County profile

Sanilac 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
40,462
Median household income
$58,863
People below poverty
15.3%
Median home value
$168,300

Income

The median income of households in Sanilac County, Michigan was $58,863. An estimated 4.3% of households had income below $10,000 a year and 4.8% had income of $200,000 or more.

Household Income in Sanilac County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
Less than $10,000 4.3
$10,000 to $14,999 4.4
$15,000 to $24,999 9.2
$25,000 to $34,999 8.8
$35,000 to $49,999 14.7
$50,000 to $74,999 19.5
$75,000 to $99,999 13.5
$100,000 to $149,999 14.4
$150,000 to $199,999 6.4
$200,000 or more 4.8

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

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Dollars
Male 55866
Female 43786

An estimated 68.2% of households received earnings. An estimated 42.6% of households received Social Security and an estimated 30.4 % of households received retirement income other than Social Security. The average income from Social Security was $24,234. 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 Sanilac County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
Earnings 68.2
Social Security 42.6
Retirement income 30.4
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 6.6
Cash public assistance income 2.4

Poverty and Participation in Government Programs

In 2020-2024, 15.3 % of people were in poverty. An estimated 24.5% of children under 18 were below the poverty level, compared with 10.7% of people 65 years old and over. An estimated 13.8% of people 18 to 64 years were below the poverty level.

Poverty Rates in Sanilac County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
People in poverty 15.3
Children under 18 years below poverty 24.5
People 65 years old and over below poverty 10.7
People 18 to 64 years below poverty 13.8

In 2020-2024, 12.6 % of households received SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). An estimated 40.8% of households that received SNAP had children under 18, and 39.9% of households that received SNAP had one or more people 60 years and over. An estimated 24.3% of all households receiving SNAP were families with a female householder and no spouse present.


Among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in Sanilac County, Michigan in 2020-2024, 92.2% had health insurance coverage and 7.8% did not have health insurance coverage. Private coverage was 63.4% and public coverage was 48.3%, respectively. The percentage of children under the age of 19 with no health insurance coverage was 10.2%.


In 2020-2024, Sanilac County, Michigan had a total population of 40,462 - 20,059 (49.6%) females and 20,403 (50.4%) males. The median age was 45.5 years. An estimated 20.9% of the population was under 18 years, 26.4% was 19 to 44 years, 27.3% was 45 to 64 years, and 23.2 % was 65 years and older.

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

Male Female
Under 5 1033 972
5 to 9 1256 1206
10 to 14 1218 1121
15 to 19 1289 1203
20 to 24 1071 1050
25 to 29 1084 1002
30 to 34 1069 1029
35 to 39 1038 1090
40 to 44 1214 1078
45 to 49 1146 1098
50 to 54 1256 1239
55 to 59 1279 1590
60 to 64 1931 1494
65 to 69 1446 1488
70 to 74 1367 1359
75 to 79 716 828
80 to 84 485 707
85 and over 505 505

Hispanic Origin and Race

For people reporting one race alone, 93.3% were White; 0.4% were Black or African American; 13.1% were American Indian and Alaska Native; 0.3% were Asian; 0.3% were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0% were Some Other Race. An estimated 4.6% reported Two or More Races. An estimated 4.3% of the people in Sanilac County, Michigan were Hispanic or Latino. An estimated 91.9% of the people in Sanilac County, Michigan were White alone, non-Hispanic. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.


Households and Families

In 2020-2024, there were 17,516 households in Sanilac County, Michigan. The average household size was 2.28 people.

Married-couple households made up 49.6% of the households in Sanilac County, Michigan while cohabiting couple households made up 7.6% of households. Female householders with no spouse or partner present were 22.1% of all households, while 20.6% of households had male householders with no spouse or partner present. Some households had one person, as 16.1% of households were male householders living alone, and 14.9% were female householders living alone, for a total of 31% of all households.

In Sanilac County, Michigan, 24.9% of all households had one or more people under the age of 18; 38.9% of all households had one or more people 65 years and over.

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

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Percent
Married-couple households 49.6
Cohabiting Couples 7.6
Male Householder
No spouse/partner present
20.6
Female Householder
No spouse/partner present
22.1

Marital Status

Among persons 15 and older, 54.2% of males and 54.3% of females were currently married.

Population 15 years and over Percent
Males
Percent
Females
Never married 28.7 22.2
Now married, except separated 54.2 54.3
Separated 0.8 0.7
Widowed 3.5 10.3
Divorced 12.9 12.4

Grandparents and Grandchildren

In Sanilac County, Michigan, 617 grandparents lived with their grandchildren under 18 years old. Of those grandparents, 39.1% were responsible for the basic needs of their grandchildren.


Nativity and Foreign-Born

In 2020-2024, an estimated 98.6% of the people living in Sanilac County, Michigan were U.S. natives. 88.8% of the Sanilac County, Michigan population were living in the state where they were born.

Approximately 1.4% of Sanilac County, Michigan residents in 2020-2024 were foreign-born. 62.9% of foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens and an estimated 76 % entered the country before the year 2010.

