Upper Peninsula of Michigan - Demographics

Demographics

The Upper Peninsula remains a predominantly rural region. As of the 2010 census, the region had a population of 299,184.

According to the 2000 census, only 91,624 people live in the 12 towns of at least 4,000 people, covering 96.5 square miles (250 km²). Only 114,544 people live in the 21 towns and villages of at least 2,000 people, which cover 123.7 square miles (320.4 km²)—less than 1% of the peninsula's land area.

The Upper Peninsula is one of the few regions in the United States that experiences population decline. Although not every county in the Upper Peninsula has a declining population, this phenomenon does have a significant impact on the social and economic aspects of many of its communities and citizens. Some of the contributing factors to the Upper Peninsula's shifts in population are the boom and bust cycles of the timber and mining industries, as well as the severity of its winters. Some areas in the Upper Peninsula are more prone to declining population than others, with the six westernmost counties being the most dramatic, going from a 1920 level of 153,674 people (representing 59% of the total population of the entire Upper Peninsula) to a 2000 census level of 85,378 persons (dropping to 29% of the total Upper Peninsula's population). It is quite common to see abandoned buildings and ruins in this area; there are even a number of ghost towns that are slowly succumbing to the ubiquitous forest.

Generally speaking, the population of the Upper Peninsula grew throughout the 19th century, and then leveled off and even experienced decline during the 20th century, as can readily be seen in the tables below. The data for these tables is from the U.S. Census; A "↑" indicates an increase in population from the previous census, and a "↓" indicates a decrease in population from the previous census.