Suttons Bay, Michigan Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 555, Suttons Bay's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Suttons Bay is a small community located in Michigan, within Leelanau County. The total population is 555. It ranks as the 534th most populous out of 745 Census-designated places in Michigan.

Age Demographics

The median age in Suttons Bay is 70.5 years. This is 75% higher than the state median of 40.2 years. Only 5.8% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 34.2% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Suttons Bay is $125,357. This is 72% higher than the state median of $72,875. It is also 55% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 9.2%. This is 30% lower than the state poverty rate of 13.2%. The unemployment rate is 3.0%. This is 47% lower than the state rate of 5.7%. The median home value is $523,200. Housing costs are 126% higher than the state median of $231,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.2x. 79.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 9% higher than the state average of 73.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Suttons Bay is White (non-Hispanic), making up 84.7% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 4.7%. The Black or African American population (4.3%) is well below the state average of 13.1%.

Education

65.2% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This places Suttons Bay in the top 10% of all cities in the state for educational attainment. This is 101% higher 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 97.1%. Notably, 45.4% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Suttons Bay, 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.