Clare County, MI

County

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2024 Population

31,218

US Senator

Gary Peters

Democratic Party

US Senator

Elissa Slotkin

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

1.45% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

21.6%

2.47% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$49,384

0.845% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$133,800

14% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

10,789

0.873% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Clare County, MI reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.6% of the residents in Clare County, MI are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Clare County, MI are Mid Michigan College (434 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Clare County, MI was $133,800, and the homeownership rate was 86.9%.

Most people in Clare County, MI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 29.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Clare County, MI was 2 cars per household.

Clare County, MI borders Gladwin County, MI, Isabella County, MI, Mecosta County, MI, Midland County, MI, Missaukee County, MI, Osceola County, MI, and Roscommon County, MI.

United States Michigan

Population & Diversity

Clare County, MI is home to a population of 31.2k people, from which 99.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.769% of Clare County, MI residents were born outside of the country (240 people).

In 2024, there were 51.3 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (29k people) in Clare County, MI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 565 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 385 Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.6%

2024 Citizenship

99.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.6% of Clare County, MI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Clare County, MI was 99.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Clare County, MI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Clare County, MI

White (Non-Hispanic)
29k ± 190
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
565 ± 91
Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
385 ± 183

2.29%

Hispanic Population

715 people

2.29% of the people in Clare County, MI are hispanic (715 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Clare County, MI as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Michigan.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
80,580 ± 6,941 people
India
77,204 ± 6,795 people
Iraq
54,457 ± 5,714 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Michigan was Mexico, the natal country of 80,580 Michigan residents, followed by India with 77,204 and Iraq with 54,457.

Foreign-Born Population

0.769%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

240 people

0.582%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

181 people

As of 2024, 0.769% of Clare County, MI residents (240 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Clare County, MI was 0.582%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Clare County, MI compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,047 ± 184
Gulf War (2001-)
299 ± 86
Gulf War (1990s)
255 ± 84

Clare County, MI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.5 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Clare County, MI.

Economy

The economy of Clare County, MI employs 10.8k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Clare County, MI were Manufacturing (1,576 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,544 people), and Retail Trade (1,441 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($57,734), Utilities ($54,635), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($51,375).

Employment

Occupations

10.8k

2024 Value

± 576

−0.873%

1 Year decline

± 7.59%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Clare County, MI declined at a rate of −0.873%, from 10.9k employees to 10.8k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Clare County, MI, are Production Occupations (1,201 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,171 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (1,075 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Clare County, MI.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Michigan.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Michigan (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

10.8k

2024 Value

± 576

−0.873%

1 Year decline

± 7.59%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Clare County, MI declined at a rate of −0.873%, from 10.9k employees to 10.8k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Clare County, MI, are Manufacturing (1,576 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,544 people), and Retail Trade (1,441 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Clare County, MI, though some of these residents may live in Clare County, MI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$44,886

Median earning men ± $4,134

$28,769

Median earning women ± $1,725

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($69,718), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($60,197), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($57,714).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($42,584), Construction ($38,594), and Manufacturing ($37,096).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Michigan.

Y-Axis

2.16%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.37M people employed in Michigan. This represents a 2.16% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 23.6%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Michigan.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

50
Retail Trade
48
Construction
46
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$75.6k
Manufacturing
$49.3k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$34.2k
Transportation and Warehousing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Michigan went to Donald J. Trump with 49.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.3%), followed by Jill Stein (0.788%).

Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin are the senators currently representing the state of Michigan. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Michigan is currently represented by 13 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Clare County, MI. Showing the available data for Michigan.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (49.7%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (48.3%)
Democratic Party
Jill Stein (0.788%)
Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Michigan went to Donald J. Trump with 49.7% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (48.3%), followed by Jill Stein (0.788%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Michigan for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Michigan

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Michigan.

Gary Peters

Senator from Michigan

Assumed office on January 3, 2015

Elissa Slotkin

Senator from Michigan

Assumed office on January 3, 2025

Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin are the senators currently representing Michigan.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Michigan over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2023, universities in Clare County, MI awarded 434 degrees. The student population of Clare County, MI in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,348 male students and 2,068 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Clare County, MI are White (385 and 88.7%), Hispanic or Latino (16 and 3.69%), Black or African American (14 and 3.23%), and Two or More Races (13 and 3%).

The largest universities in Clare County, MI by number of degrees awarded are Mid Michigan College (434 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Clare County, MI are Liberal Arts & Sciences (93 and 21.4%), Registered Nursing (60 and 13.8%), and General Business Administration & Management (59 and 13.6%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 3,416 students enrolled in Clare County, MI, 39.5% men and 60.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,794 records, of which 61.3% were women and 38.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
93 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
60 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
51 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Clare County, MI was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 93 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Clare County, MI according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Mid Michigan College

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

434 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Mid Michigan College with 434 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 136 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Clare County, MI, which is 0.456 times less than the 298 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 385 degrees mean that there were 24.1 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 16 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Public, 2-year ($8,346) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($100) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,460) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Clare County, MI was $133,800 in 2024, which is 0.402 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $117,400 to $133,800, a 14% increase. The homeownership rate in Clare County, MI is 86.9%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Clare County, MI have an average commute time of 29.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Clare County, MI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 13.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clare County, MI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.21%.

Housing

Property

$133,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$9,531

$10,878

Median Property Taxes

±$519

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Clare County, MI the largest share of households pay taxes in the $800 - $1,499 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Clare County, MI compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

86.9%

Homeownership

2024

63.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 86.9% of the housing units in Clare County, MI were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 86.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Clare County, MI compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$49,384

Median Household Income

± $2,661

12.5k

Number of Households

± 580

In 2024, the median household income of the 12.5k households in Clare County, MI declined from $49,384 from the previous year's value of $49,805.

The following chart displays the households in Clare County, MI distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the < $10k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Clare County, MI is from Michigan.

0.462

2023 Wage GINI in Michigan

0.466

2022 Wage GINI in Michigan

In 2023, the income inequality in Michigan was 0.462 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.92% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Michigan was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Michigan in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Michigan across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (71.9%)
Carpooled (12.2%)
Worked At Home (10.9%)

In 2024, 71.9% of workers in Clare County, MI drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (12.2%) and those who worked at home (10.9%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

29.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Clare County, MI have a longer commute time (29.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.3% of the workforce in Clare County, MI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Clare County, MI compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Clare County, MI distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Clare County, MI have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 13.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Clare County, MI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.21%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

21.6% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Clare County, MI (6.67k out of 30.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 55 - 64, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Females 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Clare County, MI is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 28.8% of the children was living in poverty in Clare County, MI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 8.8%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 350 in Clare County, MI. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 194 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

89.8% of the population of Clare County, MI has health coverage, with 29.5% on employee plans, 26.9% on Medicaid, 18.1% on Medicare, 13.8% on non-group plans, and 1.56% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Clare County, MI see 3,452 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,452 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 3484 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 803 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.2% were men and 49.8% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,452 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Clare County, MI

Primary care physicians in Clare County, MI see an average of 3,452 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,452 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Clare County, MI in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.3% under 18 years, 15.9% between 18 and 34 years, 38.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 25.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.2% were men and 49.8% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.2%

Uninsured

29.5%

Employer Coverage

26.9%

Medicaid

18.1%

Medicare

13.8%

Non-Group

1.56%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Clare County, MI declined by 12.7% from 11.7% to 10.2%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Clare County, MI changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 52.6 in Clare County, MI.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Clare County, MI.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 42.3% in Clare County, MI.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Clare County, MI.