Foreign-born residents of Sanilac 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 Sanilac County, Michigan.

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

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Percent
Latin America 17.4
Asia 32.9
Europe 33.7
Africa 0
Northern America 14
Oceania 2

Language

Among people at least five years old living in Sanilac County, Michigan in 2020-2024, 4.8 % spoke a language other than English at home. Spanish was spoken by 1.6% of people at least five years old; 1.4% 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 Sanilac County, Michigan in 2020-2024

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Percent
Spanish 1.6
Other Indo-European languages 2.9
Asian and Pacific Islander languages 0.2
Other languages 0.1

Geographic Mobility

In 2020-2024, 91 % of the people at least one year old living in Sanilac County, Michigan were living in the same house one year earlier.

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

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Percent
Same house 91
Different house, same county 4.6
Different county, same state 3.5
Different state 0.7
Abroad 0.2

Education

In 2020-2024, 90.6 % of people 25 years and over had at least graduated from high school and 16.5% had a bachelor's degree or higher. An estimated 9.4% did not complete high school.

The total school enrollment in Sanilac County, Michigan was 7,596 in 2020-2024. Nursery school enrollment was 540 and kindergarten through 12th grade enrollment was 6,135. College or graduate school enrollment was 921.

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

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Percent
Less than high school diploma 9.4
High school diploma or equivalency 41
Some college, no degree 21.9
Associate's degree 11.3
Bachelor's degree 10.2
Graduate or professional degree 6.2

Disability

In Sanilac County, Michigan, among the civilian noninstitutionalized population in 2020-2024, 16.4 % reported a disability. The likelihood of having a disability varied by age - from 5.2% of people under 18 years old, to 13.2% of people 18 to 64 years old, and to 34.5% of those 65 and over.


Employment Status and Type of Employer

In Sanilac County, Michigan, 51.5 % of the population 16 and over were employed; 45.2% were not currently in the labor force.

An estimated 78.3% of the people employed were private wage and salary workers; 12.9% were federal, state, or local government workers; and 8.4 % were self-employed in their own (not incorporated) business.

Class of worker Number Percent
Private wage and salary workers 13,360 78.3
Federal, state, or local government workers 2,206 12.9
Self-employed workers in own not incorporated business 1,424 8.4

Industries

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

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

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Percent
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 6.8
Construction 9.4
Manufacturing 21.7
Wholesale trade 2
Retail trade 10.2
Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 4.1
Information 0.8
Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 3.8
Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 5.2
Educational services, and health care and social assistance 20.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation, and food services 6.4
Other Services, except public administration 3.8
Public administration 5.3

Occupations

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

Civilian employed population 16 years and over Number Percent
Management, business, sciences, and arts occupations 5,240 30.7
Service occupations 2,528 14.8
Sales and office occupations 3,118 18.3
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations 2,730 16
Production, transportation, and material moving occupations 3,437 20.2

Commuting to Work

An estimated 78% of Sanilac County, Michigan workers drove to work alone in 2020-2024, and 9.2% carpooled. Among those who commuted to work, it took them on average 28.6 minutes to get to work.

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

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Percent
Car, truck, van -- drove alone 78
Car, truck, van -- carpooled 9.2
Public transportation (excluding taxicab) 0.3
Walked 3.1
Other means 1.3
Worked from home 8.1

In 2020-2024, Sanilac County, Michigan had a total of 21,756 housing units. Of these housing units, 83.7% 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"). 6.6% of the housing units were located in multi-unit structures, or those buildings that contained two or more apartments. 9.5% were mobile homes, while any remaining housing units were classified as "other," which included boats, recreational vehicles, vans, etc.

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

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Percent
Single-family houses 83.7
Apartments in multi-unit structures 6.6
Mobile homes 9.5
Boat, RV, van, etc 0.2

5.2% of the housing inventory was comprised of houses built since 2010, while 21% of the houses were first built in 1939 or earlier. The median number of rooms in all housing units in Sanilac County, Michigan was 5.9 rooms, and of these housing units 66.3% had three or more bedrooms.


In 2020-2024, Sanilac County, Michigan had 17,516 housing units that were occupied or had people living in them, while the remaining 4,240 were vacant. Of the occupied housing units, the percentage of these houses occupied by owners (also known as the homeownership rate) was 82.6% while renters occupied 17.4%. The average household size of owner-occupied houses was 2.34 and in renter-occupied houses it was 2.02.

2.5% of householders of these occupied houses had moved into their house since 2021, while 15.9% moved into their house in 1989 or earlier. Households without a vehicle available for personal use comprised 5.9% and another 25.4% had three or more vehicles available for use.

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

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

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Percent
Gas 76
Electricity 10.8
Fuel oil, kerosene, etc 3.5
All other fuels 8.4
No fuel used 1.3

In 2020-2024, the median property value for owner-occupied houses in Sanilac County, Michigan was $168,300.

Of the owner-occupied households, 49 % had a mortgage. 51% 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 $1,226 and for owners without a mortgage it was $489.

For renter-occupied houses, the median gross rent for Sanilac County, Michigan was $807. 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.