Michigan · GEOID 26055

Grand Traverse County

2024 ACS 5-year estimates · population 96,166 · 47,003 housing units

Median household income

$81,647

State $74,099

Median home value

$339,400

State $237,564

Median gross rent

$1,288

State $1,136

Homeownership rate

77.2%

State 73.2%

Renter cost-burden rate

50.3%

≥30% of income

Owner cost-burden rate

19.7%

≥30% of income

Homeowner vacancy

0.6%

Of owner-occupied + for-sale units

Rental vacancy

9.6%

Of renter-occupied + for-rent units

Overall vacancy

14.3%

All housing units

Price-to-income ratio

4.16

Affordable: 2.0–3.0

Section 1

Community Profile

Population, demographics, household composition, and income.

Community Data Summary

	Grand Traverse County	Michigan
Population	96,166	10,077,761
Population density (per sq. mi.)	207.10	—
Median household income	$81,647	$74,099
HUD Area Median Income (4-person, 100%)	$113,900	—
Households	40,287	—
Average household size	2.34 people	—
Owner-occupied	77.2%	73.2%
Renter-occupied	22.8%	26.8%
Race	91.7% White · 0.8% Black	0.0% White · 0.0% Black

Source: ACS 5-year 2024 (Tables DP05, S1101, DP04, S1901) and Census Gazetteer (land area); HUD FY2026 Income Limits.

Racial composition

Grand Traverse County compared with Michigan.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP05.

Educational attainment (population 25+)

40.6% hold a bachelor's degree or higher (state: 32.4%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1501.

Median Household Income by Tenure

Owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied household income, county and state.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25119.

Median Household Income by Age of Householder

Median household income by age group of householder.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B19049.

Median Household Income by Number of Earners

Median household income for families with each earner count.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903.

Household Size

Distribution of households by number of people.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2501.

Income by Number of Earners

Earners	Share	Median income	Attainable monthly housing cost	Attainable home
0 earners	17.3%	$67,451	$1,686	$220,056
1 earner	28.0%	$76,351	$1,909	$253,185
2 earners	43.1%	$117,017	$2,925	$404,557
3+ earners	11.5%	$136,453	$3,411	$476,905

Attainable monthly housing cost = 30% of gross income ÷ 12. Attainable home price assumes 30% housing budget, 30-yr mortgage at 7%, 5% down.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903; affordability formula derived.

Households

40,287

Average size: 2.34 people

Households with children

9,571

23.8% of households

Per-capita income

$45,034

Poverty rate: 8.8%

Section 2

Residential Market Analysis

Housing stock characteristics — tenure, type, age, size, vacancy, rents.

Tenure

77.2% owner-occupied vs. state average 73.2%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Structure type

Single-family share 76.9% · Missing middle (2–19 units) 10.9%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25024.

Housing stock by decade

41.9% built before 1980 · Median structure age 1,986.00 yrs.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2504.

Housing size mismatch

Compares the share of housing units by bedroom count against the share of households by size — a common diagnostic of housing supply/demand alignment.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Tables B25041 (bedrooms) and S2501 (household size).

Home value distribution

Owner-occupied homes by value bracket. Median: $339,400.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Monthly Housing Costs

Distribution of monthly housing costs across all occupied units.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25104.

Number of Bedrooms

Housing units by number of bedrooms.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25041.

Median rent by bedroom

Overall median gross rent: $1,288.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25031.

Renters by age

Number of renter householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Owners by age

Number of owner householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Vacancy composition

All 6,716 vacant units split into Census's seven categories. Frictional vacancy (units actively on the market) reflects healthy churn. Structural vacancy (seasonal, migrant, other) sits outside the market for year-round residents — high values change how the headline vacancy rate should be read.

Vacant units by type

For sale 2.6% · For rent 14.5% · Seasonal 61.5% · Other 21.1%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Frictional vs structural

17.4% of vacancy is frictional (for sale + for rent + rented/sold not yet occupied); 82.6% is structural (seasonal + migrant + other).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Seasonal / recreational share of all housing

8.8%

4,129 units of 47,003 total

Housing units held for seasonal or recreational use.

