Saginaw County, Michigan Demographics 2026

Name: Saginaw County, Michigan Demographics
Creator: U.S. Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Saginaw County, Michigan has a population of 188,665, the 11th most populous county in Michigan. The median household income is $60,622 and the median home value is $152,800. The poverty rate is 18.2%.

Data vintage: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates · refreshed July 2026 · Methodology & source notes

Saginaw County Quick Facts

Population 188,665

Median Household Income $60,622

Median Home Value $152,800

Poverty Rate 18.2%

Unemployment Rate 6.4%

Median Age 41.2 years

Homeownership Rate 74.1%

Affordability Ratio 2.5x

Bachelor's Degree+ 24.4%

High School Graduation 91.6%

Cities/Places 16

Population 188,665 11th of 83

Median Income $60,622 17% lower than state

Poverty Rate 18.2%

Unemployment 6.4%

How Saginaw County Changed

Change from the 2019–2023 ACS period to 2020–2024. These are rolling five-year estimates, not year-over-year measurements.

Metric	2019–2023	2020–2024	Change
Population	189,210	188,665	-0.3%
Median household income	$58,347	$60,622	+3.9%
Median home value	$139,400	$152,800	+9.6%

Median Household Income

Saginaw

$60,622

$72,875

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Saginaw

$152,800

$231,600

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 19.8%

$25K-$50K 21.6%

$50K-$100K 31.6%

$100K+ 27.0%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

6.4%

$10K-$15K

5.2%

$15K-$20K

4.0%

$20K-$25K

4.2%

$25K-$30K

4.4%

$30K-$35K

4.5%

$35K-$40K

4.1%

$40K-$45K

4.0%

$45K-$50K

4.6%

$50K-$60K

8.1%

$60K-$75K

10.5%

$75K-$100K

13.0%

$100K-$125K

8.5%

$125K-$150K

5.4%

$150K-$200K

6.7%

$200K+

6.5%

Employment

6.4% Unemployment Rate State: 5.7%|National: 5.2%

57.2% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 74.1%

Renter 25.9%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.5x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $947/mo 18.7% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

21.3%

18-34

21.8%

35-54

22.9%

55-74

25.5%

75+

8.5%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 45 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Saginaw County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Saginaw	43,536	$38,579	34.0%	$60,000
Freeland	7,557	$110,547	5.5%	$265,900
Shields	7,402	$82,125	13.1%	$174,500
Bridgeport	6,884	$51,071	23.8%	$98,800
Buena Vista	5,798	$41,999	20.4%	$62,000
Frankenmuth	5,157	$85,433	4.9%	$300,500
Chesaning	2,484	$59,777	13.9%	$136,700
St. Charles	1,934	$50,000	15.3%	$118,500
Zilwaukee	1,609	$57,756	15.2%	$95,300
Hemlock	1,529	$102,188	8.4%	$221,800
Birch Run	1,439	$70,521	13.5%	$191,000
Burt	1,339	$90,156	2.8%	$203,400
Reese	1,274	$82,361	2.6%	$174,700
Merrill	798	$47,500	33.5%	$93,200
Robin Glen-Indiantown	660	$32,292	37.3%	N/A
Oakley	257	$53,750	14.4%	$84,000

Explore Michigan Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Saginaw County is located in Michigan with a total population of 188,665. It is the 11th most populous county out of 83 in Michigan. The county encompasses 16 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Saginaw County is 41.2 years. This is 2% higher than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Saginaw County is $60,622. This is 17% lower than the state median of $72,875. It is also 25% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 18.2%. This is 38% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.2%. The unemployment rate is 6.4%. This is 12% higher than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $152,800. Housing costs are 34% lower than the state median of $231,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.5x, Saginaw County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 74.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 1% higher than the state average of 73.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Saginaw County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 67.8% of the population. Black or African American residents account for 18.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (9.2% vs 5.9%). The Asian population (1.2%) is well below the state average of 3.4%.

Education

24.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 25% 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 91.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Saginaw 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Saginaw County, Michigan?

Saginaw County has a population of 188,665, making it the 11th most populous county in Michigan.

What is the median income in Saginaw County?

The median household income in Saginaw County is $60,622 with a poverty rate of 18.2%.

How many cities are in Saginaw County, Michigan?

Saginaw County contains 16 Census-designated places.