Leelanau County, MI

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

22,734

US Senator

Gary Peters

Democratic Party

US Senator

Elissa Slotkin

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

55.9

1.08% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

6.53%

8.27% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$99,422

8.13% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$458,400

12.7% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

9,627

2.8% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Leelanau 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.

99.5% of the residents in Leelanau County, MI are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Leelanau County, MI was $458,400, and the homeownership rate was 91.6%.

Most people in Leelanau County, MI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Leelanau County, MI was 2 cars per household.

Leelanau County, MI borders Antrim County, MI, Benzie County, MI, Charlevoix County, MI, Delta County, MI, Grand Traverse County, MI, Schoolcraft County, MI, and Door County, WI.

United States Michigan Traverse City, MI

Population & Diversity

Leelanau County, MI is home to a population of 22.7k people, from which 99.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.86% of Leelanau County, MI residents were born outside of the country (422 people).

In 2024, there were 42 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (20.2k people) in Leelanau County, MI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 482 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 467 American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.5%

2024 Citizenship

99.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.5% of Leelanau County, MI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Leelanau County, MI was 99.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Leelanau County, MI

White (Non-Hispanic)
20.2k ± 118
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
482 ± 82
American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic)
467 ± 69

4.32%

Hispanic Population

982 people

4.32% of the people in Leelanau County, MI are hispanic (982 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Leelanau 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

1.86%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

422 people

2.07%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

467 people

As of 2024, 1.86% of Leelanau County, MI residents (422 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 Leelanau County, MI was 2.07%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
580 ± 88
Gulf War (2001-)
171 ± 82
Gulf War (1990s)
91 ± 57

Leelanau County, MI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.39 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Leelanau County, MI employs 9.63k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Leelanau County, MI were Health Care & Social Assistance (1,627 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (1,004 people), and Retail Trade (967 people), and the highest paying industries were Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($107,500), Finance & Insurance ($80,919), and Utilities ($76,639).

Employment

Occupations

9.63k

2024 Value

± 479

−2.8%

1 Year decline

± 7.26%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Leelanau County, MI declined at a rate of −2.8%, from 9.9k employees to 9.63k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Leelanau County, MI, are Management Occupations (1,710 people), Sales & Related Occupations (949 people), and Health Diagnosing & Treating Practitioners & Other Technical Occupations (798 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Leelanau 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

9.63k

2024 Value

± 479

−2.8%

1 Year decline

± 7.26%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Leelanau County, MI declined at a rate of −2.8%, from 9.9k employees to 9.63k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Leelanau County, MI, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,627 people), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (1,004 people), and Retail Trade (967 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Leelanau County, MI, though some of these residents may live in Leelanau County, MI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$55,130

Median earning men ± $3,515

$39,831

Median earning women ± $3,479

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($108,250), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($76,698), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($71,250).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($65,455), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,278), and Manufacturing ($51,736).

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

91
Construction
77
Retail Trade
67
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

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

$41.6k
Accommodation and Food Services
$32.5k
Construction
$29.5k
Health Care and Social Assistance

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 Leelanau 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.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Leelanau County, MI was $458,400 in 2024, which is 1.38 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $406,900 to $458,400, a 12.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Leelanau County, MI is 91.6%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Leelanau County, MI have an average commute time of 23.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Leelanau County, MI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 10.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Leelanau County, MI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.24%.

Housing

Property

$458,400

Median Property Value 2024

±$13,150

$8,837

Median Property Taxes

±$429

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

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

Rent vs Own

91.6%

Homeownership

2024

70.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 91.6% of the housing units in Leelanau County, MI were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 90.6%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Leelanau 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.

$99,422

Median Household Income

± $6,699

9.65k

Number of Households

± 447

In 2024, the median household income of the 9.65k households in Leelanau County, MI grew to $99,422 from the previous year's value of $91,943.

The following chart displays the households in Leelanau 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 $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Leelanau 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 (75.4%)
Worked At Home (15.9%)
Carpooled (5.1%)

In 2024, 75.4% of workers in Leelanau County, MI drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (15.9%) and those who carpooled to work (5.1%).

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

23.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Leelanau County, MI have a shorter commute time (23.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.95% of the workforce in Leelanau County, MI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Leelanau 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 Leelanau County, MI distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Leelanau County, MI have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 10.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Leelanau County, MI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.24%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

6.53% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Leelanau County, MI (1.47k out of 22.5k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 65 - 74, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 75+.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Leelanau County, MI is White, followed by Native American 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, 10.3% of the children was living in poverty in Leelanau County, MI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.8%.

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 77.6 in Leelanau County, MI. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 20.8 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

96.8% of the population of Leelanau County, MI has health coverage, with 41.9% on employee plans, 8.83% on Medicaid, 26.8% on Medicare, 18.6% on non-group plans, and 0.621% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Leelanau County, MI see 2,262 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,262 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2287 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1535 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,262 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Leelanau County, MI

Primary care physicians in Leelanau County, MI see an average of 2,262 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,262 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 16.4% under 18 years, 12.2% between 18 and 34 years, 37.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 33.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

3.23%

Uninsured

41.9%

Employer Coverage

8.83%

Medicaid

26.8%

Medicare

18.6%

Non-Group

0.621%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Leelanau County, MI declined by 20.5% from 4.06% to 3.23%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2019, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 75.2 in Leelanau County, MI.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Leelanau 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 31.2% in Leelanau County, MI.

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