Wexford County, MI
County Profile
34,077 residents. Safety, jobs, income, housing cost, climate and natural-hazard risk for Wexford County, MI.
Several figures AreaProfile publishes are measured by county and nowhere finer — death rates by intent among them. On this page those describe the geography they are printed on, which is not true of the city and ZIP pages that inherit them.
How this area ranks
Data updated · 14 sourcesEmployment conditions sit below most comparable counties measured: unemployment is 5.3% and the Opportunity signal places Wexford County in the bottom 2%.
In the public schools here, 43% of students met the state standard in mathematics, with 17.1 students for every teacher.
151 housing units were authorized over the past twelve months, within 7% of the prior year — steady rather than turning.
These sentences are written by fixed rules from the measurements below — a statement appears because a number crossed a stated threshold, and the values behind it are stored with it. No figure anywhere on this site is invented, estimated or inferred to fill a gap. How this works.
At a glance
Jobs & opportunity
Unemployment of 5.3% — higher than in all but 15% of the 1,467 measured US counties.
Employment fell 8.0% over the past year, to 13,674 employed residents.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income of new arrivalsfiling years 2022–2023 | $53,905 | 35th percentileof 1,417 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Income of those who leftfiling years 2022–2023 | $47,190 | 15th percentileof 1,417 | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Median household income ±$2,9882024 ACS 5-Year | $61,085 | Bottom 38%of 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income ±$1,1822024 ACS 5-Year | $31,949 | Bottom 34%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per-capita personal income2023 | $45,870 | Bottom 10%of 1,389 | 2023 |
| Poverty rate ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 14.0% | Bottom 43%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average commute ±1.1 min2024 ACS 5-Year | 24.9 min | Top 44%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Bachelor's degree or higher ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 21.3% | Bottom 45%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Drove alone to work ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 76.9% | 45th percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| EmploymentJuly 2026 | 13,674 | Bottom 18%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (3 years)July 2026 | −10.8% | Bottom 1%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year)July 2026 | −8.0% | Bottom 1%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Labor forceJuly 2026 | 14,445 | 18th percentileof 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Labor force participation ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 72.9% | Bottom 37%of 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public transit to work ±0.3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 0.5% | 73rd percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment change (year over year)July 2026 | −1.1% | Top 8%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Unemployment rateJuly 2026 | 5.3% | Bottom 15%of 1,467 | July 2026 |
| Worked from home ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 7.1% | 35th percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
Unemployment rate
Median household income, successive ACS releases
43% of students met the state standard in mathematics and 53% in reading, across the schools here that reported results.
There are 17.1 students for every full-time teacher across 12 public schools, more than in most measured places.
| School | District | Students | Per teacher | Math | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadillac Senior High School | Cadillac Area Public Schools | 903 | 18.1 | 47% | 72% |
| Mackinaw Trail Middle School | Cadillac Area Public Schools | 683 | 17.5 | 59% | 58% |
| Franklin Elementary School | Cadillac Area Public Schools | 563 | 17.6 | 52% | 52% |
| Buckley Community Schools | Buckley Community Schools | 488 | 16.3 | 38% | 41% |
| Lincoln Elementary School | Cadillac Area Public Schools | 480 | 16.6 | 37% | 52% |
| Manton Consolidated Elem School | Manton Consolidated Schools | 345 | 14.4 | 62% | 62% |
| Manton Consolidated Middle School | Manton Consolidated Schools | 305 | 17.9 | 32% | 45% |
| Manton Consolidated High School | Manton Consolidated Schools | 289 | 16.1 | 27% | 42% |
| Mesick Consolidated JrSr High School | Mesick Consolidated Schools | 276 | 18.4 | 22% | 42% |
| Forest View Elementary School | Cadillac Area Public Schools | 257 | 17.1 | 42% | 52% |
| Floyd M Jewett Elem School | Mesick Consolidated Schools | 256 | 12.8 | 37% | 47% |
| Cadillac Innovation High School | Cadillac Area Public Schools | 164 | 41.0 | 10% | 30% |
51.0% of students here are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. That describes the circumstances families arrive with, not how the schools perform, so it is shown and not scored.
Public schools only, from the NCES Common Core of Data, placed by ZIP code — which schools are in this place, not which one a particular address is zoned for. A dash in a proficiency column is a gap in the federal file, not a bad result. Proficiency is measured against Michigan’s own standard, so it is ranked within state. How to read school figures.
Housing & affordability
How it’s calculated — housing affordability →The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s house price index for the non-metropolitan parts of Michigan is up 58% over five years, and up 5.6% over the last year. It follows repeat sales of the same homes, so it measures price change rather than which homes happened to sell.
Homeowners here who pay a tax bill pay a median of $1,927 a year in real estate taxes, about 1.13% of the median home value.
HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom, set near the 40th percentile of recent new leases, is $1,084, some 21% above the $897 tenants already here pay.
At HUD’s Fair Market Rent of $1,084 a month for a two-bedroom, keeping rent to 30% of income takes a household income of about $43,400 a year, about 71% of the median household income here of $61,085.
The typical renter household here spends 31% of its income on rent, above the 30% threshold at which a household is considered cost-burdened. Median gross rent runs $897 a month.
A median home at $170,400 costs 2.4 times the median income of its owner-occupied households, $71,801, close to the historic benchmark for an affordable market.
The figures above are measured against Wexford County’s median household income of $61,085, which describes the place rather than you. Enter your own and the ratio is recomputed against it. It stays in this browser.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home price change (1 year)the non-metropolitan parts of Michigan’s figure2026 Q2 | +5.6% | 83rd percentileof 1,431 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (5 years)the non-metropolitan parts of Michigan’s figure2026 Q2 | +57.9% | 92nd percentileof 1,431 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price change (10 years)the non-metropolitan parts of Michigan’s figure2026 Q2 | +119.4% | 88th percentileof 1,431 | 2026 Q2 |
| Home price to income ±0.12024 ACS 5-Year | 2.4 | Top 43%of 3,217 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 80.9% | 85th percentileof 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units ±582024 ACS 5-Year | 16,585 | 59th percentileof 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Market rent, one bedroomFY2026 | $826 | Top 30%of 1,423 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, three bedroomFY2026 | $1,368 | Top 35%of 1,423 | FY2026 |
| Market rent, two bedroomFY2026 | $1,084 | Top 38%of 1,423 | FY2026 |
| Median gross rent ±$452024 ACS 5-Year | $897 | Bottom 45%of 3,215 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value ±$5,8262024 ACS 5-Year | $170,400 | 44th percentileof 3,219 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median property taxes ±$782024 ACS 5-Year | $1,927 | 63rd percentileof 3,172 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Owner household income ±$3,3902024 ACS 5-Year | $71,801 | Bottom 39%of 3,218 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Property tax rate ±0.06%2024 ACS 5-Year | 1.13% | 74th percentileof 3,126 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Rent as a share of income ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year | 31.0% | Bottom 20%of 3,216 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Seasonal and second homes ±2272024 ACS 5-Year | 2,175 | 86th percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Second homes2024 ACS 5-Year | 13.1% | 86th percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacancy rate2024 ACS 5-Year | 4.3% | 10th percentileof 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Vacant housing units ±2982024 ACS 5-Year | 2,889 | 65th percentileof 3,222 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
These measures come from the same ACS release as the income they are compared with. They compare housing cost with local earnings only: transport, groceries, healthcare, insurance and taxes are not in them. How to read affordability, the two rent figures.
Growth & development
How it’s calculated — growth →Development Momentum
An AreaProfile calculation combining permit volume per resident, its direction over one and three years, population change and employment growth. Permit volume alone is not the measure.
Population has grown 2% since 2020, reaching 34,460 in 2024.
Permit activity rose in each of the 3 calendar years through 2025.
Population is still rising but the pace is easing: 34,460 residents in 2024, up 0.6% over the year, a smaller gain than the year before.
Federal tax returns show that people moving in from elsewhere in the US and people moving out roughly balanced across Wexford County in the most recent year. Households that moved in reported an average income of $53,905, above the $47,190 of households that moved out.
At 4.4 permitted units per 1,000 residents, building activity is above the median for measured US counties.
Population, annual estimates
People moving in and out
Where newcomers came from
- Grand Traverse County, MI 299 people · 18% of arrivals
- Missaukee County, MI 203 people · 12% of arrivals
- Osceola County, MI 111 people · 6.6% of arrivals
- Kent County, MI 89 people · 5.3% of arrivals
- Mecosta County, MI 46 people · 2.8% of arrivals
Where people who left went
- Grand Traverse County, MI 205 people · 12% of departures
- Missaukee County, MI 191 people · 11% of departures
- Osceola County, MI 151 people · 9.0% of departures
- Kent County, MI 72 people · 4.3% of departures
- Manistee County, MI 59 people · 3.5% of departures
Based on the address on federal tax returns, compared with the same filers a year earlier. It counts people who file, and sees a move only when the address on a return changes. Domestic moves only: people arriving from abroad are left out. IRS Statistics of Income, filing years 2022–2023.
Housing units permitted per year
Weather & climate
4 of the twelve months have a normal average temperature between 55°F and 80°F. July averages a high of 80°F and January a low of 12°F.
Normal annual precipitation is 35.2 inches.
Air quality measures a median index of 34, in the Good band, and no day in the year passed 100.
Precipitation
| Metric | Value | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| 90th percentile air quality index2024 calendar year | 48 | 2024 calendar year |
| Annual precipitation1991-2020 Normals | 35.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low1991-2020 Normals | 12°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average July high1991-2020 Normals | 80°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Comfortable months1991-2020 Normals | 4 | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Days above AQI 1002024 calendar year | 0 | 2024 calendar year |
| Median air quality index2024 calendar year | 34 | 2024 calendar year |
| Seasonal temperature swing1991-2020 Normals | 49°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
Air quality
Climate figures are thirty-year normals, not current conditions. Air quality is measured by EPA monitors and published by county only where a monitor sits; a county without one shows nothing rather than an estimate, and a county reading is still the county’s. How to read climate and air quality.
