Muskegon County, MI

County

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2024 Population

175,961

US Senator

Gary Peters

Democratic Party

US Senator

Elissa Slotkin

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

0.251% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

14.1%

11.6% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$65,024

2.41% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$198,300

9.62% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

78,530

1.32% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Muskegon 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.

99.1% of the residents in Muskegon County, MI are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Muskegon County, MI are Muskegon Community College (662 degrees awarded in 2023), Ross Medical Education Center-Roosevelt Park (92 degrees), and Nuvo College of Cosmetology (16 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Muskegon County, MI was $198,300, and the homeownership rate was 78.1%.

Most people in Muskegon County, MI drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.6 minutes. The average car ownership in Muskegon County, MI was 2 cars per household.

Muskegon County, MI borders Kent County, MI, Newaygo County, MI, Oceana County, MI, Ottawa County, MI, Milwaukee County, WI, and Ozaukee County, WI.

About the photo: Whitehall Lighthouse in Wabaningo, a small unincorporated community of Fruitland Township

Photo by wsilver

United States Michigan Muskegon, MI

Population & Diversity

Muskegon County, MI is home to a population of 176k people, from which 99.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 1.9% of Muskegon County, MI residents were born outside of the country (3.35k people).

In 2024, there were 6.25 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (132k people) in Muskegon County, MI than any other race or ethnicity. There were 21.1k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 8.34k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.1%

2024 Citizenship

99%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.1% of Muskegon County, MI residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Muskegon County, MI was 99%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Muskegon County, MI

White (Non-Hispanic)
132k ± 377
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
21.1k ± 862
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
8.34k ± 841

6.26%

Hispanic Population

11k people

6.26% of the people in Muskegon County, MI are hispanic (11k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Muskegon 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

1.9%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

3.35k people

2.03%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

3.56k people

As of 2024, 1.9% of Muskegon County, MI residents (3.35k 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 Muskegon County, MI was 2.03%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
3,078 ± 364
Gulf War (1990s)
1,983 ± 307
Gulf War (2001-)
1,699 ± 311

Muskegon County, MI has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.55 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Muskegon County, MI employs 78.5k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Muskegon County, MI were Manufacturing (19,324 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (11,341 people), and Retail Trade (8,776 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($110,915), Public Administration ($66,890), and Management of Companies & Enterprises ($61,500).

Employment

Occupations

78.5k

2024 Value

± 2,077

1.32%

1 Year growth

± 3.72%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Muskegon County, MI grew at a rate of 1.32%, from 77.5k employees to 78.5k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Muskegon County, MI, are Production Occupations (11,474 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (7,924 people), and Management Occupations (7,323 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Muskegon 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

78.5k

2024 Value

± 2,077

1.32%

1 Year growth

± 3.72%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Muskegon County, MI grew at a rate of 1.32%, from 77.5k employees to 78.5k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Muskegon County, MI, are Manufacturing (19,324 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (11,341 people), and Retail Trade (8,776 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Muskegon County, MI, though some of these residents may live in Muskegon County, MI and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$48,639

Median earning men ± $1,366

$35,962

Median earning women ± $873

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($75,090), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($65,633), and Wholesale Trade ($57,049).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($57,723), Construction ($49,063), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,382).

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

218
Other Services (except Public Administration)
198
Retail Trade
186
Construction

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

$867k
Manufacturing
$579k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$261k
Retail Trade

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 Muskegon 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 Muskegon County, MI awarded 770 degrees. The student population of Muskegon County, MI in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 1,411 male students and 2,303 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Muskegon County, MI are White (572 and 74.5%), Hispanic or Latino (62 and 8.07%), Black or African American (54 and 7.03%), and Unknown (42 and 5.47%).

The largest universities in Muskegon County, MI by number of degrees awarded are Muskegon Community College (662 and 86%), Ross Medical Education Center-Roosevelt Park (92 and 11.9%), and Nuvo College of Cosmetology (16 and 2.08%).

The most popular majors in Muskegon County, MI are Liberal Arts & Sciences (254 and 33%), Medical Assistant (94 and 12.2%), and Registered Nursing (69 and 8.96%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 3,714 students enrolled in Muskegon County, MI, 38% men and 62% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 2,683 records, of which 59.9% were women and 40.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Registered Nursing
69 degrees awarded
General Studies
35 degrees awarded
Liberal Arts & Sciences
254 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Muskegon County, MI was Registered Nursing with 69 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Muskegon Community College
662 degrees awarded
Ross Medical Education Center-Roosevelt Park
92 degrees awarded
Nuvo College of Cosmetology
16 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Muskegon Community College with 662 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 216 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Muskegon County, MI, which is 0.39 times less than the 554 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 572 degrees mean that there were 9.23 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 62 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 ($9,720) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,790) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 2-year ($1,100) 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 Muskegon County, MI was $198,300 in 2024, which is 0.596 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $180,900 to $198,300, a 9.62% increase. The homeownership rate in Muskegon County, MI is 78.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Muskegon County, MI have an average commute time of 21.6 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Muskegon County, MI is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 11.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Muskegon County, MI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.12%.

Housing

Property

$198,300

Median Property Value 2024

±$4,508

$52,871

Median Property Taxes

±$1,587

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

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

Rent vs Own

78.1%

Homeownership

2024

64.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 78.1% of the housing units in Muskegon County, MI were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 78.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Muskegon 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.

$65,024

Median Household Income

± $1,543

67.7k

Number of Households

± 1,813

In 2024, the median household income of the 67.7k households in Muskegon County, MI grew to $65,024 from the previous year's value of $63,495.

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

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Muskegon 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 (80.9%)
Carpooled (9.4%)
Worked At Home (7.23%)

In 2024, 80.9% of workers in Muskegon County, MI drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (9.4%) and those who worked at home (7.23%).

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

21.6 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Muskegon County, MI have a shorter commute time (21.6 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.24% of the workforce in Muskegon County, MI have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 11.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Muskegon County, MI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 5.12%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

14.1% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Muskegon County, MI (23.9k out of 170k 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 Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Males 6 - 11.

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

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, 16.3% of the children was living in poverty in Muskegon County, MI. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 17%.

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 440 in Muskegon County, MI. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 3.16 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

95.5% of the population of Muskegon County, MI has health coverage, with 44.3% on employee plans, 23.5% on Medicaid, 14.9% on Medicare, 11.7% on non-group plans, and 1.1% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Muskegon County, MI see 1,783 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,783 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1401 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 371 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,783 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Muskegon County, MI

Primary care physicians in Muskegon County, MI see an average of 1,783 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,783 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 24.2% under 18 years, 20% between 18 and 34 years, 37.4% between 35 and 64 years, and 18.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.1% were men and 50.9% were women.

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

Uninsured People

4.53%

Uninsured

44.3%

Employer Coverage

23.5%

Medicaid

14.9%

Medicare

11.7%

Non-Group

1.1%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Muskegon County, MI declined by 5.82% from 4.81% to 4.53%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Muskegon 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 51.9 in Muskegon County, MI.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Muskegon 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 43% in Muskegon County, MI.

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