Population 3,992 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Ottawa Lake
Household size in Ottawa Lake
| Period | Ottawa Lake | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.85 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.64 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.47 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.58 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.27 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
At 2.58 people per household, Ottawa Lake sits close to the national average of 2.65. Household size has dropped from 2.85 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 Ottawa Lake
| Period | Ottawa Lake | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.2 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.9 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 49.7 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +8.5 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
Ottawa Lake skews older: half of its residents are older than 49.7, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
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 Ottawa Lake
| Period | Ottawa Lake | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.7% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.0% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.9% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Ottawa Lake: 7.9% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 Ottawa Lake
Renters in Ottawa Lake
| Period | Ottawa Lake | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.8% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.1% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.2% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 15.6% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 15.6% of households in Ottawa Lake rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Nearly a third of owners (32.1%) have paid off their mortgages, below 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 Ottawa Lake
| Period | Ottawa Lake | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.0% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.3% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Ottawa Lake than nationally: 6.0%, against 9.6% for the U.S.
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 Ottawa Lake
| Period | Ottawa Lake | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1961 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1964 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1965 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +3 | +6 |
The housing in Ottawa Lake is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1965, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
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 Ottawa Lake
| Period | Ottawa Lake | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $911 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $747 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $928 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $909 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | −$2 | +$395 | +$606 |
The median renter in Ottawa Lake pays $909 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 22.5% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
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 Ottawa Lake
Bachelor's degrees in Ottawa Lake
| Period | Ottawa Lake | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.8% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 17.4% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 23.3% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 26.3% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in Ottawa Lake than nationally: 26.3% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 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 Ottawa Lake
| Period | Ottawa Lake | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 94.4% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 95.5% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.7% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 97.4% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.1 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Ottawa Lake: 97.4% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
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 Ottawa Lake
| Period | Ottawa Lake | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.0% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.8% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.8% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Ottawa Lake has been low: just 2.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. 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).
Ottawa Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa Lake | 2.58 | 49.7 | 7.9% | 15.6% | 6.0% | 1965 | $909 | 26.3% | 97.4% | 2.8% |
| Whiteford Center | 2.25 | 51.6 | 5.2% | 26.7% | 3.4% | 1964 | $863 | 25.4% | 97.5% | 5.6% |
| Lambertville | 2.55 | 48.0 | 6.3% | 4.4% | 4.1% | 1982 | $1,273 | 29.1% | 95.5% | 2.1% |
| Sylvania | 2.59 | 42.5 | 8.9% | 19.4% | 6.1% | 1984 | $1,229 | 54.7% | 97.8% | 3.5% |
| Riga | 2.64 | 48.2 | 4.3% | 5.5% | 6.2% | 1948 | $1,017 | 28.5% | 96.6% | 1.3% |
| Temperance | 2.50 | 45.8 | 7.8% | 15.8% | 5.5% | 1982 | $1,140 | 28.5% | 92.6% | 4.7% |
| Ottawa Hills | 2.76 | 41.7 | 9.3% | 12.2% | 6.0% | 1955 | $1,730 | 66.3% | 99.3% | 5.4% |
| Samaria | 2.83 | 43.6 | 11.5% | 5.1% | 4.5% | 1972 | $1,367 | 20.2% | 92.5% | 3.1% |
| Berkey | 2.56 | 47.7 | 2.1% | 10.1% | 2.5% | 1958 | $603 | 33.9% | 95.8% | 5.4% |
| Petersburg | 2.76 | 40.9 | 8.7% | 11.0% | 8.8% | 1969 | $1,267 | 24.9% | 96.3% | 2.7% |
| Richfield Center | 2.79 | 46.0 | 4.0% | 5.8% | 3.7% | 1973 | $779 | 40.8% | 98.2% | 5.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Ben Wheeler, TX · Captain Cook, HI · Carroll Valley, PA · Cassatt, SC · Clinton, PA · West DeLand, FL · Roseau, MN · Rosemont, IL · Roseville, OH · Roundup, MT
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 Ottawa Lake. 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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