Population 41,242 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Mecosta County: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Mecosta County
Household size in Mecosta County
| Period | Mecosta County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.36 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.58 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.57 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.41 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.05 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Mecosta County run small, averaging 2.41 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has crept up from 2.36 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. Households are largest in the southwest and smallest in the east.
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 Mecosta County
| Period | Mecosta County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.0 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.4 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.0 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.6 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.6 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
Mecosta County skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.6, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.0, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the west and oldest in the center.
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 Mecosta County
| Period | Mecosta County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.9% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.0% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.1% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Mecosta County (10.1%), a little below the national share of 11.6%. Michigan as a whole looks much the same. Compared with other Michigan counties, though, Mecosta County has a higher share of single-parent households than most.
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 Mecosta County
Renters in Mecosta County
| Period | Mecosta County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.6% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 26.2% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.7% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 23.1% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 23.1% of households in Mecosta County rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Among homeowners, 49.0% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the west; owners are most common in the center. The renter share has fallen 3.5 points since 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 Mecosta County
| Period | Mecosta County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.5% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 22.1% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 25.2% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.1% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.5 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 18.1% of the housing in Mecosta County, 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. Vacancy is down 5.5 points from 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Mecosta County
| Period | Mecosta County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1976 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1981 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1979 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +3 | +6 |
The typical home in Mecosta County was built around 1979, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are newer than in Michigan overall, where the median home dates to 1972. The median year built has moved up from 1976 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the southeast, the oldest in the northwest.
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 Mecosta County
| Period | Mecosta County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $659 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $696 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $715 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $903 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$244 | +$395 | +$606 |
Rent in Mecosta County runs $903 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $244 a month from 2006–10, a 37% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 32.0% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Rents run highest in the southwest and lowest in the southeast.
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 Mecosta County
Bachelor's degrees in Mecosta County
| Period | Mecosta County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.3% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.1% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.4% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.6% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Mecosta County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.6%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 2.3 points, a smaller shift than nationally.
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 Mecosta County
| Period | Mecosta County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 88.1% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 89.8% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.8% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.8 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Mecosta County is a bit above the national rate: 90.9% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of Michigan. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 2.8 points, 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 Mecosta County
| Period | Mecosta County | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.3% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.0% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −9.4 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Mecosta County runs below the national rate: 3.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment is down 9.4 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).
Mecosta 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecosta County | 2.41 | 42.6 | 10.1% | 23.1% | 18.1% | 1979 | $903 | 22.6% | 90.9% | 3.8% |
| Isabella County | 2.44 | 35.8 | 9.2% | 38.2% | 13.3% | 1982 | $955 | 34.4% | 92.0% | 6.2% |
| Oceana County | 2.55 | 44.5 | 10.8% | 15.5% | 24.8% | 1975 | $827 | 20.6% | 90.2% | 6.4% |
| Midland County | 2.42 | 42.5 | 7.7% | 21.9% | 6.5% | 1977 | $1,057 | 36.8% | 95.6% | 4.4% |
| Bay County | 2.30 | 45.2 | 10.7% | 23.0% | 8.5% | 1963 | $916 | 22.3% | 91.8% | 4.4% |
| Sheboygan County | 2.36 | 42.4 | 8.6% | 28.5% | 6.6% | 1968 | $1,009 | 27.5% | 93.4% | 2.8% |
| Fond du Lac County | 2.37 | 42.1 | 8.0% | 29.3% | 6.8% | 1969 | $975 | 22.4% | 92.9% | 3.2% |
| Vernon County | 2.55 | 41.2 | 6.4% | 19.7% | 11.7% | 1975 | $844 | 24.6% | 89.3% | 2.3% |
| Houston County | 2.28 | 45.7 | 7.6% | 16.6% | 7.4% | 1969 | $868 | 30.2% | 95.4% | 1.7% |
| Fillmore County | 2.44 | 43.5 | 6.6% | 17.4% | 9.8% | 1966 | $846 | 24.1% | 93.2% | 2.7% |
| Mower County | 2.59 | 39.3 | 11.4% | 22.4% | 7.5% | 1959 | $953 | 22.3% | 85.4% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Accomack County, VA · Levy County, FL · Latah County, ID · Lassen County, CA · Las Piedras Municipio, PR · Lake County, MT · LaGrange County, IN · Lafayette County, MO · Laclede County, MO · Knox County, ME
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 Mecosta 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.