Saginaw County, Michigan

MI · FIPS 26145 Republican

Located in Michigan, Saginaw County has a population of 188,665 residents and a median age of 41.2 years, making it the #366 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.2%. The median home value is $152,800, and the median household income is $60,622, which is 19% below the national median.

188,665
Population
#366 of 3,222
$60,622
Median Income
-19.3% #2,030 of 3,222
41.2 years
Median Age
+5.9% #1,744 of 3,222
18.2%
Poverty Rate
+44.5% #2,479 of 3,222

Demographics

Saginaw County has a population of 188,665, making it the #366 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.2 years, which is 5.9% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.6%
Native Born
2.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Saginaw County is $60,622, ranking #2,030 out of 3,222 counties — 19.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.2% and unemployment stands at 6.4%.

Income#2,030
$60,622
-19.3%
vs nation
37th percentile
Per Capita#1,660
$34,578
-16.2%
vs nation
48th percentile
Poverty#2,479
18.2%
+44.5%
vs nation
23th percentile
Unemployment#2,665
6.4%
+20.7%
vs nation
17th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Saginaw County is $152,800 (-45.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $947/mo and the homeownership rate is 74.1%.

Home Value#2,194
$152,800
-45.8%
vs nation
32th percentile
Rent#1,189
$947
-18.6%
vs nation
63th percentile
Homeownership#1,690
74.1%
+15.1%
vs nation
48th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Saginaw County, 24.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 27.6% below the national average, ranking #1,311 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
24.4% −27.6% vs nation
Rank #1,311 of 3,222
59th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Saginaw County is 74.5 years. 20.8% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,789
74.5
-0.9%
vs nation
42th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,996
20.8%
+6.3%
vs nation
37th percentile
Diabetes#1,719
11.1%
-0.3%
vs nation
45th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,391
36.9%
-1.1%
vs nation
56th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,686
6.3
+10.9%
vs nation
15th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,715
4.5
+0.9%
vs nation
46th percentile
Uninsured Rate#299
5.5%
-47.5%
vs nation
91th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,148
28.7%
+8.8%
vs nation
32th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,302
16.5%
+14.5%
vs nation
27th percentile

Substance Use

20.5% of adults in Saginaw County smoke , 43.0% are obese , and 21.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 33.3 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,401
20.5%
+14.2%
vs nation
24th percentile
Adult Obesity#2,807
43.0%
+13.4%
vs nation
11th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,996
21.0%
+5.6%
vs nation
37th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,323
33.3
+2.9%
vs nation
37th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Saginaw County is 11.9 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 13.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 11.8 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,269
11.9
+49.0%
vs nation
17th percentile
Suicide Rate#487
13.5
-31.8%
vs nation
81th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,482
18.3
+2.6%
vs nation
40th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#548
11.8
-41.9%
vs nation
81th percentile

Families & Children

22.6% of children in Saginaw County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 8.6 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 19.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#1,125
8.6
+26.6%
vs nation
18th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,441
19.8
-9.3%
vs nation
52th percentile
Child Poverty#2,262
22.6%
+19.0%
vs nation
28th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Saginaw County is 69.7%. The mean commute time is 24.3 min, which is 12.0% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
69.7% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
24.3 min −12.0% vs nation
Rank #2,090 of 3,222
35th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Saginaw County voted Republican with a margin of 3.3%. The vote was 47.7% Dem / 51% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +3.3%
47.7% 51%
Dem 103,838 votes Rep
2020 DEM +0.3%
49.4% 49.1%
Dem 103,349 votes Rep
2016 REP +1.2%
47.1% 48.3%
Dem 94,198 votes Rep
2012 DEM +11.9%
55.5% 43.6%
Dem 97,903 votes Rep
2008 DEM +17.3%
57.9% 40.6%
Dem 104,090 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Saginaw County, Michigan

Saginaw County, Michigan has a total population of 188,665, making it the 366th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Saginaw County is 41.2 years, which is 5.9% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Saginaw County is $60,622, which ranks #2,030 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 19.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.2%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.4%.

The median home value in Saginaw County is $152,800, 45.8% below the national median. Renters in Saginaw County pay a median gross rent of $947 per month. The homeownership rate is 74.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Saginaw County, 24.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27.6% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 95.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 24.3 min.

Saginaw County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 67.8% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (18.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (9.2%).

All data for Saginaw 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.