Ontonagon County, Michigan

MI · FIPS 26131 Republican

Located in Michigan, Ontonagon County has a population of 5,850 residents and a median age of 59.8 years, making it the #2,824 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.5%. The median home value is $111,700, and the median household income is $54,398, which is 28% below the national median.

5,850
Population
#2,824 of 3,222
$54,398
Median Income
-27.6% #2,510 of 3,222
59.8 years
Median Age
+53.7% #10 of 3,222
12.5%
Poverty Rate
-0.6% #1,401 of 3,222

Demographics

Ontonagon County has a population of 5,850, making it the #2,824 most populous county in the US. The median age is 59.8 years, which is 53.7% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.9%
Native Born
1.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Ontonagon County is $54,398, ranking #2,510 out of 3,222 counties — 27.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 12.5% and unemployment stands at 5.3%.

Income#2,510
$54,398
-27.6%
vs nation
22th percentile
Per Capita#1,692
$34,400
-16.6%
vs nation
48th percentile
Poverty#1,401
12.5%
-0.6%
vs nation
57th percentile
Unemployment#2,211
5.3%
+0.5%
vs nation
31th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Ontonagon County is $111,700 (-60.4% vs national). Renters pay a median of $540/mo and the homeownership rate is 87.1%.

Home Value#2,822
$111,700
-60.4%
vs nation
12th percentile
Rent#3,129
$540
-53.6%
vs nation
3th percentile
Homeownership#54
87.1%
+35.2%
vs nation
98th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Ontonagon County, 18.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 45.3% below the national average, ranking #2,269 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
18.4% −45.3% vs nation
Rank #2,269 of 3,222
30th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Ontonagon County is 73.1 years. 18.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,217
73.1
-2.8%
vs nation
28th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,424
18.3%
-6.5%
vs nation
55th percentile
Diabetes#1,100
9.9%
-11.1%
vs nation
65th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,093
35.7%
-4.3%
vs nation
65th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,394
6.0
+7.2%
vs nation
24th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,582
4.4
-0.6%
vs nation
50th percentile
Uninsured Rate#836
7.1%
-32.5%
vs nation
73th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,510
25.7%
-2.6%
vs nation
52th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,522
17.3%
+20.1%
vs nation
20th percentile

Substance Use

20.9% of adults in Ontonagon County smoke , 38.1% are obese , and 21.0% report excessive drinking.

Adult Smoking#2,484
20.9%
+16.4%
vs nation
21th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,457
38.1%
+0.5%
vs nation
54th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,015
21.0%
+5.9%
vs nation
36th percentile

Safety

.

Families & Children

23.9% of children in Ontonagon County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 13.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#740
13.3
-39.0%
vs nation
75th percentile
Child Poverty#2,407
23.9%
+25.8%
vs nation
23th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Ontonagon County is 74.6%. The mean commute time is 25.8 min, which is 6.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
74.6% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.8 min −6.6% vs nation
Rank #1,760 of 3,222
45th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Ontonagon County voted Republican with a margin of 30.3%. The vote was 34.2% Dem / 64.5% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.9 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +30.3%
34.2% 64.5%
Dem 3,841 votes Rep
2020 REP +25.4%
36.6% 62%
Dem 3,804 votes Rep
2016 REP +26.1%
34.4% 60.5%
Dem 3,420 votes Rep
2012 REP +9.1%
44.8% 53.9%
Dem 3,535 votes Rep
2008 DEM +3.7%
50.6% 46.9%
Dem 3,885 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Ontonagon County, Michigan

Ontonagon County, Michigan has a total population of 5,850, making it the 2,824th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Ontonagon County is 59.8 years, which is 53.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Ontonagon County is $54,398, which ranks #2,510 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 27.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.5%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.3%.

The median home value in Ontonagon County is $111,700, 60.4% below the national median. Renters in Ontonagon County pay a median gross rent of $540 per month. The homeownership rate is 87.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Ontonagon County, 18.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 45.3% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.8 min.

Ontonagon County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.3% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic or Latino (1.8%).

All data for Ontonagon 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.