Otsego County, Michigan

MI · FIPS 26137 Republican

Located in Michigan, Otsego County has a population of 25,584 residents and a median age of 44.4 years, making it the #1,633 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.0%. The median home value is $219,700, and the median household income is $68,183, which is 9% below the national median.

25,584
Population
#1,633 of 3,222
$68,183
Median Income
-9.3% #1,324 of 3,222
44.4 years
Median Age
+14.1% #851 of 3,222
8.0%
Poverty Rate
-36.2% #366 of 3,222

Demographics

Otsego County has a population of 25,584, making it the #1,633 most populous county in the US. The median age is 44.4 years, which is 14.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.4%
Native Born
1.6%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Otsego County is $68,183, ranking #1,324 out of 3,222 counties — 9.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 8.0% and unemployment stands at 4.0%.

Income#1,324
$68,183
-9.3%
vs nation
59th percentile
Per Capita#1,045
$38,321
-7.1%
vs nation
68th percentile
Poverty#366
8.0%
-36.2%
vs nation
89th percentile
Unemployment#1,334
4.0%
-24.2%
vs nation
59th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Otsego County is $219,700 (-22.1% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,008/mo and the homeownership rate is 77.2%.

Home Value#1,191
$219,700
-22.1%
vs nation
63th percentile
Rent#965
$1,008
-13.3%
vs nation
70th percentile
Homeownership#1,112
77.2%
+19.9%
vs nation
66th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Otsego County, 26.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 21.8% below the national average, ranking #1,069 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
26.3% −21.8% vs nation
Rank #1,069 of 3,222
67th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Otsego County is 75.5 years. 19.1% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,445
75.5
+0.5%
vs nation
53th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,624
19.1%
-2.4%
vs nation
48th percentile
Diabetes#898
9.6%
-13.8%
vs nation
72th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,123
35.8%
-4.0%
vs nation
64th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,852
5.8
+2.3%
vs nation
41th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#964
4.1
-8.5%
vs nation
69th percentile
Uninsured Rate#698
6.7%
-36.2%
vs nation
78th percentile
Physical Inactivity#1,631
26.3%
-0.3%
vs nation
48th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,869
15.1%
+4.8%
vs nation
41th percentile

Substance Use

21.6% of adults in Otsego County smoke , 34.4% are obese , and 22.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 15.8 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,633
21.6%
+20.3%
vs nation
16th percentile
Adult Obesity#624
34.4%
-9.3%
vs nation
80th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,369
22.0%
+10.6%
vs nation
25th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#306
15.8
-51.0%
vs nation
86th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 22.7 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 9.8 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#1,884
22.7
+14.9%
vs nation
26th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,271
16.8
-6.0%
vs nation
49th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#341
9.8
-51.8%
vs nation
88th percentile

Families & Children

15.3% of children in Otsego County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 16.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,127
16.8
-22.9%
vs nation
63th percentile
Child Poverty#1,153
15.3%
-19.4%
vs nation
63th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Otsego County is 76.4%. The mean commute time is 22.5 min, which is 18.3% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
76.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
22.5 min −18.3% vs nation
Rank #2,433 of 3,222
24th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Otsego County voted Republican with a margin of 35.4%. The vote was 31.6% Dem / 67% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 1.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +35.4%
31.6% 67%
Dem 15,971 votes Rep
2020 REP +34.2%
32.1% 66.3%
Dem 14,757 votes Rep
2016 REP +37.6%
28.4% 66%
Dem 12,529 votes Rep
2012 REP +19.6%
39.6% 59.2%
Dem 11,829 votes Rep
2008 REP +8.8%
44.7% 53.5%
Dem 12,616 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Otsego County, Michigan

Otsego County, Michigan has a total population of 25,584, making it the 1,633rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Otsego County is 44.4 years, which is 14.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Otsego County is $68,183, which ranks #1,324 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 9.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.0%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 4.0%.

The median home value in Otsego County is $219,700, 22.1% below the national median. Renters in Otsego County pay a median gross rent of $1,008 per month. The homeownership rate is 77.2%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Otsego County, 26.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 21.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 94.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.5 min.

Otsego County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 92.9% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.0%).

All data for Otsego 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.