Mecosta County Demographics

A map of Mecosta County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	36,950	35,521	89.6%	89.4%
Multiracial	1,616	1,761	3.9%	4.4%
Hispanic	1,217	1,026	3.0%	2.6%
Black	882	772	2.1%	1.9%
Asian	299	312	0.7%	0.8%
Native American/Other	278	322	0.7%	0.8%

Mecosta County, Michigan has an estimated population of 41,242, an increase from the 39,714 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 89.6% White, 3.9% Multiracial, 3.0% Hispanic, 2.1% Black, 0.7% Asian, and 0.7% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Mecosta County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Mecosta 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 Mecosta County, that probability was 19.7% in 2020 and 19.4% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Mecosta County is ranked the 40th most populous county in Michigan, out of 83 counties. Mecosta County was ranked the 41st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Mecosta County's White Population

36,950 residents of Mecosta County, or 89.6% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Mecosta County is significantly higher than in Michigan overall, where 72.4% of the population is White. Mecosta County ranks 37th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Mecosta County's White population has grown by an estimated 4.0%. White residents' share of Mecosta County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 89.6%.

Mecosta County is more White than neighboring Montcalm County (87% White), Isabella County (83% White), and Newaygo County (87.2% White). Mecosta County is less White than neighboring Osceola County (91.6% White), and Clare County (92.8% White).

Mecosta County's Black Population

882 residents of Mecosta County, or 2.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Mecosta County is considerably lower than in Michigan overall, where 13.1% of the population is Black. Mecosta County ranks 32nd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Mecosta County's Black population has grown by an estimated 14.2%. Black residents' share of Mecosta County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.1%.

Mecosta County is more Black than neighboring Osceola County (1.1% Black), Newaygo County (0.8% Black), and Clare County (0.9% Black). Mecosta County is less Black than neighboring Montcalm County (3.2% Black), and Isabella County (2.4% Black).

Mecosta County's Asian Population

299 residents of Mecosta County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Mecosta County is slightly lower than in Michigan overall, where 3.4% of the population is Asian. Mecosta County ranks 21st statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Mecosta County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 4.2%. Asian residents' share of Mecosta County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Mecosta County is more Asian than neighboring Osceola County (0.4% Asian), Montcalm County (0.2% Asian), Newaygo County (0.4% Asian), and Clare County (0.3% Asian). Mecosta County is less Asian than neighboring Isabella County (1.6% Asian).

Mecosta County's Hispanic Population

1,217 residents of Mecosta County, or 3.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Mecosta County is slightly lower than in Michigan overall, where 5.9% of the population is Hispanic. Mecosta County ranks 46th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Mecosta County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 18.6%. Hispanic residents' share of Mecosta County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.0%.

Mecosta County is more Hispanic than neighboring Osceola County (2.1% Hispanic), and Clare County (2.3% Hispanic). Mecosta County is less Hispanic than neighboring Montcalm County (4.5% Hispanic), Isabella County (5.1% Hispanic), and Newaygo County (6.3% Hispanic).

Mecosta County's Native American/Other Population

278 residents of Mecosta County, or 0.7% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Mecosta County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Mecosta County ranks 44th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Mecosta County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 13.7%. Native American/Other residents' share of Mecosta County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.7%.

Mecosta County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Clare County (0.6% Native American/Other). Mecosta County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Osceola County (1.1% Native American/Other), Montcalm County (0.8% Native American/Other), Isabella County (2.9% Native American/Other), and Newaygo County (1.3% Native American/Other).

Mecosta County's Multiracial Population

1,616 residents of Mecosta County, or 3.9% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Mecosta County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Mecosta County ranks 27th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Mecosta County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 8.2%. Multiracial residents' share of Mecosta County's population has decreased from 4.4% to 3.9%.

Mecosta County is more Multiracial than neighboring Osceola County (3.7% Multiracial), and Clare County (3% Multiracial). Mecosta County is less Multiracial than neighboring Montcalm County (4.4% Multiracial), Isabella County (4.9% Multiracial), and Newaygo County (4.1% 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.