"Other vacant" share of all housing

3.0%

1,416 units of 47,003 total

Census "Other vacant" — units off the market for reasons other than seasonal, migrant, sale, or rental.

Section 3

Workforce Housing Needs Assessment

Affordability, cost burden, and the housing options for households in the workforce income range.

Workforce range — ACS median household income

80% MHI$65,318

100% MHI$81,647

120% MHI$97,976

County-wide median from ACS 5-year estimates. A household at 100% MHI in Grand Traverse County should be able to afford a home up to roughly — (30% housing budget, default mortgage terms).

Workforce range — HUD Area Median Income

	1-person	2-person	4-person
80% AMI	$63,800	$72,900	$91,100
100% AMI	$79,730	$91,120	$113,900
120% AMI	$95,700	$109,350	$136,700

HUD FMR Area: Grand Traverse County, MI HUD Metro FMR Area. 80% AMI uses HUD's published Section 8 Low Income Limits; 100% is HUD MFI; 120% is the standard workforce convention.

Affordability calculator

Follows the standard 30%-of-gross-income affordability rule.

Income basis Household income Interest rate % Down payment % Taxes & insurance / yr

Affordable monthly—

Affordable home price—

Renter cost burden

50.3% of renter households spend ≥30% of income on rent (23.2% spend ≥50%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25070.

Owner cost burden by income

19.7% of homeowners spend ≥30% of income on housing. Bars show counts of cost-burdened owners by income bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25106.

Household income — owners vs renters

Distribution of household income for owner-occupied (navy) and renter-occupied (gold) households.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25118.

Section 4

Industry & Workforce Wages

Employment, average wages, and the housing each industry's typical earner can afford in Grand Traverse County.

Covered employment

48,337

Across 21 sectors

Establishments

3,762

QCEW 2024

Avg annual pay (workforce)

$59,451

Employment-weighted across sectors

Top 10 sectors by employment

Annual average employment by NAICS 2-digit sector. Counties with fewer than five covered establishments in a sector may show suppressed totals.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024.

Attainable housing by industry

Industry	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 62 Health care and social assistance NAICS 62	11,003	$70,717	$232,213	−$107,187	$1,768
NAICS 44-45 Retail trade NAICS 44-45	7,220	$40,427	$119,464	−$219,936	$1,011
NAICS 72 Accommodation and food services NAICS 72	6,035	$29,183	$77,610	−$261,790	$730
NAICS 31-33 Manufacturing NAICS 31-33	4,503	$66,238	$215,541	−$123,859	$1,656
NAICS 23 Construction NAICS 23	3,190	$68,035	$222,230	−$117,170	$1,701
NAICS 52 Finance and insurance NAICS 52	2,299	$105,905	$363,195	+$23,795	$2,648
NAICS 54 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 54	2,117	$80,124	$267,229	−$72,171	$2,003
NAICS 81 Other services (except public administration) NAICS 81	1,858	$48,428	$149,246	−$190,154	$1,211
NAICS 92 Public administration NAICS 92	1,506	$64,788	$210,143	−$129,257	$1,620
NAICS 42 Wholesale trade NAICS 42	1,482	$71,750	$236,058	−$103,342	$1,794
NAICS 56 Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services NAICS 56	1,398	$50,603	$157,342	−$182,058	$1,265
NAICS 48-49 Transportation and warehousing NAICS 48-49	1,334	$75,234	$249,027	−$90,373	$1,881
NAICS 61 Educational services NAICS 61	1,273	$39,449	$115,823	−$223,577	$986
NAICS 51 Information NAICS 51	769	$64,652	$209,637	−$129,763	$1,616
NAICS 71 Arts, entertainment, and recreation NAICS 71	754	$33,015	$91,874	−$247,526	$825
NAICS 53 Real estate and rental and leasing NAICS 53	624	$51,040	$158,969	−$180,431	$1,276
NAICS 11 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting NAICS 11	321	$48,519	$149,585	−$189,815	$1,213
NAICS 22 Utilities NAICS 22	235	$126,699	$440,597	+$101,197	$3,167
NAICS 21 Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction NAICS 21	187	$100,027	$341,315	+$1,915	$2,501
NAICS 99 Unclassified NAICS 99	183	$46,944	$143,722	−$195,678	$1,174
NAICS 55 Management of companies and enterprises NAICS 55	46	$106,107	$363,947	+$24,547	$2,653

