Grand Marais, Michigan Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 153, Grand Marais's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Grand Marais is a small community located in Michigan, within Alger County. The total population is 153. It ranks as the 708th most populous out of 745 Census-designated places in Michigan.

Age Demographics

The median age in Grand Marais is 70.1 years. This is 74% higher than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Grand Marais is $49,625. This is 32% lower than the state median of $72,875. It is also 39% lower than the national median of $80,734. The ACS records no residents below the poverty line in Grand Marais. In a community this small the estimate rests on very few survey responses, so it should be read as an absence of measurement rather than a measured absence of poverty. The survey records no unemployed residents in Grand Marais, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $166,700. Housing costs are 28% lower than the state median of $231,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.4x. 93.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 28% higher than the state average of 73.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Grand Marais has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 96.1% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.9%.

Education

11.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 66% lower than the state rate of 32.5%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. No surveyed resident aged 25 or older reported leaving school before earning a high school diploma, though a rate of exactly 100% reflects the limits of a small sample.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Grand Marais, Michigan is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Michigan state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 745 Census-designated places in Michigan. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.