Population 73,534 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
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Population and households in Traverse City
Household size in Traverse City
| Period | Traverse City | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.34 | 2.58 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.40 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.38 | 2.53 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.32 | 2.51 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.02 | −0.06 | −0.03 |
Households in Traverse City are small: just 2.32 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. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the west.
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 Traverse City
| Period | Traverse City | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.0 | 38.9 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.1 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 43.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.4 | 41.3 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.4 | +2.4 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.4, Traverse City is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 42.0, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the south, the oldest in the northeast.
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 Traverse City
| Period | Traverse City | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.6% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.0% | 11.5% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 8.4% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 10.7% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in ten households in Traverse City (9.3%), below the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 0.7 points, 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 Traverse City
Renters in Traverse City
| Period | Traverse City | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 25.3% | 25.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 27.2% | 28.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.7% | 28.8% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.3% | 26.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a quarter of households in Traverse City rent their homes (25.3%), below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Michigan as a whole looks much the same. About four in ten owners (41.1%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as 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 Traverse City
| Period | Traverse City | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.8% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.4% | 13.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.2% | 11.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.8% | 10.2% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Traverse City as nationally: 10.8%, against 9.6%. Vacancy has fallen 2.0 points since 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 Traverse City
| Period | Traverse City | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1969 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1970 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1982 | 1971 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1972 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +3 | +6 |
Homes in Traverse City are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1985, versus 1980 across the U.S. The median year built has moved up from 1979 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the south, while the north 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 Traverse City
| Period | Traverse City | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $830 | $833 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $907 | $886 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,007 | $978 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,387 | $1,228 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$557 | +$395 | +$606 |
Rent in Traverse City runs $1,387 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in Michigan as a whole ($1,228). Rent has climbed $557 a month since 2006–10, up 67%, faster than rents rose nationally. The typical renter here spends 31.2% of household income on rent, just over 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 Traverse City
Bachelor's degrees in Traverse City
| Period | Traverse City | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.9% | 26.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 33.9% | 27.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 39.7% | 29.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 42.7% | 32.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +11.8 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are more common in Traverse City than nationally: 42.7% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 11.8 points, as it has nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northeast and least in the south.
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 Traverse City
| Period | Traverse City | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 92.7% | 88.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 93.8% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.9% | 90.7% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.9% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +3.5 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Traverse City: 95.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%. The share with a diploma has risen 3.2 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 Traverse City
| Period | Traverse City | Michigan | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 11.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 11.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.8% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 5.9% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.9 pts | −5.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Traverse City runs below the national rate: 3.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 4.9 points since 2006–10, as it has 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).
Traverse City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traverse City | 2.32 | 44.4 | 9.3% | 25.3% | 10.8% | 1985 | $1,387 | 42.7% | 95.9% | 3.4% |
| Greilickville | 2.42 | 49.1 | 8.3% | 17.8% | 11.8% | 1991 | $1,940 | 44.5% | 97.7% | 1.9% |
| Acme | 2.68 | 43.0 | 14.8% | 11.7% | 15.6% | 1984 | $1,503 | 45.3% | 96.2% | 1.0% |
| Grawn | 2.69 | 37.8 | 14.6% | 22.5% | 14.9% | 1986 | $1,082 | 22.1% | 92.9% | 4.8% |
| Bates | 2.62 | 43.5 | 12.7% | 12.5% | 12.4% | 1986 | $1,429 | 40.7% | 97.5% | 1.0% |
| Solon | 2.47 | 44.4 | 6.8% | 8.9% | 20.6% | 1987 | $1,172 | 45.3% | 95.0% | 2.5% |
| Mayfield | 2.71 | 42.7 | 7.2% | 13.1% | 19.7% | 1987 | $1,199 | 31.4% | 97.1% | 5.1% |
| Glen Haven | 2.32 | 51.9 | 6.3% | 7.9% | 19.4% | 1989 | $1,375 | 55.5% | 97.3% | 2.2% |
| Monroe Center | 2.77 | 40.3 | 7.2% | 18.6% | 14.3% | 1988 | $922 | 25.0% | 93.0% | 7.6% |
| Yuba | 2.35 | 59.9 | 3.9% | 0.9% | 13.0% | 1993 | $1,523 | 67.8% | 97.1% | 0.7% |
| Williamsburg | 2.44 | 49.6 | 6.8% | 8.9% | 23.2% | 1986 | $1,308 | 47.7% | 96.8% | 3.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Woodlawn Park, KY · Yuma, TN · Worthington, MA · Yuma, AZ · Yum Yum, TN · Yukon, OK · Woodlawn, LA · Worth, NY · Yuba, WI · Yauhannah, SC
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 Traverse City. 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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