How many people live in Houghton County, MI?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 38,000 people living in Houghton County, MI. That makes Houghton County the 42nd-most populous county in Michigan. It is home to 0.38% of people living in the state.
38K
population of Houghton County, MI (2024)
0.38%
County share of the Michigan population (2024)
About 38,000 people lived in Houghton County, MI in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are Houghton County, MI’s age demographics?
About 7,000 Houghton County residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 18.3% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 19.6% of Michigan’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 7,400 Houghton County residents, or 19.5% 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 Houghton County, MI's population is aged 18–24 than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are Houghton County, MI’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Non-Hispanic white residents make up 91.6% of the Houghton County, MI population, higher than the national share of 57.5%.
In contrast, Houghton County’s Hispanic population accounts for 1.9%, below the 20% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic Black or African American population makes up 1.2% 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.
Houghton 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 Houghton County, MI is Houghton with about 8,500 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in Houghton County, MI ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Houghton | 8,543 |
| 2. | Hancock | 4,620 |
| 3. | Portage | 3,250 |
| 4. | Chassell | 1,916 |
| 5. | Laurium | 1,904 |
| 6. | Osceola | 1,861 |
| 7. | Stanton | 1,618 |
| 8. | Franklin | 1,541 |
| 9. | Lake Linden (pt.) | 1,044 |
| 10. | South Range | 753 |
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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.