Subsector	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 722 Food services and drinking places NAICS 722	4,817	$28,010	$73,243	−$266,157	$700
NAICS 621 Ambulatory health care services NAICS 621	3,754	$82,466	$275,947	−$63,453	$2,062
NAICS 541 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 541	2,117	$80,124	$267,229	−$72,171	$2,003
NAICS 455 General merchandise retailers NAICS 455	1,776	$35,707	$101,894	−$237,506	$893
NAICS 238 Specialty trade contractors NAICS 238	1,707	$65,657	$213,378	−$126,022	$1,641
NAICS 624 Social assistance NAICS 624	1,461	$37,968	$110,310	−$229,090	$949
NAICS 445 Food and beverage retailers NAICS 445	1,315	$35,067	$99,512	−$239,888	$877
NAICS 561 Administrative and support services NAICS 561	1,302	$50,577	$157,245	−$182,155	$1,264
NAICS 611 Educational services NAICS 611	1,273	$39,449	$115,823	−$223,577	$986
NAICS 524 Insurance carriers and related activities NAICS 524	1,246	$106,359	$364,885	+$25,485	$2,659
NAICS 721 Accommodation NAICS 721	1,218	$33,822	$94,877	−$244,523	$846
NAICS 921 Executive, legislative, and other general government support NAICS 921	1,087	$57,887	$184,456	−$154,944	$1,447
NAICS 236 Construction of buildings NAICS 236	910	$63,269	$204,489	−$134,911	$1,582
NAICS 444 Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers NAICS 444	907	$45,459	$138,194	−$201,206	$1,136
NAICS 332 Fabricated metal product manufacturing NAICS 332	841	$70,148	$230,095	−$109,305	$1,754
NAICS 522 Credit intermediation and related activities NAICS 522	812	$87,303	$293,952	−$45,448	$2,183
NAICS 811 Repair and maintenance NAICS 811	782	$59,824	$191,666	−$147,734	$1,496
NAICS 459 Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers NAICS 459	768	$32,233	$88,963	−$250,437	$806
NAICS 333 Machinery manufacturing NAICS 333	705	$75,179	$248,822	−$90,578	$1,879
NAICS 423 Merchant wholesalers, durable goods NAICS 423	695	$69,166	$226,440	−$112,960	$1,729
NAICS 311 Food manufacturing NAICS 311	689	$65,537	$212,931	−$126,469	$1,638
NAICS 424 Merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods NAICS 424	635	$68,431	$223,704	−$115,696	$1,711
NAICS 713 Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries NAICS 713	601	$29,929	$80,386	−$259,014	$748
NAICS 813 Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations NAICS 813	597	$42,649	$127,735	−$211,665	$1,066
NAICS 441 Motor vehicle and parts dealers NAICS 441	587	$71,847	$236,419	−$102,981	$1,796
NAICS 237 Heavy and civil engineering construction NAICS 237	574	$82,546	$276,245	−$63,155	$2,064
NAICS 457 Gasoline stations and fuel dealers NAICS 457	536	$32,701	$90,705	−$248,695	$818
NAICS 456 Health and personal care retailers NAICS 456	480	$47,458	$145,635	−$193,765	$1,186
NAICS 812 Personal and laundry services NAICS 812	444	$37,990	$110,392	−$229,008	$950
NAICS 458 Clothing, clothing accessories, shoe, and jewelry retailers NAICS 458	431	$26,218	$66,573	−$272,827	$655
NAICS 449 Furniture, home furnishings, electronics, and appliance retailers NAICS 449	419	$53,899	$169,611	−$169,789	$1,347
NAICS 312 Beverage and tobacco product manufacturing NAICS 312	409	$49,200	$152,120	−$187,280	$1,230
