-2.9%
vs nation
65th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,928
20.9%
+4.9%
vs nation
39th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#558
19.7
-39.0%
vs nation
74th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 23.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 18.8 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,944
23.2
+17.7%
vs nation
24th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,532
18.8
+5.4%
vs nation
38th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,439
18.8
-7.4%
vs nation
49th percentile

Families & Children

18.9% of children in Hillsdale County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.9 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 15.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#541
5.9
-12.8%
vs nation
60th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,015
15.9
-27.3%
vs nation
66th percentile
Child Poverty#1,747
18.9%
-0.5%
vs nation
44th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Hillsdale County is 65.5%. The mean commute time is 26.1 min, which is 5.5% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
65.5% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
26.1 min −5.5% vs nation
Rank #1,680 of 3,222
48th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Hillsdale County voted Republican with a margin of 51.4%. The vote was 23.7% Dem / 75.1% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.5 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +51.4%
23.7% 75.1%
Dem 24,813 votes Rep
2020 REP +47.9%
25.2% 73.1%
Dem 23,302 votes Rep
2016 REP +46.8%
24.1% 70.9%
Dem 19,880 votes Rep
2012 REP +24.3%
37.2% 61.5%
Dem 19,081 votes Rep
2008 REP +12.0%
42.9% 54.9%
Dem 20,449 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Hillsdale County, Michigan

Hillsdale County, Michigan has a total population of 45,654, making it the 1,087th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Hillsdale County is 43.1 years, which is 10.8% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Hillsdale County is $64,242, which ranks #1,687 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 14.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.4%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.4%.

The median home value in Hillsdale County is $176,100, 37.5% below the national median. Renters in Hillsdale County pay a median gross rent of $832 per month. The homeownership rate is 82.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Hillsdale County, 21.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 37.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.6% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 26.1 min.

Hillsdale County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.1% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.8%).

All data for Hillsdale 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.