Sanilac County, Michigan Demographics 2026

Demographic data: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. Sources and methodology

Sanilac County, Michigan has a population of 40,462, the 41st most populous county in Michigan. The median household income is $58,863 and the median home value is $168,300. The poverty rate is 15.3%.

Sanilac County Quick Facts

Population 40,462

Median Household Income $58,86390% MOE ±$1,842

Median Home Value $168,30090% MOE ±$2,743

Poverty Rate 15.3%90% MOE ±1.3 pts

Unemployment Rate 6.0%90% MOE ±0.9 pts

Median Age 45.5 years90% MOE ±0.2 years

Homeownership Rate 82.6%90% MOE ±1.8 pts

Affordability Ratio 2.9x

Bachelor's Degree+ 16.5%90% MOE ±1.4 pts

Adults 25+ with high school education or higher 90.6%

Cities/Places 13

Population 40,462 41st of 83

Median Income $58,863 19% lower than state

Poverty Rate 15.3%

Unemployment 6.0%

How Sanilac County Changed

Change from the non-overlapping 2015–2019 ACS period to 2020–2024. Earlier dollar figures are adjusted to 2024 dollars; changes marked “no clear change” are within the combined 90% margins of error.

Metric	2015–2019	2020–2024	Change
Population	41,295	40,462	-2.0%
Median household income	$58,670	$58,863	No clear change (+0.3%)
Median home value¹	$136,855	$168,300	+23.0%
Median gross rent	$834	$807	No clear change (-3.3%)

¹ The Census Bureau changed its home-value inflation adjustment beginning with the 2022 ACS; interpret that comparison with additional caution.

Median Household Income

Sanilac

$58,863

$72,875

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Sanilac

$168,300

$231,600

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 18.0%

$25K-$50K 23.5%

$50K-$100K 33.0%

$100K+ 25.6%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

4.3%

$10K-$15K

4.5%

$15K-$20K

4.5%

$20K-$25K

4.7%

$25K-$30K

4.6%

$30K-$35K

4.2%

$35K-$40K

4.8%

$40K-$45K

5.6%

$45K-$50K

4.3%

$50K-$60K

9.6%

$60K-$75K

9.9%

$75K-$100K

13.5%

$100K-$125K

9.1%

$125K-$150K

5.3%

$150K-$200K

6.4%

$200K+

4.8%

Employment

6.0% Unemployment Rate State: 5.7%|National: 5.2%

54.8% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 82.6%

Renter 17.4%

Affordability Index Very Affordable

2.9x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $807/mo 16.5% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

20.9%

18-34

17.6%

35-54

22.6%

55-74

29.5%

75+

9.3%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Very Low Diversity

A less diverse community where one racial or ethnic group represents a large majority.

State average: 45 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Sanilac County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Sandusky	2,694	$56,563	16.1%	$113,800
Croswell	2,488	$55,081	17.1%	$149,600
Marlette	1,850	$48,571	18.0%	$132,300
Lexington	1,126	$45,694	11.9%	$184,500
Deckerville	1,042	$53,125	20.7%	$82,100
Port Sanilac	812	$52,083	11.7%	$158,800
Peck	589	$54,758	11.1%	$117,000
Carsonville	463	$57,647	19.3%	$101,300
Applegate	255	$65,625	12.6%	$96,500
Minden City	203	$49,583	21.2%	$106,300
Snover	192	$46,346	21.9%	$120,500
Melvin	139	$42,083	11.5%	$95,000
Forestville	136	$40,938	30.1%	$170,800

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

Sanilac County is located in Michigan with a total population of 40,462. It is the 41st most populous county out of 83 in Michigan. The county encompasses 13 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Sanilac County is 45.5 years. This is 13% higher than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Sanilac County is $58,863. This is 19% lower than the state median of $72,875. It is also 27% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 15.3%. This is 16% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.2%. The unemployment rate is 6.0%. This is 5% higher than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $168,300. Housing costs are 27% lower than the state median of $231,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.9x, Sanilac County is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 82.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 13% higher than the state average of 73.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

Sanilac County has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 91.9% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 4.3%. The Black or African American population (0.4%) is well below the state average of 13.1%. The Asian population (0.3%) is well below the state average of 3.4%.

Education

16.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 49% 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 90.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Sanilac 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 Sanilac County, Michigan?

Sanilac County has a population of 40,462, making it the 41st most populous county in Michigan.

What is the median income in Sanilac County?

The median household income in Sanilac County is $58,863 with a poverty rate of 15.3%.

How many cities are in Sanilac County, Michigan?

Sanilac County contains 13 Census-designated places.