Arenac County Demographics

A map of Arenac County's Population by Race

Arenac County, Michigan has an estimated population of 15,077, a less than 1% change from the 15,002 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 93.0% White, 3.5% Multiracial, 2.2% Hispanic, 0.7% Black, 0.5% Native American/Other, and 0.1% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Arenac County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Arenac is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than Michigan overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Arenac County, that probability was 13.7% in 2020 and 13.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Arenac County is ranked the 68th most populous county in Michigan, out of 83 counties. Arenac County was ranked the 68th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Arenac County's White Population

14,017 residents of Arenac County, or 93.0% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Arenac County is significantly higher than in Michigan overall, where 72.4% of the population is White. Arenac County ranks 14th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Arenac County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Arenac County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 93.0%.

Arenac County is more White than neighboring Bay County (88.2% White), Ogemaw County (92.5% White), Tuscola County (91.5% White), Gladwin County (92.7% White), and Iosco County (91.3% White).

Arenac County's Black Population

104 residents of Arenac County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Arenac County is considerably lower than in Michigan overall, where 13.1% of the population is Black. Arenac County ranks 71st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Arenac County's Black population has grown by an estimated 197.1%. Black residents' share of Arenac County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Arenac County is more Black than neighboring Ogemaw County (0.5% Black), and Gladwin County (0.3% Black). Arenac County is less Black than neighboring Bay County (1% Black), Tuscola County (1% Black), and Iosco County (0.9% Black).

Arenac County's Asian Population

21 residents of Arenac County, or 0.1% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Arenac County is slightly lower than in Michigan overall, where 3.4% of the population is Asian. Arenac County ranks 72nd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Arenac County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 44.7%. Asian residents' share of Arenac County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.1%.

Arenac County is less Asian than neighboring Bay County (0.5% Asian), Ogemaw County (0.8% Asian), Tuscola County (0.4% Asian), Gladwin County (0.4% Asian), and Iosco County (0.8% Asian).

Arenac County's Hispanic Population

336 residents of Arenac County, or 2.2% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Arenac County is slightly lower than in Michigan overall, where 5.9% of the population is Hispanic. Arenac County ranks 62nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Arenac County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 24.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Arenac County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.2%.

Arenac County is less Hispanic than neighboring Bay County (5.9% Hispanic), Ogemaw County (2.3% Hispanic), Tuscola County (3.8% Hispanic), and Iosco County (2.8% Hispanic).

Arenac County's Native American/Other Population

72 residents of Arenac County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Arenac County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Arenac County ranks 28th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Arenac County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 52.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Arenac County's population has decreased from 1.0% to 0.5%.

Arenac County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Ogemaw County (0.4% Native American/Other), and Tuscola County (0.3% Native American/Other). Arenac County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Bay County (0.6% Native American/Other), Gladwin County (0.7% Native American/Other), and Iosco County (0.6% Native American/Other).

Arenac County's Multiracial Population

527 residents of Arenac County, or 3.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Arenac County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Arenac County ranks 51st statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Arenac County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 10.4%. Multiracial residents' share of Arenac County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.5%.

Arenac County is more Multiracial than neighboring Tuscola County (3% Multiracial). Arenac County is less Multiracial than neighboring Bay County (3.7% Multiracial), Gladwin County (3.6% Multiracial), and Iosco County (3.7% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.