Ontonagon County Demographics

A map of Ontonagon County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	5,402	5,434	92.3%	93.4%
Multiracial	246	214	4.2%	3.7%
Hispanic	105	68	1.8%	1.2%
Native American/Other	43	72	0.7%	1.2%
Black	30	8	0.5%	0.1%
Asian	24	20	0.4%	0.3%

Ontonagon County, Michigan has an estimated population of 5,850, a less than 1% change from the 5,816 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 92.3% White, 4.2% Multiracial, 1.8% Hispanic, 0.7% Native American/Other, 0.5% Black, and 0.4% Asian. This demographic dot map shows the population of Ontonagon County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Ontonagon has become more 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 Ontonagon County, that probability was 12.5% in 2020 and 14.5% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Ontonagon County is ranked the 82nd most populous county in Michigan, out of 83 counties. Ontonagon County was ranked the 81st most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Ontonagon County's White Population

5,402 residents of Ontonagon County, or 92.3% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Ontonagon County is significantly higher than in Michigan overall, where 72.4% of the population is White. Ontonagon County ranks 7th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ontonagon County's White population has remained roughly the same. White residents' share of Ontonagon County's population has decreased from 93.4% to 92.3%.

Ontonagon County is more White than neighboring Gogebic County (90.5% White), Houghton County (90.9% White), Vilas County (84.8% White), and Baraga County (72% White). Ontonagon County is less White than neighboring Iron County (92.9% White).

Ontonagon County's Black Population

30 residents of Ontonagon County, or 0.5% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Ontonagon County is considerably lower than in Michigan overall, where 13.1% of the population is Black. Ontonagon County ranks 80th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ontonagon County's Black population has grown by an estimated 275.0%. Black residents' share of Ontonagon County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.5%.

Ontonagon County is more Black than neighboring Gogebic County (0.4% Black), Vilas County (0.3% Black), and Iron County (0% Black). Ontonagon County is less Black than neighboring Houghton County (1.1% Black), and Baraga County (6.3% Black).

Ontonagon County's Asian Population

24 residents of Ontonagon County, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Ontonagon County is slightly lower than in Michigan overall, where 3.4% of the population is Asian. Ontonagon County ranks 57th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ontonagon County's Asian population has grown by an estimated 20.0%. Asian residents' share of Ontonagon County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Ontonagon County is less Asian than neighboring Gogebic County (0.6% Asian), Houghton County (2.9% Asian), Iron County (0.5% Asian), and Baraga County (0.8% Asian).

Ontonagon County's Hispanic Population

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

Since the 2020 Census, Ontonagon County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 54.4%. Hispanic residents' share of Ontonagon County's population has increased from 1.2% to 1.8%.

Ontonagon County is more Hispanic than neighboring Iron County (1.6% Hispanic), and Baraga County (1.7% Hispanic). Ontonagon County is less Hispanic than neighboring Gogebic County (2% Hispanic), and Vilas County (2.3% Hispanic).

Ontonagon County's Native American/Other Population

43 residents of Ontonagon 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 Ontonagon County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 0.8% of the population is Native American/Other. Ontonagon County ranks 20th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ontonagon County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 40.3%. Native American/Other residents' share of Ontonagon County's population has decreased from 1.2% to 0.7%.

Ontonagon County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Iron County (0.3% Native American/Other). Ontonagon County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Gogebic County (2.7% Native American/Other), Houghton County (1.3% Native American/Other), Vilas County (8.3% Native American/Other), and Baraga County (12% Native American/Other).

Ontonagon County's Multiracial Population

246 residents of Ontonagon County, or 4.2% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Ontonagon County is comparable to the share in Michigan overall, where 4.5% of the population is Multiracial. Ontonagon County ranks 58th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 83 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Ontonagon County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 15.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Ontonagon County's population has increased from 3.7% to 4.2%.

Ontonagon County is more Multiracial than neighboring Gogebic County (3.8% Multiracial), Houghton County (1.9% Multiracial), and Vilas County (3.9% Multiracial). Ontonagon County is less Multiracial than neighboring Iron County (4.7% Multiracial), and Baraga County (7.2% 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.