Branch County, Michigan Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Branch County is located in Michigan with a total population of 45,300. It is the 38th most populous county out of 83 in Michigan. The county encompasses 4 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Branch County is 40.6 years. This is about the same as the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Branch County is $63,724. This is 13% lower than the state median of $72,875. It is also 21% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 16.4%. This is 24% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.2%. The unemployment rate is 5.7%. The median home value is $162,500. Housing costs are 30% lower than the state median of $231,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.6x, Branch County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 77.7% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 6% higher than the state average of 73.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Branch County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 86.4% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 6.8%. The Black or African American population (1.7%) is well below the state average of 13.1%. The Asian population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 3.4%.

Education

17.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 47% lower than the state rate of 32.5%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 88.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Branch County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Michigan and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.