Sanilac County, Michigan

MI · FIPS 26151 Republican

Located in Michigan, Sanilac County has a population of 40,462 residents and a median age of 45.5 years, making it the #1,197 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 15.3%. The median home value is $168,300, and the median household income is $58,863, which is 22% below the national median.

40,462
Population
#1,197 of 3,222
$58,863
Median Income
-21.7% #2,184 of 3,222
45.5 years
Median Age
+17.0% #666 of 3,222
15.3%
Poverty Rate
+21.6% #2,006 of 3,222

Demographics

Sanilac County has a population of 40,462, making it the #1,197 most populous county in the US. The median age is 45.5 years, which is 17.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

98.6%
Native Born
1.4%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Sanilac County is $58,863, ranking #2,184 out of 3,222 counties — 21.7% below the national median. The poverty rate is 15.3% and unemployment stands at 6.0%.

Income#2,184
$58,863
-21.7%
vs nation
32th percentile
Per Capita#1,831
$33,584
-18.6%
vs nation
43th percentile
Poverty#2,006
15.3%
+21.6%
vs nation
38th percentile
Unemployment#2,517
6.0%
+12.4%
vs nation
22th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Sanilac County is $168,300 (-40.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $807/mo and the homeownership rate is 82.6%.

Home Value#1,845
$168,300
-40.3%
vs nation
43th percentile
Rent#2,054
$807
-30.6%
vs nation
36th percentile
Homeownership#283
82.6%
+28.2%
vs nation
91th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Sanilac County, 16.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 51.1% below the national average, ranking #2,593 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.5% −51.1% vs nation
Rank #2,593 of 3,222
20th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Sanilac County is 75.3 years. 20.4% of adults report poor or fair health and 6.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,527
75.3
+0.2%
vs nation
50th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,920
20.4%
+4.3%
vs nation
39th percentile
Diabetes#1,205
10.1%
-9.3%
vs nation
62th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#755
34.2%
-8.3%
vs nation
76th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,260
5.5
-2.5%
vs nation
60th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,563
4.4
-0.9%
vs nation
50th percentile
Uninsured Rate#685
6.7%
-36.5%
vs nation
78th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,149
28.7%
+8.8%
vs nation
32th percentile
Food Insecurity#2,338
16.6%
+15.2%
vs nation
26th percentile

Substance Use

22.6% of adults in Sanilac County smoke , 38.5% are obese , and 19.8% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 18.9 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,784
22.6%
+25.9%
vs nation
12th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,598
38.5%
+1.6%
vs nation
49th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,492
19.8%
-0.5%
vs nation
53th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#491
18.9
-41.6%
vs nation
77th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 16.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.1 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#948
16.1
-18.2%
vs nation
63th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#416
10.3
-42.5%
vs nation
83th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,233
17.1
-15.7%
vs nation
56th percentile

Families & Children

20.1% of children in Sanilac County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 14.6 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#853
14.6
-33.4%
vs nation
72th percentile
Child Poverty#1,920
20.1%
+5.8%
vs nation
39th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Sanilac County is 70.0%. The mean commute time is 31.0 min, which is 12.5% above the national average.

Voter Turnout
70.0% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
31.0 min +12.5% vs nation
Rank #720 of 3,222
78th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Sanilac County voted Republican with a margin of 47.7%. The vote was 25.5% Dem / 73.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +47.7%
25.5% 73.2%
Dem 23,339 votes Rep
2020 REP +45.5%
26.6% 72.1%
Dem 22,446 votes Rep
2016 REP +44.6%
25.3% 69.9%
Dem 19,243 votes Rep
2012 REP +20.4%
39.3% 59.7%
Dem 18,359 votes Rep
2008 REP +8.0%
44.9% 52.9%
Dem 20,169 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Sanilac County, Michigan

Sanilac County, Michigan has a total population of 40,462, making it the 1,197th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Sanilac County is 45.5 years, which is 17.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Sanilac County is $58,863, which ranks #2,184 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 21.7% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 15.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.0%.

The median home value in Sanilac County is $168,300, 40.3% below the national median. Renters in Sanilac County pay a median gross rent of $807 per month. The homeownership rate is 82.6%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Sanilac County, 16.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 51.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 92.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 31.0 min.

Sanilac County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.9% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (4.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).

All data for Sanilac 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.