Alpena County, Michigan: commercial real estate data.
Alpena County, Michigan had an estimated 28,903 residents on July 1, 2024, down 0.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 28,904, across 572 square miles. County output reached $1.52 bn in 2024, 822 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 27 7(a) approvals worth $8.9 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Alpena County
How many people live in Alpena County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202428,880
- Households13,019
- Average household size2.22
- Median household income$53,950
- Median age47.8
- Median gross rent$673 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$153,900
- Home value to household income2.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.3 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree6.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over21,702
- Population under 185,333
- Share under 1818.5 percent
- Population 65 and over7,265
- Share 65 and over25.2 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6416,282
- Civilian labor force13,014
- Unemployment rate6.2 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.3 percent
- Rank by population among Michigan counties50th of 83
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1508th of 3,222
Alpena County is the 50th 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 25.2 percent against 18.5 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.
Alpena County
Is Alpena County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202428,903
- Census 2020 base population28,904
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.00 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 202433
- Births, 2024240
- Deaths, 2024421
- Natural change, 2024-181
- Net domestic migration, 2024207
- Net international migration, 20248
- Total net migration, 2024215
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024761
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1822nd of 3,144
The county has grown 0.00 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Alpena County
Where are people moving to Alpena County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving654
- People arriving, from those returns1,120
- Tax returns filed by households leaving588
- Net household movement66
- Adjusted gross income arriving$34.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$5.7 m
- Average income of an arriving household$53,133
- Average income of a leaving household$49,389
- Largest single originPresque Isle County (57 households)
- Largest single destinationPresque Isle County (70 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presque Isle County | 57 | 106 | $3.0 m |
| Alcona County | 41 | 75 | $1.3 m |
| Montmorency County | 37 | 80 | $1.8 m |
| Wayne County | 28 | 48 | $2.1 m |
Households arriving report $3,744 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 Presque Isle 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.
Alpena County
What is the Alpena County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$1.52 bn
- County GDP, 2023$1.44 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.0 percent
- GDP change over five years34.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Michigan areas BEA publishes51st of 83
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1509th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$52,540
Output grew 5.0 percent in the latest year and 34.5 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.
Alpena County
Employment by industry in Alpena County
- Covered employment, annual average12,191
- Establishments reporting898
- Average annual pay$51,642
- Average weekly wage$993
- Health care and social assistance, employment1,917
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$44,709
- Manufacturing, employment1,896
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$73,023
- Retail trade, employment1,601
- Retail trade, average annual pay$39,016
- Accommodation and food services, employment932
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$20,842
- Construction, employment479
- Other services, except public administration, employment430
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 1,917 | 102 | $44,709 |
| Manufacturing | 1,896 | 97 | $73,023 |
| Retail trade | 1,601 | 116 | $39,016 |
| Accommodation and food services | 932 | 68 | $20,842 |
| Construction | 479 | 98 | $53,298 |
| Other services, except public administration | 430 | 122 | $42,086 |
| Finance and insurance | 429 | 33 | $68,098 |
| Information | 141 | 14 | $46,634 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 1,917 jobs, 15.7 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Alpena County
How many businesses are in Alpena County?
- Establishments, all industries822
- Employment at those establishments10,141
- Annual payroll$476.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents28.5
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.
Alpena County
Building permits in Alpena County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 202437
- Declared construction value permitted$11.3 m
- Single family units authorized35
- Multifamily units authorized2
- Multifamily share of units5.4 percent
- Average declared value per unit$306,123
- Units authorized per 1,000 households2.8
Single-family homes are 94.6 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Alpena County
SBA loans in Alpena County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded27
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$8.9 m
- Average 7(a) approval$331,204
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- 10th percentile approval$17,300
- 90th percentile approval$641,600
- Largest single approval$3,407,400
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)251
- Jobs per approval9.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active6
- Distinct industries receiving approvals20
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer11.1 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter21
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals3.7 percent
- Leading industry by approval countSporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (3)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (18)
- 504 approvals recorded5
- 504 gross approval dollars$3.6 m
- Average 504 approval$713,400
- Median 504 approval$368,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval5.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.8
- Most active CDCMichigan Certified Development Corporation (4)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$12.5 m
The average approval of $331,204 sits well above the median of $100,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 11.1 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
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.
Alpena County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Alpena County
Do SBA loans in Alpena County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded2
- Paid in full2
- Charged off0
- Status: Exempt from disclosure19
- Status: Cancelled5
- Status: Paid in full2
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 2 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.
Alpena County
SBA lending by place in Alpena County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending4
- Alpena, approvals22
- Hubbard Lake, approvals2
- Herron, approvals2
- Hillman, approvals1
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Alpena | 22 | $8,052,500 |
| Hubbard Lake | 2 | $466,000 |
| Herron | 2 | $124,000 |
| Hillman | 1 | $300,000 |
Alpena accounts for 22 approvals against 2 in Hubbard Lake. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Alpena County
How large is Alpena County?
- Land area572 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Michigan counties39th of 83
- Width, east to west30.4 mi
- Height, north to south24.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land50
- Establishments per square mile1.44
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.
Alpena County
Flood risk in Alpena County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book8
- Of those, participating in the NFIP4
- NFIP participation rate50.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Alpena County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The EPA places Alpena 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. 50.0 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 Alpena 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 Alpena County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202428,880
- Households13,019
- Average household size2.22
- Median household income$53,950
- Median age47.8
Common questions
Alpena County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Alpena County, Michigan?
The Census Bureau estimates 28,903 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 28,880, in 13,019 households, ranking 50th of 83 Michigan counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Alpena County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.00 percent since the 2020 census base of 28,904, to 28,903 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 240 births against 421 deaths, with net migration of 215. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Alpena County?
$53,950. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $153,900, which is 2.9 times income, and median gross rent is $673 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Alpena County?
822 establishments, employing 10,141 people with an annual payroll of $476.6 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 Alpena County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 1,917 jobs, 15.7 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 12,191 jobs at an average annual pay of $51,642, or $993 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Alpena County?
27 7(a) approvals totaling $8.9 m since FY2020, across 6 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000, plus 5 504 approvals worth $3.6 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Alpena County?
37 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $11.3 m. Multifamily was 5.4 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Alpena 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 Alpena County come from?
The largest single origin is Presque Isle County, with 57 households. Arriving households report an average income of $53,133 against $49,389 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Alpena 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 Alpena 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.
Alpena County
Cities and places in Alpena.
3 Census places lie wholly or partly in Alpena 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpena | city | 10,154 | 22 | Wholly in this county |
| Ossineke | CDP | 1,019 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hillman | village | 812 | 1 | 2.4 percent here, 97.6 percent Montmorency County |
A further 4 of the county's 27 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Alpena County, the largest being Hubbard Lake (2), Herron (2). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby