Population 620 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Merritt
Household size in Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.54 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.52 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.38 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.49 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.06 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Merritt run a little small, averaging 2.49 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Michigan as a whole looks much the same.
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 Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 44.9 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.7 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.3 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.3 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.4 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.3, Merritt is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.9% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.6% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.5% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.2% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in ten households in Merritt (9.2%), below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 4.3 points, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Merritt
Renters in Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.7% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.1% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.6% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.8% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.9 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Merritt is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 13.8% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About half of owners (51.2%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
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 Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.7% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 41.5% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 41.9% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 39.1% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.5 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Merritt: 39.1% of homes are empty, 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.
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 Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1977 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1977 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1980 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +3 | +3 | +6 |
The typical home in Merritt was built around 1980, the same vintage as the country's housing overall. 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 Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $616 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $759 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $771 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,000 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$384 | +$395 | +$606 |
Rent in Merritt runs $1,000 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent takes 35.6% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
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 Merritt
Bachelor's degrees in Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.8% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 9.3% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 13.0% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Merritt: 13.0% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
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 Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.4% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 86.0% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 87.4% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.1% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.6 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Merritt have finished high school (91.1%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. The picture is much the same across Michigan.
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 Merritt
| Period | Merritt | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.8% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.0% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.8% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.0 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Merritt: 6.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% 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).
Merritt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merritt | 2.49 | 45.3 | 9.2% | 13.8% | 39.1% | 1980 | $1,000 | 13.0% | 91.1% | 6.8% |
| Prosper | 2.23 | 49.7 | 6.3% | 10.4% | 39.1% | 1978 | $963 | 13.0% | 91.5% | 5.6% |
| Houghton Lake Heights | 2.07 | 48.5 | 11.1% | 22.9% | 57.3% | 1975 | $796 | 11.6% | 85.7% | 3.1% |
| Falmouth | 2.37 | 45.9 | 4.9% | 10.5% | 35.4% | 1978 | $976 | 13.4% | 88.2% | 5.9% |
| Meads Landing | 2.17 | 54.3 | 6.2% | 10.7% | 47.0% | 1983 | $1,047 | 20.3% | 92.4% | 6.8% |
| Houghton Lake | 2.09 | 54.3 | 6.3% | 15.9% | 37.6% | 1979 | $842 | 16.4% | 91.6% | 3.1% |
| Houghton Point | 1.98 | 61.6 | 4.5% | 19.8% | 61.4% | 1977 | $857 | 20.1% | 90.0% | 3.1% |
| Moorestown | 2.63 | 40.1 | 10.1% | 14.4% | 43.9% | 1979 | $1,256 | 15.6% | 90.4% | 6.8% |
| Vogel Center | 2.44 | 45.1 | 4.6% | 9.8% | 34.7% | 1977 | $973 | 13.5% | 86.9% | 6.6% |
| Stittsville | 2.67 | 40.0 | 8.8% | 15.1% | 37.8% | 1984 | $1,034 | 13.9% | 89.4% | 7.7% |
| Lake City | 2.42 | 48.8 | 7.3% | 16.1% | 32.2% | 1981 | $989 | 20.7% | 91.4% | 6.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Igo, CA · Henriette, MN · High Bridge, NH · High Hill, MO · Hoberg, MO · Hogglesville, AL · Holland, VT · Yelvington, KY · Yeaddiss, KY · Wyndmere, ND
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 Merritt. 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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