Physical risk
The hazards accounting for most of this area's expected annual loss are inland flooding, cold wave and strong wind, with inland flooding alone responsible for 52% of it. Inland flooding and cold wave are independently rated low or minimal nationally, so this describes how the loss is composed, not how large those hazards are.
Overall hazard risk is lower than 96% of measured US counties.
Low or minimal exposure: winter weather, cold wave, landslide, hail, lightning, inland flooding, wildfire, tornado, heat wave, ice storm, earthquake, hurricane, drought, tsunami, volcanic activity, avalanche, coastal flooding.
Hazard ratings are AreaProfile calculations derived from the FEMA National Risk Index v1.20.0 (December 2025). These are FEMA’s own figures for this county rather than a value derived from surrounding geographies. FEMA does not endorse this presentation. Higher physical resilience means lower exposure.
These are deaths, not offenses — they say nothing about burglary, theft or assault.
Wexford County has a modeled homicide rate of about 3.0 per 100,000 residents a year, because the CDC suppresses counts this small, near the middle of counties measured. The CDC does not publish this below county level.
Firearm deaths of all intents run at about 14.5 per 100,000 — more than the homicide rate, since the figure counts suicides and accidents as well as homicides.
Drug overdose deaths run at about 13.7 per 100,000 residents in Wexford County.
Firearm deaths count every intent together, and nationally the majority are suicides rather than homicides, so the firearm figure and the homicide figure above it count some of the same deaths twice over. They overlap and should not be added together.
Death rates are crude rates — deaths divided by population, not adjusted for age — except where a count was too small for the CDC to publish and it modeled the rate, which the card marks. They come from provisional death certificate records, published by the CDC by county and not below it. So they describe Wexford County as a whole. They are shown and not scored. How to read death rates.
What this profile does not cover
Each of these is absent for a reason, not by oversight. The Area Score is calculated without them; the weighting is on the methodology page.
- Reported crime
- Offenses reported to police are published by department rather than by town, so AreaProfile shows a rate only on city profiles, and only where that city’s department submitted every month of a year. City profiles inside this area carry their own figure where their department reported a full year. A partial year is never scaled up to look complete, and arrest counts or news volume are never substituted for it.
- Cost of living
- Price parities are published for metropolitan areas, and this place lies outside one.
- Taxes
- Income and sales taxes are not published: no source covers them nationally with a method open enough to check. Property taxes are shown in the housing section but are not part of the score. Cost of living is published where the Bureau of Economic Analysis measures it, though not for this place. Nothing here is individualized tax advice.
- Anything about a specific address
- Every figure describes an area, not a street or a house.
Access
1 major airport lies within 100 miles, the nearest Mbs Intl at 92 miles.
| Metric | Value | Compared nationally | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband access ±2%2024 ACS 5-Year | 87.5% | Top 45%of 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Distance to major airportNASR current cycle | 92 mi | Bottom 5%of 1,463 | NASR current cycle |
| Major airports within 100 milesNASR current cycle | 1 | Bottom 3%of 1,463 | NASR current cycle |
| No internet access ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year | 10.1% | Top 50%of 3,221 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Airport | Code | Distance | Longest runway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mbs Intl | MBS | 92 mi | 8,002 ft |
| Gerald R Ford Intl | GRR | 100 mi | 10,001 ft |
| Oscoda/Wurtsmith | OSC | 108 mi | 11,801 ft |
Airport identity, position and runway data come from the FAA. “Major airport” is an AreaProfile classification — a public-use civil airport with a paved runway of at least 8,000 feet — not an FAA hub designation. Distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
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Similar places
Matched on AreaProfile signals, not geographyData & methodology
| Used for | Source | Source period |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Federal Aviation Administration Airports (NASR) — Aeronautical Data Delivery Service | NASR current cycle |
| Physical risk | Federal Emergency Management Agency National Risk Index | National Risk Index December 2025 (v1.20.0) |
| Demographics, Income | Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division U.S. Population Migration Data (county to county) | filing years 2022–2023 |
| Climate | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Monthly) | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Income | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional price parities and county personal income | 2023 |
| Jobs | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics | July 2026 |
| Access, Demographics, Housing, Income, Jobs | U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (Table-Based Summary File) | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Development | U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Demographics | U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program | July 1, 2024 estimate |
| Safety | U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics Provisional county-level mortality by intent | March 2025 to February 2026; May 2025 to April 2026 |
| Schools | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data and EDFacts assessments | 2018-19 school year; 2024-25 school year |
| Housing | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Policy Development and Research Fair Market Rents | FY2026 |
| Climate | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System Daily Air Quality Index by county | 2024 calendar year |
| Housing | U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (traditional, all-transactions) | 2026 Q2 |
| Current conditions | NOAA National Weather Service National Weather Service current conditions | Live observation, read when the page opens |
Profile recalculated October 8, 2026. Recalculation is not the same as new source data — each figure above shows the period its source actually covers. Read the full methodology, or every source with how often each updates.
Cities in Wexford County, MI
ZIP areas
Only ZIP areas whose income or home value differ from their city’s by at least ten percent get a profile of their own, so this is a selection rather than every ZIP code in the county.