Kalamazoo County, Michigan

MI · FIPS 26077 Democrat

Located in Michigan, Kalamazoo County has a population of 262,375 residents and a median age of 35.0 years, making it the #276 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.7%. The median home value is $241,800, and the median household income is $72,532, which is 3% below the national median.

262,375
Population
#276 of 3,222
$72,532
Median Income
-3.5% #1,012 of 3,222
35.0 years
Median Age
-10.0% #2,966 of 3,222
12.7%
Poverty Rate
+0.5% #1,436 of 3,222

Demographics

Kalamazoo County has a population of 262,375, making it the #276 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.0 years, which is 10.0% below the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

94.2%
Native Born
5.8%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Kalamazoo County is $72,532, ranking #1,012 out of 3,222 counties — 3.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.7% and unemployment stands at 5.5%.

Income#1,012
$72,532
-3.5%
vs nation
69th percentile
Per Capita#671
$41,530
+0.7%
vs nation
79th percentile
Poverty#1,436
12.7%
+0.5%
vs nation
55th percentile
Unemployment#2,315
5.5%
+3.7%
vs nation
28th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Kalamazoo County is $241,800 (-14.2% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,093/mo and the homeownership rate is 64.5%.

Home Value#962
$241,800
-14.2%
vs nation
70th percentile
Rent#736
$1,093
-6.0%
vs nation
77th percentile
Homeownership#2,777
64.5%
+0.2%
vs nation
14th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Kalamazoo County, 41.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 22.5% above the national average, ranking #242 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
41.3% +22.5% vs nation
Rank #242 of 3,222
93th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Kalamazoo County is 77.1 years. 15.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#887
77.1
+2.6%
vs nation
71th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#640
15.4%
-21.3%
vs nation
80th percentile
Diabetes#577
9.1%
-18.3%
vs nation
82th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#76
29.5%
-20.9%
vs nation
98th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,650
5.7
+0.7%
vs nation
48th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#642
3.9
-13.2%
vs nation
80th percentile
Uninsured Rate#189
5.1%
-51.6%
vs nation
94th percentile
Physical Inactivity#814
22.9%
-13.2%
vs nation
74th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,327
13.5%
-6.3%
vs nation
58th percentile

Substance Use

15.6% of adults in Kalamazoo County smoke , 35.7% are obese , and 19.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 20.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#810
15.6%
-13.1%
vs nation
74th percentile
Adult Obesity#852
35.7%
-5.8%
vs nation
73th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,512
19.8%
-0.2%
vs nation
52th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#628
20.8
-35.6%
vs nation
70th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Kalamazoo County is 6.3 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 16.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.2 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#806
6.3
-21.4%
vs nation
48th percentile
Suicide Rate#970
16.3
-17.4%
vs nation
62th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#894
14.3
-20.2%
vs nation
64th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#484
11.2
-44.5%
vs nation
83th percentile

Families & Children

14.5% of children in Kalamazoo County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 5.7 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 14.5 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#492
5.7
-15.7%
vs nation
64th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#851
14.5
-33.6%
vs nation
72th percentile
Child Poverty#1,020
14.5%
-23.7%
vs nation
68th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Kalamazoo County is 71.9%. The mean commute time is 23.0 min, which is 16.7% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
71.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
23.0 min −16.7% vs nation
Rank #2,344 of 3,222
27th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Kalamazoo County voted Democratic with a margin of 17.7%. The vote was 58% Dem / 40.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.1 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +17.7%
58% 40.3%
Dem 145,646 votes Rep
2020 DEM +18.8%
58.4% 39.6%
Dem 143,414 votes Rep
2016 DEM +12.8%
53.3% 40.5%
Dem 125,966 votes Rep
2012 DEM +13.3%
56.2% 42.9%
Dem 122,880 votes Rep
2008 DEM +19.5%
58.9% 39.4%
Dem 130,781 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Kalamazoo County, Michigan

Kalamazoo County, Michigan has a total population of 262,375, making it the 276th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Kalamazoo County is 35.0 years, which is 10.0% below the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Kalamazoo County is $72,532, which ranks #1,012 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 3.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.7%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.5%.

The median home value in Kalamazoo County is $241,800, 14.2% below the national median. Renters in Kalamazoo County pay a median gross rent of $1,093 per month. The homeownership rate is 64.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Kalamazoo County, 41.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 22.5% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 23.0 min.

Kalamazoo County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 74.6% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (10.8%) and Hispanic or Latino (5.9%).

All data for Kalamazoo 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.