NAICS 314 Textile product mills NAICS 314	385	$64,031	$207,326	−$132,074	$1,601
NAICS 488 Support activities for transportation NAICS 488	344	$111,228	$383,009	+$43,609	$2,781
NAICS 491 Postal service NAICS 491	316	$69,956	$229,380	−$110,020	$1,749
NAICS 326 Plastics and rubber products manufacturing NAICS 326	311	$56,237	$178,314	−$161,086	$1,406
NAICS 492 Couriers and messengers NAICS 492	264	$58,409	$186,399	−$153,001	$1,460
NAICS 221 Utilities NAICS 221	235	$126,699	$440,597	+$101,197	$3,167
NAICS 517 Telecommunications NAICS 517	229	$88,764	$299,390	−$40,010	$2,219
NAICS 999 Unclassified NAICS 999	183	$46,944	$143,722	−$195,678	$1,174
NAICS 339 Miscellaneous manufacturing NAICS 339	165	$54,554	$172,049	−$167,351	$1,364
NAICS 493 Warehousing and storage NAICS 493	164	$46,756	$143,022	−$196,378	$1,169
NAICS 115 Support activities for agriculture and forestry NAICS 115	156	$61,466	$197,778	−$141,622	$1,537
NAICS 334 Computer and electronic product manufacturing NAICS 334	155	$83,313	$279,100	−$60,300	$2,083
NAICS 425 Wholesale trade agents and brokers NAICS 425	152	$97,425	$331,629	−$7,771	$2,436
NAICS 323 Printing and related support activities NAICS 323	128	$50,103	$155,481	−$183,919	$1,253
NAICS 516 Broadcasting and content providers NAICS 516	126	$43,816	$132,079	−$207,321	$1,095
NAICS 484 Truck transportation NAICS 484	124	$54,873	$173,236	−$166,164	$1,372
NAICS 513 Publishing industries NAICS 513	122	$79,994	$266,745	−$72,655	$2,000
NAICS 111 Crop production NAICS 111	114	$31,742	$87,135	−$252,265	$794
NAICS 335 Electrical equipment, appliance, and component manufacturing NAICS 335	112	$57,760	$183,983	−$155,417	$1,444
NAICS 327 Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing NAICS 327	111	$67,468	$220,119	−$119,281	$1,687
NAICS 519 Web search portals, libraries, archives, and other information services NAICS 519	107	$30,829	$83,736	−$255,664	$771
NAICS 518 Computing infrastructure providers, data processing, web hosting, and related services NAICS 518	107	$80,564	$268,867	−$70,533	$2,014
NAICS 213 Support activities for mining NAICS 213	102	$87,945	$296,342	−$43,058	$2,199
NAICS 926 Administration of economic programs NAICS 926	96	$74,614	$246,719	−$92,681	$1,865
NAICS 562 Waste management and remediation services NAICS 562	96	$50,949	$158,630	−$180,770	$1,274
NAICS 337 Furniture and related product manufacturing NAICS 337	82	$57,449	$182,825	−$156,575	$1,436
NAICS 551 Management of companies and enterprises NAICS 551	46	$106,107	$363,947	+$24,547	$2,653
NAICS 924 Administration of environmental quality programs NAICS 924	44	$86,922	$292,534	−$46,866	$2,173
NAICS 814 Private households NAICS 814	34	$25,501	$63,904	−$275,496	$638
NAICS 113 Forestry and logging NAICS 113	25	$51,426	$160,406	−$178,994	$1,286
NAICS 923 Administration of human resource programs NAICS 923	16	$92,877	$314,700	−$24,700	$2,322
NAICS 922 Justice, public order, and safety activities NAICS 922	14	$126,190	$438,702	+$99,302	$3,155
NAICS 487 Scenic and sightseeing transportation NAICS 487	14	$21,645	$49,551	−$289,849	$541
NAICS 928 National security and international affairs NAICS 928	7	$96,030	$326,437	−$12,963	$2,401

