Houghton, MI

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2024 Population
39,826
US Senator
Gary Peters
Democratic Party
US Senator
Elissa Slotkin
Democratic Party
2024 Median Age
33.5
0.593% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
16.4%
5.92% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$58,128
3.06% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$160,800
11% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
17,655
0.764% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Houghton, 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.

96.4% of the residents in Houghton, MI are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Houghton, MI are Michigan Technological University (1,756 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Houghton, MI was $160,800, and the homeownership rate was 73.2%.

Most people in Houghton, MI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 15.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Houghton, MI was 2 cars per household.

Houghton, MI borders Marquette, MI.

United StatesMichigan

Population & Diversity

Houghton, MI is home to a population of 39.8k people, from which 96.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.14% of Houghton, MI residents were born outside of the country (2.05k people).

In 2024, there were 33.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (36.2k people) in Houghton, MI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.08k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 617 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.4%
2024 Citizenship
96.4%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.4% of Houghton, MI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Houghton, MI was 96.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Houghton, MI
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    36.2k ± 364
  2. Asian (Non-Hispanic)
    1.08k ± 122
  3. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
    617 ± 185
1.86%
Hispanic Population
739 people

In 2024, there were 33.4 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (36.2k people) in Houghton, MI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.08k Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 617 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

1.86% of the people in Houghton, MI are hispanic (739 people).

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

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for Michigan.
Most Common Origin
  1. Mexico
    80,580 ± 6,941 people
  2. India
    77,204 ± 6,795 people
  3. 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.

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Foreign-Born Population

5.14%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
2.05k people
5.12%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
2.03k people

As of 2024, 5.14% of Houghton, MI residents (2.05k 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 Houghton, MI was 5.12%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    863 ± 108
  2. Gulf War (2001-)
    379 ± 114
  3. Gulf War (1990s)
    336 ± 93

Houghton, MI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.28 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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Economy

The economy of Houghton, MI employs 17.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Houghton, MI were Educational Services (3,556 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,292 people), and Manufacturing (1,872 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($91,065), Wholesale Trade ($65,221), and Public Administration ($57,683).

Employment

Occupations

17.7k
2024 Value
± 780
−0.764%
1 Year decline
± 6.32%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Houghton, MI declined at a rate of −0.764%, from 17.8k employees to 17.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Houghton, MI, are Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (2,092 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,636 people), and Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1,556 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Houghton, MI.

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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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

17.7k
2024 Value
± 780
−0.764%
1 Year decline
± 6.32%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Houghton, MI declined at a rate of −0.764%, from 17.8k employees to 17.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Houghton, MI, are Educational Services (3,556 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (2,292 people), and Manufacturing (1,872 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Houghton, MI, though some of these residents may live in Houghton, MI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$39,320
Median earning men ± $4,005
$29,556
Median earning women ± $2,467

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($71,591), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($69,583), and Wholesale Trade ($65,570).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($54,688), Construction ($45,000), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($41,959).

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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.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 86
    Construction
  2. 65
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  3. 64
    Retail Trade

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.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $80.3k
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  2. $55.3k
    Manufacturing
  3. $49.5k
    Retail Trade

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

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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

Voting results are not available for Houghton, MI. Showing the available data for Michigan.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (49.7%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (48.3%)
    Democratic Party
  3. 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.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Michigan

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Michigan.
Gary Peters
Senator from Michigan2
Assumed office on January 3, 2015
Elissa Slotkin
Senator from Michigan1
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.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Houghton, MI awarded 1,756 degrees. The student population of Houghton, MI in 2023 is skewed towards men, with 5,111 male students and 2,202 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Houghton, MI are White (1,276 and 86.6%), Two or More Races (56 and 3.8%), Asian (44 and 2.99%), and Hispanic or Latino (43 and 2.92%).

The largest universities in Houghton, MI by number of degrees awarded are Michigan Technological University (1,756 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Houghton, MI are Mechanical Engineering (412 and 23.5%), Electrical & Electronics Engineering (94 and 5.35%), and Chemical Engineering (89 and 5.07%).

The median tuition cost in Houghton, MI for a public four year colleges is $19,429 for in-state students and $42,771 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University
Measure

In 2023 in Houghton, MI, the percentage of applicants admitted was 87.9%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 13.4%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 7,313 (69.9% men and 30.1% women).

The line chart  shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

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Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 7,313 students enrolled in Houghton, MI, 69.9% men and 30.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 5,516 records, of which 29.9% were women and 70.1% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Most Common
  1. Mechanical Engineering
    274 degrees awarded
  2. Electrical & Electronics Engineering
    85 degrees awarded
  3. Chemical Engineering
    78 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Houghton, MI was Mechanical Engineering with 274 degrees awarded.

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

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Universities

Gender
Race
Michigan Technological University
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
1,756 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Michigan Technological University with 1,756 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 1,227 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Houghton, MI, which is 2.32 times more than the 529 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 1,276 degrees mean that there were 22.8 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Two or More Races, with 56 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($19,429) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($318) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,200) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

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

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Houghton, MI was $160,800 in 2024, which is 0.483 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $144,900 to $160,800, a 11% increase. The homeownership rate in Houghton, MI is 73.2%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Houghton, MI have an average commute time of 15.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Houghton, MI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$160,800
Median Property Value 2024
±$7,076
$11,300
Median Property Taxes
±$526

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 Houghton, MI the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

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Rent vs Own

73.2%
Homeownership
2024
62.4%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 73.2% of the housing units in Houghton, MI were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 72.7%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$58,128
Median Household Income
± $3,096
15.4k
Number of Households
± 680

In 2024, the median household income of the 15.4k households in Houghton, MI grew to $58,128 from the previous year's value of $56,403.

The following chart displays the households in Houghton, 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 $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Houghton, 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (63.8%)
  2. Worked At Home (11.3%)
  3. Walked (10.4%)

In 2024, 63.8% of workers in Houghton, MI drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (11.3%) and those who walked to work (10.4%).

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.

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Commute Time

15.8 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Houghton, MI have a shorter commute time (15.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.52% of the workforce in Houghton, MI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

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

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

16.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Houghton, MI (5.83k out of 35.5k 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 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Houghton, 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.

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Health

94.7% of the population of Houghton, MI has health coverage, with 45.7% on employee plans, 15.8% on Medicaid, 13.3% on Medicare, 18% on non-group plans, and 1.87% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Michigan see 1,276 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,276 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1246 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 281 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 54.5% were men and 45.5% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Michigan.
1,276 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Michigan

Primary care physicians in Michigan see an average of 1,276 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,276 patients).

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

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23.2% under 18 years, 28.7% between 18 and 34 years, 29.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 54.5% were men and 45.5% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

5.28%
Uninsured
45.7%
Employer Coverage
15.8%
Medicaid
13.3%
Medicare
18%
Non-Group
1.87%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Houghton, MI declined by 13% from 6.08% to 5.28%.

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

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