St. Joseph County, Michigan

MI · FIPS 26149 Republican

Located in Michigan, St. Joseph County has a population of 60,969 residents and a median age of 39.9 years, making it the #885 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.4%. The median home value is $178,300, and the median household income is $66,425, which is 12% below the national median.

60,969
Population
#885 of 3,222
$66,425
Median Income
-11.6% #1,476 of 3,222
39.9 years
Median Age
+2.6% #2,149 of 3,222
11.4%
Poverty Rate
-9.5% #1,119 of 3,222

Demographics

St. Joseph County has a population of 60,969, making it the #885 most populous county in the US. The median age is 39.9 years, which is 2.6% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

95.9%
Native Born
4.1%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in St. Joseph County is $66,425, ranking #1,476 out of 3,222 counties — 11.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.4% and unemployment stands at 5.9%.

Income#1,476
$66,425
-11.6%
vs nation
54th percentile
Per Capita#2,085
$32,102
-22.2%
vs nation
35th percentile
Poverty#1,119
11.4%
-9.5%
vs nation
65th percentile
Unemployment#2,489
5.9%
+11.4%
vs nation
23th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in St. Joseph County is $178,300 (-36.8% vs national). Renters pay a median of $849/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.1%.

Home Value#1,667
$178,300
-36.8%
vs nation
48th percentile
Rent#1,754
$849
-27.0%
vs nation
45th percentile
Homeownership#1,335
76.1%
+18.2%
vs nation
59th percentile

Household Type

Education

In St. Joseph County, 16.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 49.8% below the national average, ranking #2,506 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.9% −49.8% vs nation
Rank #2,506 of 3,222
22th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in St. Joseph County is 74.9 years. 21.2% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,646
74.9
-0.3%
vs nation
46th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#2,080
21.2%
+8.4%
vs nation
34th percentile
Diabetes#1,425
10.5%
-5.7%
vs nation
55th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,267
36.4%
-2.4%
vs nation
60th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,168
5.9
+5.1%
vs nation
31th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#1,716
4.5
+0.9%
vs nation
45th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,078
7.7%
-26.7%
vs nation
66th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,321
29.6%
+12.2%
vs nation
26th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,938
15.3%
+6.2%
vs nation
38th percentile

Substance Use

21.5% of adults in St. Joseph County smoke , 37.4% are obese , and 20.2% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 19.2 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#2,618
21.5%
+19.7%
vs nation
17th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,257
37.4%
-1.3%
vs nation
60th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,653
20.2%
+1.6%
vs nation
47th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#516
19.2
-40.7%
vs nation
76th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in St. Joseph County is 3.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 23.5 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.3 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#264
3.0
-61.9%
vs nation
83th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,966
23.5
+19.3%
vs nation
23th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#871
14.1
-21.0%
vs nation
65th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,847
22.3
+10.1%
vs nation
35th percentile

Families & Children

14.2% of children in St. Joseph County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.7 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 22.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#749
6.7
-1.8%
vs nation
45th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,710
22.4
+2.7%
vs nation
43th percentile
Child Poverty#982
14.2%
-25.2%
vs nation
69th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in St. Joseph County is 62.9%. The mean commute time is 22.9 min, which is 17.0% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
62.9% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
22.9 min −17.0% vs nation
Rank #2,353 of 3,222
27th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, St. Joseph County voted Republican with a margin of 33.9%. The vote was 32.3% Dem / 66.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +33.9%
32.3% 66.2%
Dem 29,307 votes Rep
2020 REP +31.7%
33.2% 64.9%
Dem 27,936 votes Rep
2016 REP +30.9%
31.7% 62.6%
Dem 23,765 votes Rep
2012 REP +12.4%
43.3% 55.7%
Dem 23,314 votes Rep
2008 REP +2.2%
47.9% 50.1%
Dem 25,702 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About St. Joseph County, Michigan

St. Joseph County, Michigan has a total population of 60,969, making it the 885th most populous county in the United States. The median age in St. Joseph County is 39.9 years, which is 2.6% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in St. Joseph County is $66,425, which ranks #1,476 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 11.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.4%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.9%.

The median home value in St. Joseph County is $178,300, 36.8% below the national median. Renters in St. Joseph County pay a median gross rent of $849 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In St. Joseph County, 16.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 49.8% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 22.9 min.

St. Joseph County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 83.5% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (9.4%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).

All data for St. Joseph 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.