Leelanau County, Michigan

MI · FIPS 26089 Democrat

Located in Michigan, Leelanau County has a population of 22,734 residents and a median age of 55.9 years, making it the #1,740 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 6.5%. The median home value is $458,400, and the median household income is $99,422, which is 32% above the national median.

22,734
Population
#1,740 of 3,222
$99,422
Median Income
+32.3% #174 of 3,222
55.9 years
Median Age
+43.7% #46 of 3,222
6.5%
Poverty Rate
-48.2% #158 of 3,222

Demographics

Leelanau County has a population of 22,734, making it the #1,740 most populous county in the US. The median age is 55.9 years, which is 43.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.1%
Native Born
1.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Leelanau County is $99,422, ranking #174 out of 3,222 counties — 32.3% above the national median. The poverty rate is 6.5% and unemployment stands at 3.4%.

Income#174
$99,422
+32.3%
vs nation
95th percentile
Per Capita#93
$57,553
+39.5%
vs nation
97th percentile
Poverty#158
6.5%
-48.2%
vs nation
95th percentile
Unemployment#937
3.4%
-35.4%
vs nation
71th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Leelanau County is $458,400 (+62.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,228/mo and the homeownership rate is 91.6%.

Home Value#183
$458,400
+62.6%
vs nation
94th percentile
Rent#499
$1,228
+5.6%
vs nation
85th percentile
Homeownership#9
91.6%
+42.3%
vs nation
100th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Leelanau County, 51.8% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 53.9% above the national average, ranking #77 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
51.8% +53.9% vs nation
Rank #77 of 3,222
98th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Leelanau County is 80.9 years. 11.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.6% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#129
80.9
+7.7%
vs nation
96th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#22
11.0%
-43.8%
vs nation
99th percentile
Diabetes#100
7.7%
-30.8%
vs nation
97th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#95
29.9%
-19.9%
vs nation
97th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#563
5.1
-9.8%
vs nation
82th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#136
3.4
-23.3%
vs nation
96th percentile
Uninsured Rate#672
6.6%
-36.8%
vs nation
79th percentile
Physical Inactivity#66
16.5%
-37.5%
vs nation
98th percentile
Food Insecurity#759
11.8%
-18.1%
vs nation
76th percentile

Substance Use

11.0% of adults in Leelanau County smoke , 31.2% are obese , and 22.3% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#105
11.0%
-38.7%
vs nation
97th percentile
Adult Obesity#260
31.2%
-17.7%
vs nation
92th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,455
22.3%
+12.3%
vs nation
22th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 15.2 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.3 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#792
15.2
-22.8%
vs nation
69th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#391
10.0
-43.8%
vs nation
84th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#851
14.3
-29.5%
vs nation
70th percentile

Families & Children

10.3% of children in Leelanau County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 4.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#61
4.8
-78.2%
vs nation
98th percentile
Child Poverty#365
10.3%
-45.8%
vs nation
88th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Leelanau County is 94.3%. The mean commute time is 25.4 min, which is 7.9% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
94.3% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.4 min −7.9% vs nation
Rank #1,847 of 3,222
43th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Leelanau County voted Democratic with a margin of 7.8%. The vote was 53.2% Dem / 45.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted +2.6 toward Democrats .

2024 DEM +7.8%
53.2% 45.4%
Dem 17,680 votes Rep
2020 DEM +5.2%
52% 46.8%
Dem 16,900 votes Rep
2016 REP +3.2%
45.9% 49.1%
Dem 14,757 votes Rep
2012 REP +6.4%
46.4% 52.8%
Dem 14,164 votes Rep
2008 DEM +2.9%
50.9% 48%
Dem 14,464 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Leelanau County, Michigan

Leelanau County, Michigan has a total population of 22,734, making it the 1,740th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Leelanau County is 55.9 years, which is 43.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Leelanau County is $99,422, which ranks #174 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 32.3% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 6.5%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.4%.

The median home value in Leelanau County is $458,400, 62.6% above the national median. Renters in Leelanau County pay a median gross rent of $1,228 per month. The homeownership rate is 91.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Leelanau County, 51.8% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 53.9% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 96.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.4 min.

Leelanau County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 89.0% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).

All data for Leelanau 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.