Gratiot County, Michigan Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Gratiot County is located in Michigan with a total population of 41,385. It is the 39th most populous county out of 83 in Michigan. The county encompasses 8 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Gratiot County is 39.6 years. This is 1% lower than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Gratiot County is $63,556. 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 14.0%. This is 6% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.2%. The unemployment rate is 4.2%. This is 27% lower than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $147,500. Housing costs are 36% lower than the state median of $231,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.3x, Gratiot County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 78.9% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 8% higher than the state average of 73.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Gratiot County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 83.0% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 7.7%. The Black or African American population (5.8%) is well below the state average of 13.1%. The Asian population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 3.4%.

Education

18.7% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 42% 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 91.7%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Gratiot 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.