Alger County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Alger County, Michigan had an estimated 8,695 residents on July 1, 2024, down 1.6 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,833, across 915 square miles. County output reached $331.7 m in 2024, 220 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 3 7(a) approvals worth $1.2 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Alger County
How many people live in Alger County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20248,762
- Households3,531
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$61,286
- Median age49.1
- Median gross rent$714 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$176,200
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income14.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher21.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over6,825
- Population under 181,284
- Share under 1814.7 percent
- Population 65 and over2,380
- Share 65 and over27.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 645,098
- Civilian labor force3,175
- Unemployment rate6.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over42.5 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties77th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included2582nd of 3,222
Alger County is the 77th largest of 83 Michigan counties by population. A median home costs 2.9 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 27.2 percent against 14.7 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Alger County
Is Alger County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 20248,695
- Census 2020 base population8,833
- Population change since the 2020 census base-1.56 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-45
- Births, 202449
- Deaths, 2024103
- Natural change, 2024-54
- Net domestic migration, 20248
- Net international migration, 20242
- Total net migration, 202410
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 202450
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents2379th of 3,144
The county has lost 1.56 percent of its population since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 by more than net migration added, so the population fell even though more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Alger County
Where are people moving to Alger County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving232
- People arriving, from those returns377
- Tax returns filed by households leaving235
- Net household movement-3
- Adjusted gross income arriving$16.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$5.0 m
- Average income of an arriving household$68,927
- Average income of a leaving household$46,706
- Largest single originMarquette County (50 households)
- Largest single destinationMarquette County (51 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marquette County | 50 | 73 | $2.8 m |
Households arriving report $22,221 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Marquette County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Alger County
What is the Alger County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$331.7 m
- County GDP, 2023$319.9 m
- GDP change, 2023 to 20243.7 percent
- GDP change over five years33.3 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Michigan areas BEA publishes76th of 83
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes2652nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$37,860
Output grew 3.7 percent in the latest year and 33.3 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Alger County
Employment by industry in Alger County
- Covered employment, annual average2,650
- Establishments reporting258
- Average annual pay$49,474
- Average weekly wage$951
- Manufacturing, employment397
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$71,183
- Retail trade, employment201
- Retail trade, average annual pay$25,688
- Construction, employment108
- Construction, average annual pay$58,846
- Transportation and warehousing, employment74
- Transportation and warehousing, average annual pay$36,806
- Finance and insurance, employment59
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment45
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 397 | 9 | $71,183 |
| Retail trade | 201 | 34 | $25,688 |
| Construction | 108 | 24 | $58,846 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 74 | 8 | $36,806 |
| Finance and insurance | 59 | 6 | $82,364 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 45 | 11 | $65,969 |
| Other services, except public administration | 34 | 14 | $40,228 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 26 | 9 | $42,559 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 397 jobs, 15.0 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Alger County
How many businesses are in Alger County?
- Establishments, all industries220
- Employment at those establishments1,733
- Annual payroll$85.7 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.1
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Alger County
Building permits in Alger County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202433
- Declared construction value permitted$9.7 m
- Single family units authorized33
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$295,375
- Units authorized per 1,000 households9.3
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Alger County
SBA loans in Alger County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded3
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$1.2 m
- Average 7(a) approval$411,633
- Median 7(a) approval$25,000
- Largest single approval$1,189,900
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)12
- Jobs per approval4.0
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active2
- Distinct industries receiving approvals2
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer33.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms1
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter2
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- 504 approvals recorded10
- 504 gross approval dollars$2.2 m
- Average 504 approval$221,100
- Median 504 approval$130,500
- Distinct CDCs active1
- 504 jobs per approval2.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved11.8
- Most active CDCMichigan Certified Development Corporation (10)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$3.4 m
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Alger County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Alger County
Do SBA loans in Alger County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded0
- Paid in full0
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure3
Only 0 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Alger County
How large is Alger County?
- Land area915 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties12th of 83
- Width, east to west59.6 mi
- Height, north to south36.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land10
- Establishments per square mile0.24
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Alger County
Flood risk in Alger County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book5
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate80.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Alger County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The EPA places Alger County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 80.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Alger County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Alger County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-20248,762
- Households3,531
- Average household size2.48
- Median household income$61,286
- Median age49.1
Common questions
Alger County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Alger County, Michigan?
The Census Bureau estimates 8,695 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 8,762, in 3,531 households, ranking 77th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Alger County's population growing?
The population has fallen 1.56 percent since the 2020 census base of 8,833, to 8,695 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 49 births against 103 deaths, with net migration of 10. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Alger County?
$61,286. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $176,200, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $714 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Alger County?
220 establishments, employing 1,733 people with an annual payroll of $85.7 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Alger County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 397 jobs, 15.0 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 2,650 jobs at an average annual pay of $49,474, or $951 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Alger County?
3 7(a) approvals totaling $1.2 m since FY2020, across 2 lenders, with a median approval of $25,000, plus 10 504 approvals worth $2.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Alger County?
33 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $9.7 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Alger County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Alger County come from?
The largest single origin is Marquette County, with 50 households. Arriving households report an average income of $68,927 against $46,706 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Alger County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Alger County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Alger County
Cities and places in Alger.
3 Census places lie wholly or partly in Alger County. All 3 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Munising | city | 1,975 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Grand Marais | CDP | 153 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Chatham | village | 135 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby