Population 160,060 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Jackson County
Household size in Jackson County
| Period | Jackson County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.54 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.52 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.43 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.05 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
The average household in Jackson County has 2.49 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. The picture is much the same across Michigan. Household size has edged down from 2.54 in 2006–10, mirroring the country.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Jackson County
| Period | Jackson County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.9 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.5 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.7 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.4 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.5 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Jackson County are younger than 41.4 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The median age has climbed from 38.9 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the southeast.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Jackson County
| Period | Jackson County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.4% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.7% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.7% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.7 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Jackson County as they are nationally: 10.7%, against 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has fallen 1.7 points, in line with the national trend. Jackson County has a higher share of single-parent households than at least four in five Michigan counties.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Jackson County
Renters in Jackson County
| Period | Jackson County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.0% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.4% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.5% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.0% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Jackson County own their homes; 25.0% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. More than four in ten owners (43.9%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the south. The renter share has edged up 0.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Jackson County
| Period | Jackson County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 11.7% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Jackson County is close to the national rate: 9.8% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. Vacancy is down 2.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Jackson County
| Period | Jackson County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1965 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1967 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1967 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1968 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +3 | +6 |
Jackson County is a place of older homes: half were built before 1968, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the center has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Jackson County
| Period | Jackson County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $747 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $774 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $811 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,032 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$285 | +$395 | +$606 |
Rent in Jackson County runs $1,032 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $285 a month from 2006–10, a 38% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 28.1% of the typical renter's income, just under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southeast and lowest in the center.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Jackson County
Bachelor's degrees in Jackson County
| Period | Jackson County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.9% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.2% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 22.5% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.7% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Jackson County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.7%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 5.8 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the southwest and least in the north.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Jackson County
| Period | Jackson County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.2% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.7% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.8% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.5% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Jackson County have finished high school (92.5%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Michigan as a whole looks much the same. The share with a diploma has risen 4.3 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Jackson County
| Period | Jackson County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.8% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.2% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.6 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
At 5.2%, unemployment in Jackson County is close to the national rate of 5.4%. Unemployment is down 5.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Jackson County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 2.49 | 41.4 | 10.7% | 25.0% | 9.8% | 1968 | $1,032 | 23.7% | 92.5% | 5.2% |
| Washtenaw County | 2.44 | 38.2 | 8.0% | 38.4% | 6.8% | 1979 | $1,610 | 58.5% | 95.5% | 4.7% |
| Calhoun County | 2.51 | 41.0 | 12.4% | 27.3% | 11.0% | 1963 | $1,006 | 22.7% | 91.3% | 6.5% |
| Kalamazoo County | 2.47 | 37.5 | 10.8% | 35.5% | 7.6% | 1975 | $1,167 | 40.8% | 94.3% | 5.3% |
| Wayne County | 2.64 | 38.8 | 14.5% | 35.2% | 11.4% | 1960 | $1,257 | 27.2% | 87.4% | 9.1% |
| Van Buren County | 2.48 | 42.5 | 11.8% | 19.4% | 15.2% | 1977 | $958 | 22.7% | 89.8% | 4.3% |
| Lake County | 2.77 | 39.5 | 10.0% | 25.2% | 5.8% | 1980 | $1,746 | 45.6% | 90.5% | 4.9% |
| McHenry County | 2.71 | 41.4 | 9.3% | 17.3% | 4.3% | 1985 | $1,557 | 35.3% | 93.6% | 4.6% |
| Boone County | 2.78 | 41.0 | 12.1% | 18.2% | 5.2% | 1984 | $1,234 | 24.0% | 86.8% | 6.7% |
| Winnebago County | 2.49 | 40.4 | 13.9% | 34.1% | 8.2% | 1972 | $1,110 | 25.1% | 88.5% | 7.6% |
| Chautauqua County | 2.33 | 43.2 | 12.7% | 31.1% | 17.2% | 1955 | $830 | 24.9% | 89.5% | 6.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Portage County, OH · Kent County, RI · Kenton County, KY · Aiken County, SC · Madera County, CA · Martin County, FL · Merrimack County, NH · Mesa County, CO · Middlesex County, CT · Midland County, TX
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Jackson County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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