Oceana County, Michigan Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Oceana County is located in Michigan with a total population of 26,915. It is the 51st most populous county out of 83 in Michigan. The county encompasses 7 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Oceana County is 44.2 years. This is 10% higher than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Oceana County is $62,417. This is 14% lower than the state median of $72,875. It is also 23% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 13.6%. This is 3% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.2%. The unemployment rate is 6.5%. This is 14% higher than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $190,100. Housing costs are 18% lower than the state median of $231,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.0x. 84.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 15% higher than the state average of 73.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Oceana County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 79.5% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 15.5%. The Black or African American population (1.0%) is well below the state average of 13.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (15.5% vs 5.9%). The Asian population (0.1%) is well below the state average of 3.4%.

Education

21.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 34% 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 90.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Oceana 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.