Otsego County, Michigan Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Otsego County is located in Michigan with a total population of 25,584. It is the 56th most populous county out of 83 in Michigan. The county encompasses 2 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Otsego County is 44.4 years. This is 10% higher than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Otsego County is $68,183. This is 6% lower than the state median of $72,875. It is also 16% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 8.0%. This is 39% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.2%. The unemployment rate is 4.0%. This is 29% lower than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $219,700. Housing costs are 5% lower than the state median of $231,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.2x. 77.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 5% higher than the state average of 73.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Otsego County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 93.0% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 2.0%. The Black or African American population (0.7%) is well below the state average of 13.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population (2.0%) is well below the state average of 5.9%. The Asian population (0.6%) is well below the state average of 3.4%.

Education

26.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 19% 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 94.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Otsego 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.