Houghton County Demographics

A map of Houghton County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	34,270	33,854	90.9%	90.6%
Asian	1,084	855	2.9%	2.3%
Multiracial	724	1,372	1.9%	3.7%
Hispanic	697	669	1.8%	1.8%
Native American/Other	502	331	1.3%	0.9%
Black	416	280	1.1%	0.7%

Houghton County, Michigan has an estimated population of 37,693, a less than 1% change from the 37,361 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 90.9% White, 2.9% Asian, 1.9% Multiracial, 1.8% Hispanic, 1.3% Native American/Other, and 1.1% Black. This demographic dot map shows the population of Houghton County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Houghton has become slightly less racially diverse since 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 Houghton County, that probability was 17.7% in 2020 and 17.2% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Houghton County is ranked the 42nd most populous county in Michigan, out of 83 counties. Houghton County was ranked the 42nd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Houghton County's White Population

34,270 residents of Houghton County, or 90.9% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Houghton County is significantly higher than in Michigan overall, where 72.4% of the population is White. Houghton County ranks 34th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Houghton County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.2%. White residents' share of Houghton County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 90.9%.

Houghton County is more White than neighboring Baraga County (72% White), Iron County (90.6% White), and Marquette County (90.7% White). Houghton County is less White than neighboring Ontonagon County (92.3% White), and Keweenaw County (92.7% White).

Houghton County's Black Population

416 residents of Houghton County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Houghton County is considerably lower than in Michigan overall, where 13.1% of the population is Black. Houghton County ranks 41st statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Houghton County's Black population has grown by an estimated 48.6%. Black residents' share of Houghton County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.1%.

Houghton County is more Black than neighboring Ontonagon County (0.5% Black), Iron County (0.9% Black), and Keweenaw County (0% Black). Houghton County is less Black than neighboring Baraga County (6.3% Black), and Marquette County (1.3% Black).

Houghton County's Asian Population

1,084 residents of Houghton County, or 2.9% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Houghton County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 3.4% of the population is Asian. Houghton County ranks 11th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Houghton County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 26.8%. Asian residents' share of Houghton County's population has increased from 2.3% to 2.9%.

Houghton County is more Asian than neighboring Baraga County (0.8% Asian), Ontonagon County (0.4% Asian), Iron County (0.6% Asian), Keweenaw County (0% Asian), and Marquette County (0.5% Asian).

Houghton County's Hispanic Population

697 residents of Houghton County, or 1.8% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Houghton County is slightly lower than in Michigan overall, where 5.9% of the population is Hispanic. Houghton County ranks 63rd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Houghton County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 4.2%. Hispanic residents' share of Houghton County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.8%.

Houghton County is more Hispanic than neighboring Baraga County (1.7% Hispanic). Houghton County is less Hispanic than neighboring Iron County (2.3% Hispanic), Keweenaw County (2% Hispanic), and Marquette County (2.1% Hispanic).

Houghton County's Native American/Other Population

502 residents of Houghton County, or 1.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Houghton County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Houghton County ranks 34th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Houghton County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 51.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Houghton County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.3%.

Houghton County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Ontonagon County (0.7% Native American/Other), and Marquette County (1.1% Native American/Other). Houghton County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Baraga County (12% Native American/Other), Iron County (1.8% Native American/Other), and Keweenaw County (2.2% Native American/Other).

Houghton County's Multiracial Population

724 residents of Houghton County, or 1.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Houghton County is slightly lower than in Michigan overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Houghton County ranks 59th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Houghton County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 47.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Houghton County's population has decreased from 3.7% to 1.9%.

Houghton County is less Multiracial than neighboring Baraga County (7.2% Multiracial), Ontonagon County (4.2% Multiracial), Iron County (3.7% Multiracial), Keweenaw County (3.2% Multiracial), and Marquette County (4.2% 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.