County profile

Leelanau County

Michigan · ACS 2020–2024

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Latest estimates

At a glance

U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Total population
22,734
Median household income
$99,422
People below poverty
6.5%
Median home value
$458,400

Income

The median income of households in Leelanau County, Michigan was $99,422. An estimated 2.8% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 15.9% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 2.8
$10,000 to $14,999 2.1
$15,000 to $24,999 3.2
$25,000 to $34,999 6.3
$35,000 to $49,999 8.1
$50,000 to $74,999 15
$75,000 to $99,999 12.7
$100,000 to $149,999 21.8
$150,000 to $199,999 12.2
$200,000 or more 15.9

Median Earnings for Full-Time Year-Round Workers by Sex in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Dollars
Male 70813
Female 55639

An estimated 64.7% of households received earnings. An estimated 51.8% of households received Social Security and an estimated 42.5 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $30,202. These income sources are not mutually exclusive; that is, some households received income from more than one source.

Proportion of Households with Various Income Sources in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 64.7
Social Security 51.8
Retirement income 42.5
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 3.7
Cash public assistance income 1.6

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 6.5 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 11% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 5.6% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 5.8% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 6.5
Children under 18 years below poverty 11
People 65 years old and over below poverty 5.6
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 5.8

In 2020-2024, 4.7 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 55.4% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 38.5% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 23.2% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024, 96.8% had health insurance coverage and 3.2% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 77.5% and public coverage was 43.9%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 2.4%.


In 2020-2024, Leelanau County, Michigan had a total population of 22,734 - 11,434 (50.3%) females and 11,300 (49.7%) males. The median age was 55.9 years. An estimated 15.4% of the population was under 18 years, 21.9% was 19 to 44 years, 27.6% was 45 to 64 years, and 33.8 % was 65 years and older.

Population by Age and Sex for Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

Male Female
Under 5 381 416
5 to 9 412 416
10 to 14 609 545
15 to 19 535 535
20 to 24 482 395
25 to 29 397 384
30 to 34 509 472
35 to 39 551 610
40 to 44 636 515
45 to 49 519 547
50 to 54 652 641
55 to 59 701 905
60 to 64 1176 1120
65 to 69 1204 1459
70 to 74 1081 937
75 to 79 751 692
80 to 84 395 391
85 and over 309 454

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 89.8% were White; 0.7% were Black or African American; 9.5% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 0.5% were Asian; 0.3% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 5.6% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 4.3% of the people in Leelanau County, Michigan were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 89% of the people in Leelanau County, Michigan were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 9,645 households in Leelanau County, Michigan. The average household size was 2.32 people.

Married-couple households made up 62.7% of the households in Leelanau County, Michigan while cohabiting couple households made up 4.9% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 19.1% of all households, while 13.3% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 9.4% of households were male householders living alone, and 14.2% were female householders living alone, for a total of 23.6% of all households.

In Leelanau County, Michigan, 20.9% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 53.3% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

Types of Households in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
Married-couple households 62.7
Cohabiting Couples 4.9
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
13.3
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
19.1

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 63.1% of males and 61.7% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 23.6 18.7
Now married, except separated 63.1 61.7
Separated 0.1 0.3
Widowed 3.2 8.6
Divorced 10 10.6

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Leelanau County, Michigan, 195 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 15.9% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 98.1% of the people living in Leelanau County, Michigan were U.S. natives. 72.4% of the Leelanau County, Michigan population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 1.9% of Leelanau County, Michigan residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 70.6% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 85.3 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Leelanau County, Michigan come from different parts of the world. The bar graph below displays the percentage of foreign-born from each world region of birth in 2020-2024 for Leelanau County, Michigan.

Region of Birth for the Foreign-Born Population in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
Latin America 28.2
Asia 14.2
Europe 42.9
Africa 0.7
Northern America 14
Oceania 0

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024, 4.3 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 2.1% of people at least five years old; 0.6% reported that they did not speak English "very well."

Percentage of the Population 5 years and over who Speak a Language other than English in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 2.1
Other Indo-European languages 1.7
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 0.1
Other languages 0.4

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 91.4 % of the people at least one year old living in Leelanau County, Michigan were living in the same house one year earlier.

Geographic Mobility of Residents of Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
Same house 91.4
Different house, same county 2.1
Different county, same state 5.2
Different state 1.1
Abroad 0.2

Education

In 2020-2024, 97.1 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 51.8% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 2.9% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Leelanau County, Michigan was 3,501 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 204 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 2,669. College or graduate school enrollment was 628.

Educational Attainment of People in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 2.9
High school diploma or equivalency 17.8
Some college, no degree 19.2
Associate's degree 8.3
Bachelor's degree 30.4
Graduate or professional degree 21.5

Disability

In Leelanau County, Michigan, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 12.7 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 4.7% of people under 18 years old, to 8.9% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 22.3% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Leelanau County, Michigan, 48.9 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 49.3% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 75.4% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 11.4% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 12.9 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 7,256 75.4
Federal, state, or local government workers 1,095 11.4
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 1,240 12.9

Industries

In 2020-2024, the civilian employed population 16 years and older in Leelanau County, Michigan worked in the following industries:

Percent by Industry in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 2.8
Construction 8.7
Manufacturing 7.7
Wholesale trade 1.4
Retail trade 10
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 3.7
Information 1.4
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 6.2
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 15.5
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 25.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 9.8
Other Services, except public administration 4.6
Public administration 2.6

Occupations

Occupations for the Civilian Employed Population 16 Years and over in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 4,627 48.1
Service occupations 1,536 16
Sales and office occupations 1,679 17.4
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 930 9.7
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 855 8.9

Commuting to Work

An estimated 75.4% of Leelanau County, Michigan workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 5.1% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 23.6 minutes to get to work.

Percent of Workers 16 and over Commuting by Mode in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 75.4
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 5.1
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0.3
Walked 1.3
Other means 1.9
Worked from home 15.9

In 2020-2024, Leelanau County, Michigan had a total of 15,759 housing units. Of these housing units, 93.1% were single-family houses either not attached to any other structure or attached to one or more structures (commonly referred to as "townhouses" or "row houses"). 4.5% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 2.3% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

Types of Housing Units in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
Single-family houses 93.1
Apartments in multi-unit structures 4.5
Mobile homes 2.3
Boat, RV, van, etc 0

10.2% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 9.8% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Leelanau County, Michigan was 6 rooms, and of these housing units 73.1% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Leelanau County, Michigan had 9,645 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 6,114 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 91.6% while renters occupied 8.4%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.34 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.2.

1.6% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 13.7% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 2.8% and another 25% had three or more vehicles available for use.

The following chart provides the primary fuel used to heat houses in Leelanau County, Michigan:

House Heating Fuel Used in Leelanau County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
Gas 79.3
Electricity 10.1
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 2.1
All other fuels 8
No fuel used 0.5

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Leelanau County, Michigan was $458,400.

Of the owner-occupied households, 53.3 % had a mortgage. 46.7% owned their houses "free and clear," that is without a primary mortgage or loan on the house. The median monthly housing costs for owners with a mortgage was $1,865 and for owners without a mortgage it was $638.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Leelanau County, Michigan was $1,228. Gross rent includes the monthly contract rent and any monthly payments made for electricity, gas, water and sewer, and any other fuels to heat the house.