Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Sault Ste. Marie is a small city located in Michigan, within Chippewa County. The total population is 13,335. It ranks as the 79th most populous out of 745 Census-designated places in Michigan.

Age Demographics

The median age in Sault Ste. Marie is 34.0 years. This is 15% lower than the state median of 40.2 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Sault Ste. Marie is $55,328. This is 24% lower than the state median of $72,875. It is also 31% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 17.8%. This is 35% higher than the state poverty rate of 13.2%. The unemployment rate is 4.9%. This is 15% lower than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $139,400. Housing costs are 40% lower than the state median of $231,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 2.5x, Sault Ste. Marie is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 60.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 17% lower than the state average of 73.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Sault Ste. Marie is White (non-Hispanic), making up 68.4% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 1.9%. The Black or African American population (0.5%) is well below the state average of 13.1%. The Hispanic or Latino population (1.9%) is well below the state average of 5.9%. The Asian population (1.2%) is well below the state average of 3.4%.

Education

27.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 17% 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 93.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Michigan state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 745 Census-designated places in Michigan. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.