Lake County Demographics

A map of Lake County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	9,490	9,360	75.5%	77.4%
Hispanic	1,163	1,195	9.3%	9.9%
Black	984	795	7.8%	6.6%
Multiracial	686	604	5.5%	5.0%
Native American/Other	202	97	1.6%	0.8%
Asian	38	45	0.3%	0.4%

Lake County, Michigan has an estimated population of 12,563, an increase from the 12,096 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 75.5% White, 9.3% Hispanic, 7.8% Black, 5.5% Multiracial, 1.6% Native American/Other, and 0.3% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Lake County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Lake has become more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is 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 Lake County, that probability was 38.5% in 2020 and 41.1% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Lake County is ranked the 72nd most populous county in Michigan, out of 83 counties. Lake County was ranked the 72nd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Lake County's White Population

9,490 residents of Lake County, or 75.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Lake County is slightly higher than in Michigan overall, where 72.4% of the population is White. Lake County ranks 68th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.4%. White residents' share of Lake County's population has decreased from 77.4% to 75.5%.

Lake County is less White than neighboring Wexford County (90.8% White), Newaygo County (87.2% White), Osceola County (91.6% White), Mecosta County (89.6% White), and Manistee County (87.4% White).

Lake County's Black Population

984 residents of Lake County, or 7.8% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Lake County is lower than in Michigan overall, where 13.1% of the population is Black. Lake County ranks 18th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake County's Black population has grown by an estimated 23.8%. Black residents' share of Lake County's population has increased from 6.6% to 7.8%.

Lake County is more Black than neighboring Wexford County (1.1% Black), Newaygo County (0.8% Black), Osceola County (1.1% Black), Mecosta County (2.1% Black), and Manistee County (3.2% Black).

Lake County's Asian Population

38 residents of Lake County, or 0.3% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Lake County is slightly lower than in Michigan overall, where 3.4% of the population is Asian. Lake County ranks 54th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 15.6%. Asian residents' share of Lake County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Lake County is less Asian than neighboring Wexford County (0.6% Asian), Newaygo County (0.4% Asian), Osceola County (0.4% Asian), Mecosta County (0.7% Asian), and Manistee County (0.4% Asian).

Lake County's Hispanic Population

1,163 residents of Lake County, or 9.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Lake County is slightly higher than in Michigan overall, where 5.9% of the population is Hispanic. Lake County ranks 5th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake County's Hispanic population has declined by an estimated 2.7%. Hispanic residents' share of Lake County's population has decreased from 9.9% to 9.3%.

Lake County is more Hispanic than neighboring Wexford County (2.7% Hispanic), Newaygo County (6.3% Hispanic), Osceola County (2.1% Hispanic), Mecosta County (3% Hispanic), and Manistee County (3.6% Hispanic).

Lake County's Native American/Other Population

202 residents of Lake County, or 1.6% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Lake County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Lake County ranks 45th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake County's Native American/Other population has grown by an estimated 108.2%. Native American/Other residents' share of Lake County's population has increased from 0.8% to 1.6%.

Lake County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Wexford County (0.3% Native American/Other), Newaygo County (1.3% Native American/Other), Osceola County (1.1% Native American/Other), Mecosta County (0.7% Native American/Other), and Manistee County (1.4% Native American/Other).

Lake County's Multiracial Population

686 residents of Lake County, or 5.5% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Lake County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Lake County ranks 16th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 13.6%. Multiracial residents' share of Lake County's population has increased from 5.0% to 5.5%.

Lake County is more Multiracial than neighboring Wexford County (4.5% Multiracial), Newaygo County (4.1% Multiracial), Osceola County (3.7% Multiracial), Mecosta County (3.9% Multiracial), and Manistee County (4% 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.