How many people live in Clare County, MI?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 31,400 people living in Clare County, MI. That makes Clare County the 47th-most populous county in Michigan. It is home to 0.31% of people living in the state.
31.4K
population of Clare County, MI (2024)
0.31%
County share of the Michigan population (2024)
About 31,400 people lived in Clare County, MI in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Clare County, MI’s age demographics?
About 8,300 Clare County, MI residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 26.5% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 19.6% of Michigan’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 6,100 Clare County residents, or 19.3% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 20.8% of Michigan’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of Clare County, MI's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Clare County, MI’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 94% of the Clare County, MI population, higher than the national share of 57.5%. Clare County, MI also has a larger share of people identifying as non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (0.79%) than the US overall (0.72%).
In contrast, Clare County’s Hispanic population accounts for 2.5%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 0.82% of the county, compared with 12.6% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
Clare County, MI has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Michigan as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in Clare County, MI is Hayes with about 4,700 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Clare County, MI ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Hayes | 4,705 |
| 2. | Grant | 3,448 |
| 3. | Clare (pt.) | 3,214 |
| 4. | Harrison | 2,170 |
| 5. | Garfield | 1,847 |
| 6. | Lincoln | 1,832 |
| 7. | Hamilton | 1,807 |
| 8. | Sheridan | 1,621 |
| 9. | Freeman | 1,136 |
| 10. | Greenwood | 1,128 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.