Affordable home price assumes the industry's average earner uses 30% of gross income for housing, with a 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr taxes & insurance, and 0.5% PMI. Adjust the Section 3 calculator for other terms. Affordable rent is 30% of monthly gross pay.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024; ACS 5-year 2024 (median home value).

Section 5

Wages by Occupation

Selected essential-worker occupations for the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county — jobs, the 10-year change, wages, and the housing each typical earner can afford. Both jobs counts and wages are reported at the MSA / nonmetropolitan-area level (BLS does not publish OEWS at the county level), so every county inside the same area shows the same numbers. For county-accurate employment totals, see Section 4 above.

Occupational wages and affordable housing

Occupation	2025 jobs	2015–2025 change	% change	Hourly wage	Annual wage	Affordable home price	Affordable monthly rent
Fast Food and Counter Workers SOC 35-3023	1,730	—	—	$14.70	$30,580	$82,810	$765
Cashiers SOC 41-2011	1,850	—	—	$15.42	$32,060	$88,319	$802
Childcare Workers SOC 39-9011	230	—	—	$16.47	$34,270	$96,545	$857
Retail Salespersons SOC 41-2031	2,390	—	—	$17.75	$36,910	$106,372	$923
Janitors and Cleaners SOC 37-2011	880	—	—	$18.76	$39,030	$114,263	$976
Tellers SOC 43-3071	220	—	—	$19.29	$40,130	$118,358	$1,003
Home Health and Personal Care Aides SOC 31-1131	700	—	—	$20.71	$43,080	$129,339	$1,077
Office Clerks, General SOC 43-9061	1,650	—	—	$21.72	$45,170	$137,119	$1,129
Waiters and Waitresses SOC 35-3031	1,610	—	—	$21.90	$45,550	$138,533	$1,139
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General SOC 49-9071	620	—	—	$23.32	$48,510	$149,551	$1,213
Firefighters SOC 33-2011	140	—	—	$23.71	$49,320	$152,566	$1,233
Construction Laborers SOC 47-2061	740	—	—	$24.35	$50,660	$157,554	$1,267
Paramedics SOC 29-2043	100	—	—	$26.29	$54,670	$172,481	$1,367
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers SOC 53-3032	740	—	—	$26.48	$55,070	$173,970	$1,377
Carpenters SOC 47-2031	420	—	—	$27.22	$56,620	$179,739	$1,416
Electricians SOC 47-2111	390	—	—	$29.96	$62,310	$200,919	$1,558
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers SOC 33-3051	340	—	—	$31.68	$65,890	$214,245	$1,647
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education SOC 25-2021	450	—	—	—	$67,070	$218,638	$1,677
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters SOC 47-2152	190	—	—	$33.75	$70,190	$230,251	$1,755
Registered Nurses SOC 29-1141	2,020	—	—	$43.46	$90,400	$305,480	$2,260

Affordable home price uses the same Section 3 formula (30% housing budget, 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr T&I, 0.5% PMI). Affordable rent is 30% of monthly wages. Negative job-change values are shown in red parentheses. A "prior-year code differs" note flags occupations whose SOC code changed between the two vintages (2010 SOC → 2018 SOC) — the change estimate is best-effort.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (10-year change vs. May 2015). Jobs counts and wages reflect the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county, not the county alone — OEWS is not published at the county level.

Methodology & sources

All figures derive from the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. State and national comparisons are population-weighted aggregates of county-level estimates (an approximation; ACS publishes its own state and national medians which can differ slightly).

The affordability calculator uses a 30% housing-budget rule with a 30-year mortgage. Defaults are 7% interest, 5% down, $2,500/year taxes and insurance, and 0.5% PMI — adjustable above.

Variables: 26055 · pulled from Full Housing Data Table.xlsx.