Population 7,709 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Kalkaska
Household size in Kalkaska
| Period | Kalkaska | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.28 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.39 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.37 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.26 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Kalkaska are small: just 2.26 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Households are largest in the center and smallest in the northeast.
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 Kalkaska
| Period | Kalkaska | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.4 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.4 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.5 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.6 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.2 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
Kalkaska skews older: half of its residents are older than 45.6, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 41.4, in line with the national trend.
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 Kalkaska
| Period | Kalkaska | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.9% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.6% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.3% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.4% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Kalkaska (11.4%), close to the national share of 11.6%. The single-parent share has edged up 1.5 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Kalkaska
Renters in Kalkaska
| Period | Kalkaska | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.6% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.0% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.3% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.1% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.1% of households in Kalkaska rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About four in ten owners (39.5%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the southeast. The renter share is down 4.5 points from 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Kalkaska
| Period | Kalkaska | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.3% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 32.6% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 33.5% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.2% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.1 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 25.2% of the housing in Kalkaska, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 5.1 points, 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 Kalkaska
| Period | Kalkaska | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +1 | +3 | +6 |
Homes in Kalkaska are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1979, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are newer than in Michigan overall, where the median home dates to 1972.
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 Kalkaska
| Period | Kalkaska | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $697 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $739 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $703 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $842 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$145 | +$395 | +$606 |
The median renter in Kalkaska pays $842 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $145 a month from 2006–10, a 21% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 32.4% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the center; the most affordable are in the north.
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 Kalkaska
Bachelor's degrees in Kalkaska
| Period | Kalkaska | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.5% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 10.3% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.7% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.2 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Kalkaska have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 17.7%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 4.2 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the center.
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 Kalkaska
| Period | Kalkaska | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 85.3% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.7% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.8% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.2% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.9 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Kalkaska have finished high school (91.2%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Michigan. The share with a diploma is up 5.9 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Kalkaska
| Period | Kalkaska | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.4% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.4% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −9.3 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Kalkaska runs below the national rate: 4.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 9.3 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Kalkaska compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalkaska | 2.26 | 45.6 | 11.4% | 15.1% | 25.2% | 1979 | $842 | 17.7% | 91.2% | 4.1% |
| Lodi | 2.16 | 49.8 | 4.8% | 7.5% | 46.8% | 1981 | $853 | 15.3% | 89.7% | 8.7% |
| O'neil | 2.09 | 49.9 | 4.6% | 6.5% | 44.9% | 1976 | $1,149 | 15.6% | 87.7% | 5.7% |
| Spencer | 2.36 | 40.6 | 8.0% | 5.9% | 44.8% | 1977 | $1,463 | 18.6% | 90.8% | 4.2% |
| South Boardman | 2.73 | 38.0 | 10.1% | 8.3% | 22.3% | 1986 | $1,022 | 18.3% | 86.3% | 3.7% |
| Rapid City | 2.31 | 46.7 | 9.5% | 10.2% | 27.6% | 1982 | $923 | 28.8% | 94.3% | 2.8% |
| Mancelona | 2.37 | 43.5 | 10.7% | 15.4% | 19.8% | 1982 | $887 | 17.4% | 88.2% | 5.4% |
| Leetsville | 2.05 | 52.8 | 9.4% | 11.3% | 25.6% | 1988 | $844 | 17.8% | 93.8% | 9.4% |
| Alden | 2.11 | 53.7 | 6.6% | 14.0% | 35.9% | 1980 | $833 | 36.7% | 94.8% | 3.9% |
| Torch River | 2.21 | 54.1 | 7.7% | 8.6% | 41.2% | 1981 | $876 | 45.1% | 96.7% | 2.6% |
| Wetzel | 2.21 | 48.0 | 12.1% | 14.4% | 26.2% | 1989 | $1,009 | 16.2% | 93.7% | 6.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sugarcreek, OH · Twin Lakes, WI · Trion, GA · Trinity, AL · Trenton, TN · Trafford, PA · Topsfield, MA · Topeka, IN · Topanga, CA · Tompkinsville, KY
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 Kalkaska. 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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